On July 21, 2025, district facilities staff briefed the Board of Education Real Estate Committee on recurring debris, dumping and board-up costs at closed facilities, highlighting Walnut Park and Northwest High School as examples.

A staff member explained contractors mow open facilities weekly and closed facilities every two weeks; closed sites often become illegal-dumping grounds, with tires, mattresses and other debris requiring removal. For mattress and tire cleanups at affected sites, staff estimated costs between $1,500 and $2,000 per incident. Staff provided a larger, first-level cost estimate to install corrugated metal on closed buildings under 10 feet: approximately $1,200,000 (last year’s number). Using plywood for board-ups would cost roughly $600,000 to $750,000.

Committee members described the condition of Northwest High School as “heartbreaking,” recalled prior renovation work and asked about funding sources. Staff said the district uses existing grounds and maintenance contracts and sometimes uses a ground supervisor and district crews; large debris loads are handled through contractors at additional cost. “For our closed facilities…we don’t have any budget for our closed buildings in particular to clean up, let alone any board ups,” a staff member said.

The superintendent and committee members urged development of a sustainability plan: what happens after cleanup to prevent recurring dumping and deterioration. The superintendent asked to keep the item on the agenda until a plan is developed. A committee member suggested exploring the city’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program and partnerships with municipal agencies; staff confirmed coordination with city partners is possible.

No new funding allocation was approved at the July 21 meeting; the committee requested that the cleanup and a longer-term plan remain on future agendas.