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Palm Springs Unified details $millions in summer facility work; FEMA funds expected to repair Cathedral City Elementary detention basin
Summary
Maintenance and operations director reviewed roofing, restroom remodels, concrete repairs, lighting retrofits and a detention basin repair at Cathedral City Elementary for storm damage; FEMA has obligated funds and Cal OES review is underway.
Palm Springs Unified School District’s director of maintenance and operations on Sept. 23 reviewed this summer’s district facility work, including roofing, restroom remodels, concrete trip‑hazard repairs, gym‑floor refinishes, LED lighting retrofits and ongoing work related to storm damage at Cathedral City Elementary’s detention basin.
Greg Shoemaker, director of maintenance and operations, told the board the department manages 28 school sites covering roughly 2.6 million square feet on about 514 acres, processes nearly 16,000 work orders a year and uses a five‑year deferred maintenance plan and facility condition assessments to prioritize projects.
Shoemaker highlighted completed projects at Palm Springs High School — a full restroom gut‑and‑remodel with new fixtures and epoxy floors, extensive concrete repairs and trip‑hazard eliminations, a restored 800‑building roof coating, and a track sinkhole repair caused by an irrigation mainline break. The district also completed reroofing at Julius Corsini, replaced stage curtains at Rancho Mirage High School’s Helene Galen Theater, refinished gym floors at five secondary sites, and completed early‑childhood fire alarm integrations on several campuses.
On lighting, Shoemaker said a California ban on purchasing fluorescent lamps, effective Jan. 1, 2025, required the district to accelerate LED retrofits. Over the summer the district replaced roughly 19,000 fixtures at elementary sites and moved to middle and secondary sites in staged retrofits; existing fluorescent fixtures were repurposed as interim spares where feasible.
Cathedral City Elementary detention basin: Shoemaker reviewed storm damage from Tropical Storm Hilary (2023), which overwhelmed a primary retention basin and washed sediment and water across a soccer field. He said FEMA has recently obligated funds; the file is now with the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). Shoemaker estimated the district would put the repair work out to bid in October, seek board approval in November and aim for project completion around February (timeline described by presenter as a target, not a firm guarantee).
Shoemaker closed by thanking staff and noting the work – while often behind the scenes – aims to keep campuses safe, clean and operational.
Ending: The board asked questions and thanked Shoemaker; no board vote was needed on these informational projects. Shoemaker said he would continue to update the board on major bid and construction milestones.
