Dixon Unified lays out five‑year maintenance plan after board sets aside $500,000 annually

David Arriaga, Dixon Unified maintenance and operations manager, presented a five‑year maintenance plan that inventories facility needs across the district and ranks projects as Priority 1 (high), Priority 2 and Priority 3.

Arriaga showed photographs of dry rot on portable siding, cracked blacktop, failing gutters, worn roofing, hard‑water damage, damaged drinking fountains, overgrown trees that clog roof drains and aging playground equipment with discontinued replacement parts. He described widespread needs including reroof coatings, parking‑lot striping, rekeying gates for security, irrigation piping replacement, bleacher resurfacing, repainting doors and repairing ADA issues at multiple sites.

Board members asked about staffing and funding. Arriaga said the district has faced a combination of limited funding, insufficient manpower and a lack of preventive maintenance in past years; some repairs such as large asphalt work and tree removal can be costly. Superintendent Barley said the board had already set aside recurring money to start addressing these needs: $500,000 annually for five years to support the maintenance plan, plus routine restricted maintenance at 3% of the budget.

Board members and staff discussed prioritizing safety‑critical items, coordinating summertime projects, and pursuing outside grant opportunities (CalFire tree‑maintenance grants were cited as a lead to pursue). David Arriaga said the maintenance team will cost the Priority 1 projects so the board can understand how far the $500,000 will go and return with more detailed estimates.

The board thanked Arriaga’s team for preparatory work in schools and noted ongoing campus beautification and community volunteer efforts; the plan will be used to inform budget allocations and potential larger capital projects later.