SFUSD showcases summer school modernizations, says bond work is on time and on budget

Chief facilities officer David Goldman told the San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education on Sept. 27 that the district completed extensive summer modernization work at dozens of campuses and remains on schedule under the 2003 and 2006 bond programs.

"We modernized 30 schools," Goldman said in a photo-driven presentation, later adding that the 2003 program "was done for $295,000,000" and that the 2006 bond projects are either finished or under way at 59 sites. He described completed upgrades at Aptos Middle School, Downtown High School, Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, D'Avila and Cleveland, and showed before-and-after photos of auditoriums, libraries and cafeterias.

The presentation stressed accessibility and safety work: seismic retrofits, ADA-compliant elevators and ramps, and new finishes intended to endure. Goldman described paying muralists to restore artwork at Cleveland and efforts to retain historic facades while creating modern interiors.

Board members asked technical questions about facade preservation and requested public access to the presentation. Commissioner Norton said the photos "are just absolutely stunning" and asked whether the presentation could be posted on the district website; Goldman said he intended to do so and cited the large file sizes for the high-resolution images.

Deputy Superintendent Lee highlighted financial oversight for the bond programs, saying monthly financial reports and oversight by the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee have produced clean annual audits. "Every dollar of both the 2003 and 2006 projects is accounted for every month," Lee said, and the oversight committee meets more frequently than required.

Several board members urged the administration to publicize the program's record in advance of a planned bond measure. Commissioner Wins suggested coordinated media outreach to highlight that projects have been completed "on time and on budget," a record she said would distinguish the district from past controversies over bond management.

Goldman and board members also described site-specific challenges and neighborhood outreach: reusing brick facades where possible, building new concrete supports behind preserved fronts, and addressing neighbor concerns about bright colors at Glen Park's lunch shelter. Goldman said the goal is "a brand new modern school on the inside and respect the tradition of the outside."

The board's appreciation of the facilities work concluded with Superintendent Garcia and multiple commissioners thanking Goldman and his team for completing projects that they said have improved the learning environment and community pride. Goldman closed by apologizing for the evening's heat in the meeting room and thanking staff and principals for accommodating construction schedules.

Next steps: Goldman said he would make the high-resolution photo package available for public viewing and continue work on the remaining campuses funded by future bond measures.