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Board member Brad Beach raises concerns about campus disrepair; Sodexo outlines summer work and limits
Summary
After a board member’s walkabout photos showed leaks, rust and other deferred maintenance, Sodexo presented summer projects and acknowledged staffing and parts backorder challenges; the board asked staff for follow‑up and a future update from Sodexo.
Board member Brad Beach presented a series of photos and a walking‑tour account at the Oct. 8 Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District board meeting that showed recurring maintenance problems at multiple campuses, and asked district staff and the district’s facilities contractor, Sodexo, to explain remediation plans.
"A water leak that big is hundreds of gallons of water a day, if not more," Beach said while describing rusted fountains, algae on walkways, cracked concrete and exposed plumbing. He warned that some conditions (rusted metal, broken concrete and exposed pipe) created safety and liability risks, and urged faster work‑order completion and better preventive upkeep.
Sodexo’s facilities lead (Scott) and a Sodexo representative outlined summer work and constraints. They said crews upgraded cafeteria and media‑center lighting to LEDs, installed a new irrigation pump at Calabasas, replaced or are replacing fountains (Sodexo reported about 22 fountains to be replaced), addressed trip hazards and performed other repairs. Sodexo staff described major work such as pool remediation (the district’s aquatic center required extensive balancing and daily work), replacement of a main electrical breaker, and drain and sprinkler repairs that in some cases involved outside contractors and longer schedules.
Sodexo cited supply‑chain delays and staff turnover for some lag time: one facilities manager said parts for an air‑conditioning unit were on back order and that portable fans had been provided in the interim. Sodexo reported completing about 80–86% of work orders on time and said routine work orders were typically inspected within a couple of days with a goal of 5–7 days to completion when possible.
Board members and the superintendent pressed for clearer communication and accountability around the SchoolDude work‑order system, deferred maintenance lists, and when an item is escalated beyond Sodexo’s scope. Board members emphasized a mix of small, low‑cost fixes (paint, ceiling tiles, caution tape) and longer‑term projects that require capital funding or SFB (School Facilities Board) approvals; district staff said some projects are already in SFB queues and that a February review was scheduled for certain Calabasas requests.
The board asked staff to follow up with a status update on Sodexo remediation efforts; a member explicitly asked for a report at a future meeting documenting what Sodexo has done and planned next steps.
The discussion did not produce a formal corrective motion at this meeting, but board members directed staff and Sodexo to increase coordination with principals, improve SchoolDude notes to ensure originators receive timely status updates, and pursue mitigation measures when immediate repairs are not feasible.
