LAUSD staff prioritize playground greening and shade shelters under Measure US; planning, design and phasing detailed

LAUSD facilities staff told the Committee of the Whole they have completed prioritization of three Measure US outdoor‑improvement programs — playground and campus exterior upgrades (PACEUP), green schoolyard upgrades and shade shelters — and outlined selection criteria, budgets and an initial schedule for bringing projects to the board.

Chief facilities executive Christina Tokes said the process prioritized campuses with the greatest environmental and socioeconomic needs and sought equitable distribution across board districts. “This work … is about improving the daily experience of tens of thousands of students across LAUSD,” she said.

Program scope and budgets - PACEUP (playground and campus exterior upgrades): staff cited an allocation of about $480 million to support up to roughly 28 projects, with individual project budgets in the $15–20 million range. Projects replace deteriorated asphalt, provide hardscape/landscape conversions, address utility infrastructure unearthed during work and include accessibility upgrades and campus‑wide repainting. - Green schoolyard upgrades: with a similar allocation ($480 million) staff expect to reach about 42 projects at an anticipated $8–12 million per project to add greening elements and increase campus tree and landscape coverage. - Shade shelters: staff said there is roughly $40 million allocated and proposed an initial 49‑project rollout (seven projects per board district) to install shade shelters over major play structures and address site ADA or foundation needs.

How sites were prioritized Facilities staff described a layered filter: the Green Schoolyard Index (category 1 schools have <10% green space), CalEnviroScreen/heat maps, facilities condition index (100% FCI for asphalt needing replacement), a minimum enrollment threshold (recommended 275 students to maximize students served), and SENI (socioeconomic and environmental vulnerability) overlay. Staff said these filters balance maximizing student reach with directing resources to the most vulnerable campuses.

Timing and implementation Staff described immediate next steps: site walks, scope development, budgeting and scheduling. Typical timelines presented: design ~18 months, Division of State Architect (DSA) review ~6–9 months, and phased construction — PACEUP projects will require careful phasing so a school is never left without any play space and are estimated to take about two years to complete. Staff said they expect to return to the Board of Education with project definitions in 2026 (shade shelters earlier; PACEUP and green schoolyards targeted for August–September 2026 board consideration).

Board concerns and cost control Board members asked about unit costs — particularly for shade shelters — and urged standardization and prefabrication to reduce per‑site expenses. One board member questioned why a shade shelter could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and said the district should consider off‑the‑shelf, standardized approaches to lower costs and accelerate delivery.

Community response Public commenters and community representatives praised inclusion of certain schools (Euclid Elementary was named as ready to engage on a green schoolyard) while requesting clear public dashboards to let communities see where projects fall in the queue and how to advocate for funding.

Next steps Facilities will begin scope development and site due diligence, return to the BOC and board with project definitions in 2026, and continue refining selection guardrails for other bond categories (high‑school athletics, portable replacement, critical repairs).