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Burgard alumni and community call for repairs, program restoration at Burgard High School
Summary
Former Burgard students and alumni told the board the Burgard Educational High School building suffers ongoing maintenance failures — broken lights, filthy bathrooms and lack of sanitary supplies — and urged a plan to address facilities and restore lost programs such as culinary arts.
Multiple members of the Burgard Alumni Association told the board that Burgard Educational High School is in poor condition and urged immediate district action to repair the building and restore programs.
The alumni delegation described lights out on multiple floors, bathrooms left unusable and an insufficient custodial staff for a 47‑classroom, four‑story building. "If you walk in here, you would be ashamed of it," said Maria Dockery, vice president of the Burgard Alumni Association, who said students lack access to sanitary napkins and proper disposal options. Al Parker, who described himself as a commercial cleaning business owner and a city building inspector, urged the board to identify accountable facility staff and follow up on open work tickets.
Context and concerns: alumni speakers said facility deficits undermine student dignity and contribute to unsafe and demoralizing conditions; speakers also called for the return of career programs such as culinary arts that were once part of Burgard's offerings and for a clear plan of action and timeline from the district.
District response: the superintendent acknowledged the building deficiencies, said the district's capital outlay for 71 buildings is only about $7 million (insufficient for full maintenance needs), and noted staff were sent to clean and address immediate issues over a weekend. He promised continued follow‑up and suggested contracting work where internal resources are insufficient.
Ending: Alumni asked for sustained accountability and a schedule of repairs; the board asked staff to follow up on capital outlay and maintenance tickets and indicated additional dialogue would follow.
