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San Juan Unified outlines $19.7 million three‑year deferred maintenance plan
Summary
Maintenance & Operations told the board the district expects to spend about $9.7 million in 2025‑26 on deferred maintenance, with forecasted costs of $5.6 million (2026‑27) and $4.4 million (2027‑28), totaling roughly $19.68 million over three years; staff emphasized staging projects, multiple funding streams and a newly implemented digital work‑order system.
San Juan Unified’s maintenance and operations team presented a detailed three‑year deferred maintenance plan Tuesday, telling the Board of Education the district expects to spend roughly $9.7 million in the 2025‑26 school year and about $19.68 million across the next three years.
Maintenance Director Colin Bross outlined work scheduled in 2025‑26 that includes two full‑site HVAC replacements, two full‑site roof replacements, kitchen and multipurpose flooring projects, playground repairs and the first phase of “fire life and safety” upgrades. He said the district forecasts approximately $5.6 million in deferred maintenance for 2026‑27 and $4.4 million for 2027‑28.
“These projects include upgrades to HVAC, roofing, hard courts, flooring and fire life and safety upgrades,” Bross said, noting the three‑year total of about $19,680,000 and that project selection is based on health and safety, cost‑benefit analysis and facility condition assessments.
Bross attributed a recent increase in recorded work orders to the district’s new digital, paperless work‑order system, which went live across all sites and shops last year. He said the system makes it easier for custodians and technicians to log repairs in the field, producing more comprehensive data to guide prioritization.
“Our top goal in maintenance and operations is to ensure our facilities are always well maintained and remain safe, clean and comfortable,” Bross said, adding that the department generated 17,861 work orders last year and has seen nearly 2,000 more in the first half of the current year.
Board members asked why the district does not replace all aging HVAC systems at once despite recent bond measures. District staff explained the decision reflects a mix of funding streams and practical constraints: routine maintenance funding, bond funds, Fund 21 (interest on bonds), state matching programs, developer fees and staffing capacity.
“You can do a lot of work in a year, but oversight and staffing limit how much we can reasonably execute without creating other risks,” a district official said in response to trustees’ questions about staggering projects.
Staff also highlighted energy and utility efforts, including compliance with AB 802 benchmarking requirements and participation in SMUD’s SolarShares program, and said projects will be scheduled to minimize disruption (for example, during breaks and summers). The district plans to expand the three‑year plan into a five‑year plan in future updates.
The board’s discussion focused on prioritization and community engagement: trustees pressed for clearer feedback loops from principals and teachers and asked staff to continue using useful‑life data and facility condition assessments to justify project sequencing. Staff said they are developing communication materials and will seek additional input from site leaders.
The presentation concluded with the board thanking the maintenance and operations team for the new work‑order system and other improvements; trustees said stronger data should help resolve recurring site complaints and guide future budgeting and bond planning.
