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District staff outline Measure EE projects, maintenance gains and insurance change
Summary
Assistant Superintendent Howard Ho, maintenance director Carla Bertrand and custodial coordinator Terry Morris presented Measure EE and facilities updates May 21, listing completed projects (Mitchell playground) and upcoming work (Roosevelt playground, HVAC grant) and proposing an insurance provider change; trustees asked about staffing and praised improved cleanliness scores.
Assistant Superintendent of Business Howard Ho presented the district’s annual facilities and bond-program update to the Lawndale board on May 21, summarizing recent Measure EE work, maintenance operations and an insurance recommendation.
Ho said the Mitchell playground project, paid for by Measure EE, was completed last August at a cost of "a little over $757,000." He listed digital marquee replacements at multiple sites with the following figures as presented: about $76,000 at Mark Twain, about $53,000 at William Green, about $60,000 at Mitchell and about $59,000 at Lucille Smith. Ho reported the Roosevelt marquee required Department of State Architect (DSA) approval and in the presentation was described as "almost $8,080,000"; that figure is recorded here as stated by the presenter.
Ho also listed ongoing and upcoming projects: the two-story Will Rogers building (Measure EE) is roughly 10 months into construction and is scheduled for completion in July 2027; a playground project at Roosevelt will break ground as soon as school is out and aims to finish before the next school year; an HVAC upgrade at the Central Kitchen is slated to begin this summer and is funded by a grant Ho estimated at a little over $400,000. Ho said a fencing project is planned for Green and Carson, the two remaining sites without Ameristar fencing.
Custodial coordinator Terry Morris described custodial priorities and training programs. He said the custodial team standardizes cleaning routines districtwide, prioritizes high-use areas, and is training substitute custodians in floor care, pressure washing and other skills so subs can perform effectively over the summer. Morris emphasized routine heavy-duty pressure washing at least once per month and regular playground, gutter and ramp repairs.
On insurance, Ho said the district currently carries general liability coverage up to $5 million through ASCIP and excess coverage through SELF. After a review, staff will recommend switching the excess liability layer from SELF to ASCIP — which would extend excess protection up to $30 million — subject to board approval.
Board questions and reaction: Trustee Bonnie Coronado asked about plant/maintenance staffing per site; Terry Morris answered that middle schools typically have three staff during the day and two at night (with some sites having a senior plus a PM worker), while most elementary sites have a senior and two night staff. Board members praised cleaner facilities and cited an increase of 14 points on the California Healthy Kids survey on facility-related questions as evidence of improvements.
Why it matters: The presentation laid out how bond funds and maintenance work are being spent across the district and flagged proposed changes that could affect financial risk management. Several cost figures were reported from the presentation; the transcript contains one unusually large marquee figure noted above and that amount is presented here as reported by the presenter.
