Superintendent warns deferred maintenance could disrupt instruction at Hillrest

Superintendent Conrad used her monthly report to press facility concerns that could affect instruction if left unfixed, pointing to both district-specific problems and countywide deferred-maintenance figures.

"My number one concern was um I want to make sure that we are able to have school, we have instruction where our staff and our students are comfortable and able to learn," Conrad told trustees, describing a detailed walkthrough at the high school and site-specific needs. She cited a countywide deferred-maintenance figure of about $3 billion and estimated that conversion-charter schools face needs in an "$11 to $15 million" range. At Hillrest, she flagged sanitation and water piping work and a compressor servicing air conditioning that are not yet completed; if those systems fail, Conrad said the district would need to pursue major alternative plans to keep Hillrest operating.

Conrad said the district meets regularly with the county maintenance department and has identified a set of "absolute needs" across the system. She asked for continued coordination so the schools can schedule repairs during breaks where possible and avoid instruction disruptions. The board did not take immediate action on a specific facilities contract at the meeting but recorded the superintendent's concerns for follow-up with facilities staff and county partners.