Board adopts 10-year Facilities Master Plan emphasizing heat, bathrooms and core systems

The San Francisco Board of Education voted unanimously on May 9 to adopt a finalized 10-year Facilities Master Plan that reframes district capital priorities around core building systems and deferred maintenance.

Don Kamalathan, the district’s head of facilities, presented outreach findings and the plan’s central concepts: focus investments on core functionality (mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems), accelerate repairs for heat and water systems, and pay greater attention to shared spaces such as auditoriums and schoolyards that were historically underprioritized. Staff summarized outreach involving 325 participants across 83 schools, which repeatedly prioritized classroom comfort, school-site safety, and outdoor learning.

The plan recommends a portfolio approach to downtown properties and underutilized sites (including discussion of 135 Van Ness and other downtown properties). Several public commenters urged re‑inclusion of funds for the long‑discussed Ruth Asawa School of the Arts relocation to 135 Van Ness; staff said the 2016 bond funds originally allocated to that project had been reallocated and estimated the cost of a future downtown arts project would now be substantially higher.

Staff emphasized practical next steps: detailed mechanical, electrical and plumbing assessments for the most impacted sites, alignment of deferred‑maintenance funding to plan priorities, scoping teams through the summer, and targeted three‑year efforts to improve heating in winter. Commissioners asked for transparent reporting on project selection criteria and regular updates to the board. The facilities master plan was adopted by roll call vote (7 ayes).