The San Francisco school board has authorized $40 million in funding for the renovation of the Buena Vista Horace Mann (BVHM) school. The monies will be utilized to rehabilitate the historic K-8 Mission District school, upgrading the almost century-old structure. Another US$7 million is set aside from another San Francisco Unified School District project in case construction costs exceed forecasts. Staff from the district will begin the design process and deliver it to the school board within six months, or by the conclusion of the school year. It’s been a long time coming for the majority-Latino school’s staff and pupils.
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Complaints filed against Buena Vista Horace Mann school
The school is plagued with issues such as rodents and their droppings, collapsing ceiling tiles, and restricted spacing, which has resulted in arrangements such as copier machines in the staff restroom. In May, a student was electrocuted by an outlet, and in August, a gas leak in the school went unnoticed for several days, resulting in further calls for repairs. According to SFUSD spokesman Laura Dudnick, five official complaints against BVHM have been submitted since 2016. What is referred to as Williams Complaints are submitted when there is a concern that a school’s premises are unsafe or that there are insufficient instructional resources.
Earlier this month, there was no agreement on how to acquire BVHM the funding it required for renovations due to a restricted pool. Alexander’s proposal to commit $55 million to the school would have taken $15 million away from financing for a prized new primary school under construction in Mission Bay’s thriving neighborhood.
An earlier vote to reallocate monies was pushed back after district attorney requested more time to study the plans and verify they met the commitments made in the 2016 bond issue. The figure was reduced after confirmation from staff regarding the potential cost of such a project, which was set at $25 million to $40 million on Tuesday, with the proviso that the BVHM’s age and unusual structure may boost expenses.
