California government schools are failures—just look at the results. Look at the hundreds of thousands who have fled the system. Observe the racism, sexism and bigotry being taught. But it gets worse.
“— Schools across California don’t meet state standards for cleanliness and maintenance, according to a new report from the state auditor, jeopardizing both students’ health and safety and their chances of succeeding academically.
The report, published on Tuesday, details California State Auditor Grant Parks’ assessment of 18 public schools in six school districts across the state, ranging from large urban districts like Los Angeles Unified School District, to small rural ones like Calaveras Unified School District.
Not only are they not teaching, the schools are dirty, crime and disease ridden.
California auditor slams dirty and run-down schools in new report
Four schools had barbeques and propane tanks inside of classrooms.
Sam Ribakoff, Courthousenews, 11/19/24 https://www.courthousenews.com/california-auditor-slams-dirty-and-run-down-schools-in-new-report/
(CN) — Schools across California don’t meet state standards for cleanliness and maintenance, according to a new report from the state auditor, jeopardizing both students’ health and safety and their chances of succeeding academically.
The report, published on Tuesday, details California State Auditor Grant Parks’ assessment of 18 public schools in six school districts across the state, ranging from large urban districts like Los Angeles Unified School District, to small rural ones like Calaveras Unified School District.
Even with their differences in student population size and average income of the counties they’re located in, a disturbing pattern of improperly stored hazardous cleaning supplies, leaky roofs, structural deterioration and fire safety issues emerged in classrooms across the state.
“Of the 983 rooms we reviewed across the 18 schools, 359 had hazardous materials stored in an unsecured manner. The hazardous materials we identified included chemicals such as cleaning supplies,” Parks wrote in the report. “We also observed insect poisons.”
Four schools — in Calaveras Unified, Chico Unified, Palo Verde Unified, and LA Unified school districts — had barbeques and propane tanks inside of classrooms, Parks found.
Ultimately, the problem comes down to money and oversight.
Officials at each of the six school districts studied told Parks that their schools continually struggle with coming up with enough money to fund maintenance projects.
In California, school districts pay for their own janitorial and maintenance projects through their own general fund, so tight budgets mean that districts often defer maintenance projects to fund other programs, like instruction or special education.
Another factor is declining attendance rates.
The state has 368,000 fewer enrolled students now than in the 2017-2018 school year — a 6% decline.
School enrollment numbers are a big part of how districts get funded. With decreasing enrollment, funding goes down and ultimately funding for maintenance decreases.
One solution involves the Legislature creating a separate fund for school maintenance. That would not only provide funding to make schools across the state safer but give more students a chance to succeed academically.
“In the past 20 years, research has demonstrated an adverse link between inadequate facility conditions at public schools and student educational outcomes. For example, several studies found that poor cleanliness and maintenance conditions at public schools — such as dirty interior surfaces or old and poorly maintained buildings — correspond with increased rates of absenteeism and illness among students,” Parks wrote. “Further, one study found that student absenteeism is more likely to occur at schools with visible mold and building condition problems, noting this association was most apparent in schools in lower socioeconomic districts.”
Schools should also have more oversight in how they evaluate their own facilities, like having school sites councils composed of a principal, teachers, school personnel and parents of students be a part of the evaluation process.
“Students, parents, and guardians may have stronger incentives to be critical of school conditions and the impact those conditions may have on student learning,” Parks wrote.
Ronald J Estes, the interim superintendent for Calaveras Unified School District, said that his maintenance and operations department will start making improvements in the areas outlined in the report.
“Like all evaluative input we use this information for improvement in providing services to students. Cleanliness and safety for our facilities is always the paramount goal for our schools, and we strive to achieve that every day,” Estes said in an email.
While LA Unified agrees with the audit’s recommendation that the state fund maintenance and janitorial services, the district disagrees with Parks’ recommendation for increased oversight of how schools and county offices of education evaluate their own school facilities.
“LAUSD takes the proper storage and handling of materials designated as hazardous very seriously,” wrote Krisztina Tokes, the district’s chief facilities executive, in a response to Parks’ findings embedded in the audit. “Following these inspections, all district-approved materials have been properly secured and non-approved items have been removed, including the barbecue and propane tank equipment.”
In addition to the districts already mentioned, the auditor observed schools in Fresno Unified and Santa Maria-Bonita School District. Officials from Santa Maria-Bonita School District did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
