Black Mountain Middle School in Poway is grappling with a deteriorating roof and malfunctioning air conditioning units, posing potential safety hazards and learning disruptions. The school district lacks the funds to address these issues, highlighting a broader problem of inadequate funding for facility repairs across Poway schools.
The next time it rains hard in Poway, the water could wash away a $70,000 investment at Black Mountain Middle School; its newly refinished gym floor. Above that shiny surface is a roof lacking the ability to keep out the weather. Not only because it’s filled with holes but also because its six rusty air conditioning units are purely decorative.“You can see the wear and tear,” Glover said as he gave NBC 7 Investigates a tour of safety concerns .
Greg Mizel, Poway Unified School District’s interim Superintendent, says it would cost $1.5 million to repair the roof and install new AC units and ductwork. The district does not have the money. But even the cost of a Band-Aid is unaffordable: The district only has $1.2 million to make facility repairs to all 40 of its campuses.
“At some point it’s going to impact our kids.” Mizel said. “That’s the reality. Like, right now, we’ve kept them mostly out of this, but moving forward, that’s going to be harder and harder to do.”It’s been a year and a half since the district gave NBC 7 Investigates a similar look at its growing school facility problems.In 2020, the district hired a private architecture firm to make projections on the state of its facilities and what it’s going to cost to restore schools.
The last time the district passed a bond was in 2008. That deal gave the district $105 million but required payback of nearly 10 times that amount: $981 million. The deal became the state poster child for fiscal irresponsibility, and lawmakers made those types of school bonds illegal. The district has to begin making payments on that bond in 2033. Homeowners will start seeing it included in their property tax bills in 2032-2033.
Poway Schools Infrastructure Safety Concerns Funding Issues Air Conditioning Roof Repairs
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