"A lot of facilities issues came up," said Colin Miller, a budget analyst for the state department of finance. "Although deferred maintenance was a high priority this year, yes, class size did contribute to the increased funding."
Unless the state continues to keep a healthy budget for deferred maintenance, school officials fear that the class-size program could result in additional disrepair. Adding classrooms means more deferred maintenance in the long run, they said.
Furthermore, portable classrooms, a common solution for creating space, are more expensive to maintain, experts said.
Designed for temporary use, portables have less-efficient air-conditioning systems than permanent structures and are not constructed as soundly, so roofs are more likely to leak and paint to peel.
"Maintenance has never had the priority it that it needs," said Don Stabler, assistant superintendent of business for Santa Ana Unified School District. "If we don't address it properly, we end up paying for more."
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Repair Work
Here are the estimated total amounts that Orange County school districts need in the next five school years to fix existing problems. Estimates not available for all districts:
District: Costs
Anaheim Union High: $18,182,100
Brea Olinda Unified: 1,905,200 Buena Park: 538,500
Capistrano Unified: 7,327,100
Centralia: 4,366,700
Fountain Valley: 7,500,000
Fullerton: 6,091,300
Fullerton Joint Union High: 13,689,000
Garden Grove Unified: 15,946,600
Huntington Beach Union High: 829,100
Irvine Unified: 11,474,800
La Habra City: 2,301,600
Magnolia: 5,850,400
Newport-Mesa Unified: 12,728,900
Ocean View: 24,765,900
Orange Unified: 19,336,500
Placentia-Yorba Linda: 14,336,100
Saddleback Valley Unified: 5,002,000
Santa Ana Unified: 14,039,900
Westminster: 2,227,000
Source: State Office of Public School Construction
