Marshall Elementary Principal Jorge Estrada Valencia purposely placed posters over areas of the cafeteria where the wall is beginning to tear. A multipurpose room that serves as the cafeteria and a meeting space will be one of the school’s and Modesto Elementary School District’s priorities if a $85 million local bond passes this November.
Credit: Lasherica Thornton / EdSource
In Fresno Unified, the state’s third-largest school district with 71,000 students, the watchword for repairing schools is “worst, first.”
Two-thirds of the 103 schools are more than 50 years old, and with age comes burst pipes, air conditioning on the fritz and other demands. Add a commitment to property owners in this largely low-income community to stabilize property taxes, and the result is tough decisions and compromises.
A small tax base per student limits the taxing capacity in many Central Valley communities. Modesto…
