Grounds, Maintenance, and Custodial
Small Changes Make a Big Impact
We are making changes in the way we maintain our grounds and buildings. As machinery ages, we are replacing it with electric rechargeable blowers, electric weed trimmers, and electric mowers. These products are much quieter than their gas-fueled counterparts, which allows our team to work around classrooms during the school day.
While we are using more water and power than before with two new pools at MBHS and SLOHS, giving our students the opportunity to have a pool on campus has been a game changer. Instead of commuting all over the county, the students are able to practice and compete on campus. To keep pools clean and cut utility usage, we are very firm about our use of the pool covers.
We set up our school garden programs with green waste bins and green organic composting. The green waste items include leaves, vegetable trimmings, grass clippings, brush, and any other small green trimmings. Each site also has a green organic recycle bin for food waste. We plan to continue to grow this program.
Every classroom and office has a small blue recycle can. Larger recycling receptacles are used outside of the multipurpose rooms, as well as in large office areas. Some of our bigger sites have a tandem trash/recycle cart to help separate trash and recyclable items during their shift. Every site has a 4-yard blue recycle bin that is emptied weekly.
Using Technology to Conserve Water and Keep the Grass Green
Grass areas are necessary at school sites for play, as well as sports. It was important for our team to cut back on water use while still maintaining green space. Moisture sensing irrigation is one of the main ways this goal is accomplished. The sensors run off wifi and will tell us the moisture level of the soil which allows us to determine if we need to water or keep the sprinklers off. The sensors can be activated remotely using a cell phone or computer. If we know it is going to rain or has been raining, our crew can turn the irrigation off no matter what time it is.
Using Thoughtful Design When Planting Trees
With Measures D and C construction, we are taking a thoughtful look at the trees on our sites. Over time, trees can cause damage to infrastructure if not carefully placed. For example, at San Luis Obispo High School, several trees' root systems had infiltrated the sewer pipes, causing backups and shutting down facilities on a regular basis. It is sometimes necessary to cut trees down due to poor health or the damage caused to infrastructure.
Throughout construction, removed trees are replaced at a 2 to 1 rate with native species. New construction, like at Pacific Beach High School, will require 40% of the blacktop area to be covered as the trees grow and age. As we replace sidewalks to make them ADA accessible, we are changing out trees that make more sense for where they are planted.
Drought Resistant Landscaping
When modernizing our facilities, we are using rocks and weed cloth as the base for creative drought resistant landscaping using native plants. Drought resistant landscaping helps save money on irrigation expense, reduce water usage, and provide a way for rainwater to soak into the ground and help our aquifers. The Board of Education banned the use of Roundup on district properties. Drought resistant landscaping helps keep the weeds from taking root. Measure D and C construction will also upgrade our storm sewer drains and water basins on school sites.