DSUSD Facilities

Facilities Services


Our department is responsible for the planning and construction of new school facilities and modernization of existing facilities. Facilities Services is responsible for budgeting, monitoring and reporting the expenditures of the capital funds that include Measure K, State School Building, developer fees, and redevelopment pass-thru. Measure K is a $450 million general obligation bond approved by the voters in November 2001 with an 80.7% approval. The Facilities Services Director serves as the Board of Education liaison to the Measure K Oversight Committee. When enrollment exceeds capacities at existing schools, a new school must be built to house the students. Several tasks occur simultaneously in order to proceed with a new school. Architect selection and identification of potential school sites are the first steps in the process. Site acquisition involves Department of Education review, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) approval, Department of Toxic Substance Control
(DTSC) approval, negotiated purchase or eminent domain. Staff meets with local utility providers to ensure service will be available when the new school is completed. City and County Planning and Community Development departments are also consulted with in the planning and approval processes. Educational specifications are developed with the architect, teachers, support staff, parents, and community members. The educational specifications identify the curriculum needs that the new building will support. The architect designs the school and submits the plans to the Division of State Architect for plan approval for structural, fire/life safety and access compliance. Facilities Services also oversees the construction management firm that is responsible for plan review, value engineering, and constructing the schools. Other consultants include the DSA Inspector, engineering firms, traffic engineers, environmental engineers, and civil engineers. Other responsibilities of Facilities Services are enrollment projections, recommending boundaries for new schools, collecting developer fees, working with developers on future projects to identify school sites and timing of the projects. Facilities Services works closely with the following State agencies: Department of Education - CDE Site Plans Division of State Archetect - DSA Plan approval for structural, fire/life safety and access compliance Office of Public School Construction - OPSC Eligibility for funding Expenditure reports Department of Toxic Substance Control - DTSC Site