The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District announced significant facility improvements during a board meeting on Thursday, Sept. 18, with all schools now receiving good ratings on state inspections after years of substandard conditions at multiple campuses.
The district's maintenance team completed 477 work orders during an intensive summer campaign, reducing the backlog from 661 pending requests to 184 by the end of July. The effort resulted in every school in the district improving its Facility Inspection Tool (FIT) scores, with several schools jumping from poor or fair ratings to good status.
"We moved all of our scores up to good," said Glen Infuso, Director of Maintenance and Operations. "Every single school improved from last year."
The improvements represent a dramatic turnaround for a district that struggled with facility conditions in recent years. Santa Monica High School, which received a poor rating of 57.11% in the 2023-2024 school year, jumped to 90.75% this year. Will Rogers Elementary School improved from a poor rating of 70.91% to 96.83%.
Board member Maria Leon-Vazquez noted the positive community response to the improvements, saying this was the first summer without facility-related complaints from the community.
The district launched what officials called a "work order blitz" across all schools during the summer, utilizing both internal staff and seasonal contractors to address a mounting backlog of maintenance requests. Glen Infuso described the effort as "disrupted the system" to tackle years of deferred maintenance. The initiative targeted everything from ceiling repairs and HVAC replacements to flood damage restoration and pest control.
Major projects completed included addressing flooding at Lincoln Middle School, installing fiber-reinforced plastic panels in kitchen areas to prevent health department violations, and conducting extensive fire damage repairs at Webster Elementary School following recent wildfires.
However, the ambitious maintenance program has created significant financial pressure. Jerry Gibson, Business Manager of Facilities, warned board members that the district is rapidly depleting its facility improvement funds.
Of the district's $5 million in combined facility funds, nearly $3 million has been spent, leaving approximately $2 million for future projects.
The financial constraints pose a particular challenge as the district faces $6.5 million in necessary roofing projects identified for the 2026-2027 summer season — more than three times the remaining available funding. Chief Operations Officer Carey Upton said the most critical roofing projects would total $6.5 million.
The board approved adding $500,000 to deferred maintenance funds to help cover emergency situations, including addressing a water leak at Malibu Elementary School that cannot be covered by bond funds. Assistant Superintendent of Business and Fiscal Services Gerardo Cruz said the board would add funds "to cover a couple miscellaneous items, but as well as to help with the Malibu Elementary water leak."
The district operates under the California Facility Inspection Tool system, which requires annual assessments to ensure schools provide facilities that are clean, safe, and functional. Schools receive ratings from ‘exemplary’ (99-100%) down to ‘poor’ (below 75%), with results reported in mandatory School Accountability Report Cards.
The summer improvements occurred alongside an extensive construction program funded by voter-approved bond measures. The district currently has 18 construction projects underway at nine sites, including the recently opened Malibu High School building, which was completed a semester ahead of schedule.
Despite the financial challenges ahead, district officials expressed confidence in their maintenance operations. The facilities team implemented new tracking systems and reorganized workflows to improve efficiency. They also launched E-Builder software in July to better manage maintenance and operations requests across the district.
The improvements come as the district continues to address infrastructure challenges, particularly in Malibu, where schools have faced ongoing power and water system issues. The positive facility inspection results, however, demonstrate the district's commitment to providing safe and functional learning environments for its approximately 11,000 students across both Santa Monica and Malibu communities.
The district's next major challenge will be securing additional funding for the substantial roofing projects needed in the coming years while maintaining the improved standards achieved through this summer's intensive maintenance campaign.