1005 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
Tel: 510.644.6250 | Fax: 510.644.8983
Hours: Monday – Friday, 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Stephen Collins, Manager
Sony Bhopal, Administrative Assistant III
Department Overview
The Berkeley Unified School District Maintenance Department has had a positive effect – since passage of a local tax, Measure BB of 2000 – toward improving the overall appearance of each school and other district sites. This progress has been made because of new procedures, additional staff, and improved staff training. It is the goal of the Maintenance Department to provide safe, secure, and well-maintained schools for Berkeley’s children.
Special Taxes
A very brief history about Special Taxes supporting the maintenance of Berkeley’s Schools:
Like most school districts in California, Berkeley Unified was faced with continually reducing its maintenance budget since the passage of Proposition 13. Maintenance and safety needs could no longer be addressed by the skeleton maintenance crew. In November 2000, Berkeley citizens passed Measure BB, a special tax to improve maintenance systems and establish a long-term plan to maintain Berkeley schools. In November 2010 Measure H extended the tax for 10 years and in March of 2020 Measure H again was extended for ten years. Measure H generates approximately $7.3 million per year.
Measure H in Action
The passage of Measure BB in 2000 gave Berkeley Unified School District’s Maintenance Department stable, dedicated funding, doubling its budget. Improvements made including:
- Additional staff was hired, doubling the work force and providing expertise in many trade skills.
- Training programs were added to the system to continually upgrade staff.
- To minimize disruption to classroom learning and to provide regular, on-going services, AM/PM shifts were created. Crews during the morning/early afternoon shift perform routine maintenance and handles emergencies, while crews during the late afternoon/evening shift perform preventative maintenance at all of the schools on a rotating basis. This schedule addresses existing and potential maintenance problems more effectively.
- Newer, safer vehicles were purchased, equipped with racks and enough storage to transport necessary equipment and supplies.
- Additions to the staff allow for more frequent and comprehensive gardening services to all of the sites.
- With staffing and equipment/supplies coming into place, the Maintenance Department can now tackle other needs, such as review and revision of contract services, systematic repairs for boilers, ventilation systems, and fire safety record-keeping.
Measure BB of 2000
Berkeley voters passed Measure BB of 2000 as a twelve-year tax. Click here to read full text.
Measure H of 2010
Measure H took effect in 2013 when Measure BB expired. Click here to read full text.
Measure H of 2020
Measure H of 2020 took effect in 2020 because the district wanted to re-align it with the bond. Click here to read full text.
Measure H Annual Plans & Projections
- 2021 – 2022 Annual Plan
- 2020 – 2021 Annual Plan
- 2019 – 2021 Three Year Projection
- 2019 – 2020 Annual Plan
- 2018 – 2019 Financial Statement
- 2018 – 2019 Performance Audit
- 2018 – 2019 Annual Plan
- 2017 – 2018 Annual Plan
- 2016 – 2017 Annual Plan
Bond Measure Financial Statements and Performance Audits
All financial statements and performance audits are available on our Audits page.
Facilities Safety and Maintenance Oversight Committee
The Facilities Safety and Maintenance Oversight Committee (FSMOC) provides enhanced accountability to the community by ensuring that the monies are spent in accordance with the Measure. FSMOC is answerable to and makes recommendations directly to the School Board. The committee provides input into the long term Strategic Plan for the maintenance and security of the District’s facilities and the Annual Plan for expenditures of the tax proceeds for maintenance and safety that are consistent with the intent of the Measure. Meeting documents and additional information is available here.
Sustainability & Resiliency Plan Information
The Berkeley Unified School District’s Facilities Department has undertaken a year-long process (2018) to plan and begin the implementation of a Sustainability and Resiliency Master Plan to:
- reduce the environmental footprint of schools,
- save money, and
- promote environmental literacy for our students.