A ceiling leak at Galileo High School in San Francisco led to the closure of the staircase on the Bay-Polk side of the building from February 4th-7th. The leak, caused by weather-related damage from the storms last week, caused water to pool in the 4th hallway and slowly drip down to the other staircases. To ensure safety, the administration decided to block off the staircases while repairs were made.
Students and staff were redirected to alternate routes as workers from SFUSD worked to repair the leak. The incident highlighted the school’s ongoing struggles with its aging building and severe financial problems.
Assistant principal Mr. Reid said, “It was unfortunate that it had to be closed down, but we couldn’t have just left the stairs open and decided to close it down temporarily hoping it doesn’t affect students’ education and their safety.”
Students who usually use these staircases to get around school were unhappy with the closure. Senior Leo M. stated, “I had to go around to the other set of stairs which would take him longer and sometimes even arrive late to class.” While another senior, Shaune D. added, “It was frustrating to keep having to go around the school to get to his class.”
The school’s building, in use since 1921, is in constant need of repairs. With limited resources, the school is forced to address issues as they come up. The San Francisco Unified School District is dealing with a $147 million deficit, which has made it difficult to maintain the school’s infrastructure. The district’s financial struggles force the school to prioritize emergency repairs over long-term fixes.
The leak is just one example of how the budget deficit is impacting daily operations. The school doesn’t have time to focus on repairs because the district is lacking money and forced to look into firing teachers.
For now, the focus remains on keeping the school safe for students. The incident shows the urgent need for more investment in school facilities to prevent further problems.
