San Francisco Unified has invested millions in garden programs, but some schools still need work. Daniel Webster Elementary is one of them.
“Literally everyone’s like ‘We need more shade. We need more shade. We need more shade,’” said PTA member Diana Hall, whose kindergartener goes to Webster. She says they found a solution, through the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which offers grants to reduce stormwater runoff, and in the process would allow them to plant more trees.
The bad news: parents need permission from the district, and SFUSD says no.
“They're trying to give us money, and we're being blocked from just literally getting it to help the kids,” said Hall. “There's no good reason.”
The district says that this kind of project has to follow certain state regulations and safety standards, and that it has to manage public resources responsibly.
Other PTAs have used these funds before, but the district says they’ve “encountered challenges” in the past when projects moved forward without their oversight.
Which is why the district usually applies for these grants, and sends the money where they decide it’s most needed. Hall is frustrated by this red tape.
“We have the money. We have the expertise. We have the volunteers, ‘cause I'm leading all the volunteers to do all this stuff,” said Hall, “and they're still blocking us, which just seems a little crazy to me.”
For now, they have to go back to the drawing board.
