$40 million allocated to renovate San Francisco's Buena Vista Horace Mann School

The San Francisco school board has approved a $40 million plan to renovate historic Buena Vista Horace Mann School. 

The district will use $40 million in remaining funds from a 2016 bond measure to modernize the nearly century-old building. Another $7 million is on reserve from another school district project should the costs rise above $40 million, reports The San Francisco Examiner. 

Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8 Community School is a K-8 elementary and middle school in the city's Mission District neighborhood.

Problems that have been plaguing the school include rat infestation, falling ceiling tiles and tight spacing. This has led to unpleasant arrangements like photocopy machines in a staff bathroom.

Funds from the 2016 bond measure had earmarked $100 million for a new district arts center, but it has not been designed and is now expected to cost nearly $400 million.

Staff earlier this month recommended reallocating $15 million for Buena Vista Horace Mann and other projects, retaining $25 million for the arts center. But the board has decided to eliminate funding for the center. In dropping immediate  plans for the art center, the board directed the superintendent to plan a realistic timeline and make it a “top priority” for a future bond election.