Dublin Unified Schools rally for student safety after $33M in school renovations postponed

DUBLIN, Calif. (KGO) -- East Bay parents, teachers and students are rallying together for renovations for Dublin Elementary, the oldest school in the district.

On Nov. 12, the Dublin Unified School District did not approve moving forward with $33 million renovations after a 2-to-2 vote, postponing school repairs.

Teachers at Dublin Elementary School say the school is in dire need of repairs. They had to deal with water leaks, moldy classrooms and decaying exterior beams.

Former board member Dan Cunningham attended the rally outside of Dublin Elementary to show his support.

"It's surprised me because one of the comments made by a board member was this was a surprise and it wasn't a surprise. We've been talking about this for years," Cunningham said. "I've been on the board for over 10 years and Dublin El was always on the list to get things done. There's a push to put the money toward a new high school versus where it's needed most."

Elaine Koller, a parent, is disappointed with the board's vote.

"We had a roof collapse last year," Koller said. "How bad does it have to get before we get the money we deserve? it's just disappointing that the board has waited this long to fix a school that needed problems that were addressed over 15 years ago."

Bond measure H and C passed in 2004 and promised to fund renovations at Dublin Elementary School.

"Do you want your kid going to school with mold and leaks? And potential other hazards?," Koller asked. "There's OSHA signs on campus, what does that say about the safety of anything."

Lauren McGovern, Principal of Dublin Elementary hopes the board recognizes how much the district is changing and remembers what is important. "When you go from sort of a mom and pop district to a much larger scale, that we don't forget why we're here," McGovern said.

The Dublin Unified School District released this statement:

"During the Board meeting Tuesday, November 12, District staff recommended allocating $33 million ($23.8M from Measure H and $9.2M from Measure C) for improvements that are needed at Dublin Elementary School, based on the findings of a comprehensive site assessment. The Board made a decision not to move forward with those recommendations. The District will address this issue again once directed by the Board."

Picket lines at all 12 schools in Dublin Unified School District started at 7:45 a.m. Thursday morning.