Cold schools, House of Brakes, and crows' nests

Good afternoon!

Last month, after Mission Local wrote about City College’s broken boilers and icy classrooms, the college’s board convened an emergency meeting to address the problem. Now we report that six SFUSD elementary and high schools are also struggling with longstanding heating issues. “I had to wear a coat in the classroom,” says Ramiro Raygosa, the head of the math department at Lincoln. “I had a hoodie underneath it and my jacket was the sort you’d take to the snow. When I left work, my face was numb.“

There isn’t really a villain in this story, writes Joe Eskenazi, “other than frigid weather, aging infrastructure and the joys of existing within a large bureaucracy operating at a massive deficit.” But the SFUSD––which is still struggling to pay its employees completely and on time, and failing to send their relevant tax data to the state—is testing the patience of staff, families, and students. How many news stories and email blasts to elected officials will it take to get the heat back on?

When House of Brakes closed last year, many worried about the fate of the historic Carnaval mural behind the low-rise building on 24th Street, as well as the newer La Chata mural that looks west to South Van Ness. Good news, though: “It’s going to continue being a mechanic shop,” said Noe Flores, who bought the property and plans to open soon. We hope the lot will continue to be used for rallies, pop-up concerts, and Danza Azteca ceremonies.

It may be cold, but spring is here. Today’s Snap has an explanation of what all those crows are doing.

More soon,

Sara