CALIFORNIA (KERO) — California saw record-breaking temperatures during last week’s heat wave and the stretch of high temperatures had some school districts realizing they will eventually need to install more air conditioning systems.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, most California schools were in dire need of better ventilation systems to improve air quality so they could safely reopen. Assemblymember Phil Ting (D – San Francisco) introduced legislation to help install and modernize heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, known as HVAC.

$600 million for ventilation work over three years has been offered to school districts that apply. There is currently roughly $200 million available, as of September 12. The deadline to apply is October 31st.

Assembly member Ting says that districts need a plan around water filtration and ventilation before they can apply.

“There is money still available. If they don’t get it this round, there is another round coming,” said Ting on the subject.

The money for HVAC comes from the Energy Efficiency Fund that ratepayers already pay into, which continues to grow.

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CALIFORNIA (KERO) — California saw record-breaking temperatures during last week’s heat wave and the stretch of high temperatures had some school districts realizing they will eventually need to install more air conditioning systems.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, most California schools were in dire need of better ventilation systems to improve air quality so they could safely reopen. Assemblymember Phil Ting (D – San Francisco) introduced legislation to help install and modernize heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, known as HVAC.

$600 million for ventilation work over three years has been offered to school districts that apply. There is currently roughly $200 million available, as of September 12. The deadline to apply is October 31st.

Assembly member Ting says that districts need a plan around water filtration and ventilation before they can apply.

“There is money still available. If they don’t get it this round, there is another round coming,” said Ting on the subject.

The money for HVAC comes from the Energy Efficiency Fund that ratepayers already pay into, which continues to grow.

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Here’s what the $162 million bond measure promised to do in 2010: “enhance safety, fire detection and security systems, improve energy efficiency, replace outdated electrical, plumbing and heating systems.”

So, in another eight to 10 years they’ll be back to solve the same issues … again?

They always include “tech” in the bond measures. Tech is usually obsolete in five to six years, but bonds last 25 to 30 years.

Ever buy a computer and take out a loan for 25 to 30 years to pay for it?

nuts, right? But that’s exactly what the district wants to do. Nuts!

With the loss of 697 students since the 2016-17 school year, you’d expect to see fewer teachers, but the district added eight teachers (2018-19 school year according to the latest figures).

And the number of administrators is up from 28 in 2016-17 to 35 in 2018-19 (latest figures).

The ADA spending for the district is 109% of the statewide average at $16,962. The district is above average in cost, but below average in academics … by a lot.

Around 53% of students are below grade level in English. Around 62% of students are below grade level in math. And bond money can’t be spent on hiring teachers that are more qualified/better trained.

With the $430 million bond measure, per student, comes to $52,554 plus 30 to 40 years of interest payments.

Parent are voting with their feet and removing their children from this failure of a school district.

Just say no to higher taxes.

The letter writer is the president of the Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association.

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San Francisco has a new set of supervisor district boundaries. After a tumultuous process, filled with claims of gerrymandering, walk-outs and missed deadlines, the redistricting task force voted Thursday to adopt its final map.

Each of the 11 districts saw changes to its boundaries in order to balance the city’s population growth over the last decade. But districts with disproportionate population changes have entire neighborhoods shifting. As a result, some residents will find themselves in different districts, with new representatives. As of yesterday, the new boundaries are in effect and will remain in place for ten years, until the next round of redistricting.

We mapped each district’s boundary changes and highlighted the biggest shifts in terms of geography and demographics.

district 1

Includes the Richmond District and Seacliff. Currently represented by Connie Chan.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

District 1, currently represented by Connie Chan, has historically been made up of what is considered the Richmond District. But for the first time in decades, the district will also include Seacliff, a predominantly white and affluent neighborhood which used to be part of District 2 (under supervisor Stefani).

Some residents of the Richmond neighborhood voiced concerns about this decision, saying that it could cause the district to become more politically moderate and dilute the voting power of Asians who live in the Richmond. The addition of Seacliff and other neighborhoods immediately south of the Presidio shifts the district demographic more white by about two percentage points and less Asian by 1.4 points. As a result, the difference in the share of Asian and white residents grows from three to six points, with whites making up 47% of the voting age population, compared to 41% of Asians.

district 2

Includes the Presidio, Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights, the Marina. Currently represented by Catherine Stefani.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

District 2, currently represented by Catherine Stefani, is along the city’s northern border and includes the Presidio, Presidio Heights, the Marina and Pacific Heights. The new boundaries move Seacliff out of the district into District 1 and parts of Russian Hill into District 3. Its southern boundaries extend into neighborhoods North of the Panhandle and just above Hayes Valley, but avoid incorporating Japantown and the Western Addition.

These changes mean the district will have a slightly larger share of people who identify as Asian. Still, white residents make up nearly three-quarters of the voting age population, as it did under the old boundaries.

district 3

Includes North Beach, Chinatown, Union Square/Financial District and Russian, Nob and Telegraph Hills. Currently represented by Aaron Peskin.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

District 3 is located at the northeast corner of the city and encompasses neighborhoods east of Van Ness Avenue and north of Market Street, including North Beach, Chinatown, and Russian, Nob and Telegraph Hills. The district is represented by Aaron Peskin.

While preliminary draft maps proposed moving entire neighborhoods into the district, the final boundaries mainly extend the northwest border to include all of Russian Hill. The district will see a small increase in people who identify as white.

district 4

Includes the Outer Sunset. Currently represented by Gordon Mar.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

Represented by Gordon Mar, District 4 consists primarily of the Outer Sunset — the area west of 17th Avenue, bounded by Golden Gate Park to the north and Lake Merced to the south. The new boundaries keep the district relatively unchanged. Some areas just north of the lake and parts of Golden Gate Park are now included in the district, but the demographic makeup of the electorate remains largely the same.

district 5

Includes the Tenderloin, Japantown, Western Addition, Haight Ashbury and Hayes Valley. Currently represented by Dean Preston.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

District 5, represented by Dean Preston, is among the districts with the largest changes, both in terms of geography and population. Under the new map, the district is now made up of the Tenderloin, Japantown, Western Addition and Haight Ashbury, and no longer includes Cole Valley and parts of the Inner Sunset.

As a result, the share of white voters in District 5 falls by seven percentage points, while the Black and Hispanic shares grow by 3.5 and 2 points, respectively. Black and Hispanic voters each comprise at least 10% of the district electorate, but the district remains majority white, at 54%.

district 6

Includes South of Market, Mission Bay and Treasure Island. Currently represented by Matt Haney.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

Under the new map, District 6 consists of SoMa, Mission Bay and Treasure Island. The Tenderloin, which has long been included in this district, moves to District 5 (under Dean Preston) — despite objections from the LGBTQ and Filipino communities.

This move leads to a decrease in the Black and Hispanic voter shares by 1-2 points and an increase in the Asian share by more than three points. Asians now make up 38% of the voting age population, roughly equal to the white share (40%).

District 6 will soon be represented by a new supervisor, following current supervisor Matt Haney’s win in the run-off election for Assembly District 17 earlier this month. Mayor London Breed will appoint a new supervisor to represent the district until the November midterms, when representatives for the even-numbered districts will be up for election.

district 7

Includes the Inner Sunset, West Portal, Forest Hill and Parkmerced. Currently represented by Myrna Melgar.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

Represented by Myrna Melgar, District 7 includes the Inner Sunset, West Portal, Forest Hill and Parkmerced neighborhoods. The new boundaries largely remove areas just north of Lake Merced (now part of District 4) and add parts of the Inner Sunset that were previously in District 5.

By adding the several blocks in the Inner Sunset, the overall demographic shifts less Asian and more white by about 2-3 points. White voters still make up the largest race group, at 48%, but by a larger margin than previously — it is now 12 points greater than the Asian share (38%).

district 8

Includes Cole Valley, Duboce Triangle, the Castro, Diamond Heights, Noe Valley and Glen Park. Currently represented by Rafael Mandelman.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

District 8, which is represented by Rafael Mandelman, largely includes Cole Valley, the Castro, Diamond Heights, Noe Valley and Glen Park. The biggest changes under the new map is the addition of Cole Valley (which used to be part of District 5) and several blocks on the district’s eastern edge moving to District 9 (under supervisor Hillary Ronen).

As a result, the share of white voters grows by almost three percentage points to make up nearly 70% of the district electorate. Meanwhile, representation among Asians, Hispanics and Blacks decreases.

district 9

Includes the Mission, Bernal Heights and the Portola. Currently represented by Hillary Ronen.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

District 9, which is currently represented by Hillary Ronen, comprises the Mission, Bernal Heights and the Portola. While previous draft maps proposed changing entire neighborhoods in the district, the final map shifts the district boundaries around its borders — several blocks east and west of the Mission are added, while areas between the Portola and Excelsior District are removed.

The district’s Asian share decreases by about two percentage points, while white representation grows by a similar amount. Hispanic voters now make up the second largest race group (26%), surpassing the Asian share (25%).

district 10

Includes Potrero Hill, Bayview-Hunters Point and Visitacion Valley. Currently represented by Shaman Walton.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

District 10 runs along the east edge of the city, spanning Potrero Hill, Bayview-Hunters Point and Visitacion Valley. Though a preliminary map considered removing Potrero Hill, the final boundaries keep all of the original neighborhoods in the district. As a result, the voter demographic remains largely unchanged. Shamann Walton represents this district.

district 11

Includes Excelsior, Oceanview and Outer Mission. Currently represented by Ahsha Safai.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

District 11, represented by Ahsha Safai, mainly encompasses Oceanview and the Excelsior District. The new map extends the district’s northern and eastern borders by a few blocks, resulting in some small demographic shifts — the share of Asian and white voters increases, while Hispanic representation decreases.

Nami Sumida is a San Francisco Chronicle data visualization developer. Email: nami.sumida@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @namisumida

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The San Francisco electoral card for the two State Assembly districts could soon look very different, leaving some residents confused about who represents them in Sacramento and how best to organize politically on important issues.

In the past ten years, assembly districts 17 and 19 were largely easy to demarcate and clearly separated The City into the east and west sides. But the new maps, created by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, due for approval by Dec. 27, show vastly different polling lines instead weaving in and out of neighborhoods, dividing whole parts of the city into a new borough.

“I would ask the committee why they made these changes, but this is definitely a district with some significant changes,” said Supervisor Matt Haney, who is running in a special election for assembly district 17 in February. (The new cards wouldn’t go into effect until June.)

The commission had not answered any questions about its work by Friday.

Such a change would include areas near the Panhandle, such as Haight-Ashbury, Cole Valley, and North of Panhandle (NoPa), from District 17 to District 19 and neighborhoods such as West Portal, St. Francis Wood, and Forest Hill from District 19 in District 17.

“It is a confusing puzzle that no community of interests I know of will delineate and confuse residents’ voting rights,” said Mike Chen, a Pacific Heights resident and Assembly District 17 delegate for the California Democratic Party. When the new cards go into effect, Chen will live in District 19.

How these voting card changes will affect San Francisco politics is not yet clear.

Cally Wong, director of the Asian Pacific Islander (API) Council in San Francisco, said that while she did not need to do a full analysis of the proposed map, her first reaction was that the make-up of voters would be significantly different. Until recently, both districts were represented by a member of the Asia-American-Pacific Islander Community, Representative David Chiu, who represented District 17, and Phil Ting, who represented District 19.

“I think this could change things if we move forward,” said Wong. “I don’t yet know how this will affect the voters and who is representing whom. I think that remains to be seen. “

Every 10 years all of California is redistributed along with a new census. It is overseen by a 14-person commission made up of five Republicans, five Democrats and four people with no party preference. People apply, then get cut by the California legislature before finally being drawn through a lottery at random by the California State Auditor.

The task of this commission is to meet a daunting challenge: to create statewide constituencies that offer relatively equal representation; maintain contiguous boundaries so that all parts of a district are connected; minimize the division of “interest groups” with common priorities and lived experiences; and ensure that all people have equal opportunities to vote for representatives.

Community groups can submit their own cards, and the commission goes through months of public meetings, public comment periods, and card drafts, followed by revisions before moving on to the final product. While it is almost always a messy process, this is done in order to protect the integrity of the California voting card.

California is one of only eight states with independent reallocation commissions. Voters voted in favor of its creation in 2008 with a vote to protect against gerrymandering, which occurs across the country – and within the state – when constituency lines are drawn to silence some voices and ensure others are heard keep power.

Members of Chinatown and North Beach barely fought off potential political disenfranchisement through the redistribution process.

The Redistricting Commission originally proposed maps that drew the dividing lines for the elections along Broadway Street and Columbus Avenue. Anything north of Broadway and south of Columbus would have been placed in District 19, which would have split two of San Francisco’s oldest neighborhoods in two.

Such a rift would have jeopardized the ability of residents, many of whom are immigrant and low-income, to organize for political advocacy. It would also have separated the state-level interests of the otherwise closely-knit communities of Chinatown and North Beach.

“Our only concern was that if that part were removed, you would disenfranchise all local residents and most businesses from their respective interest groups,” said Malcolm Yeung, executive director of the Chinatown Community Development Center. “It is very worrying because you have effectively eliminated the purpose of the meeting place.”

Community leaders in Chinatown and North Beach say they learned about these cards late in the redistribution process, so their mobilization to fight them was quick and chaotic. They held a press conference on December 17, ahead of the Commission’s final public meeting on December 19.

But it was also effective.

The commissioners have revised the map slightly and moved the line from Columbus Avenue to Jones Street.

According to Wong, this result was the “best-case scenario” given the firefighting drill situation, but acknowledged that more attention needs to be paid to state redistribution sooner next time.

“The lesson we have learned from the pandemic – and maybe now re-entering the pandemic – is that many of our immigrant communities, many of our low-income communities, are still really struggling,” Wong said. “We have to look at the redistribution much earlier because … that was almost a big problem. It would have taken power away from our most vulnerable communities. “

Many local groups devote their limited resources to advocating for county redistribution at the local level, but looking to the future, both Yeung and Wong recognized that there should be a balance with similar work nationwide.

“We are still evaluating how we got to this point, but I am just very grateful and very proud that so many local leaders have been very willing to step in to make our voice heard,” said Yeung. “That makes me pretty optimistic about where our churches are right now.”

cgraf@sfexaminer.com

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CONCORD (CBS SF) – A fire district consolidation study published Tuesday said the Contra Costa County fire protection district should consolidate with the East Contra Costa and Rodeo-Hercules districts to increase effectiveness and efficiency.

AP Triton, a consultant hired by the county last year, came to the conclusion in a more than 200-page study that the three districts should coordinate with Contra Costa’s Local Agency Formation Committee (LAFCO) before considering an application for reorganization draw.

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The study also recommends that districts coordinate to establish a training philosophy and standardized program to meet the needs of the community.

The company presented its findings on Tuesday to the Contra Costa District Board of Directors, which serves as the board of directors for the Contra Costa Fire Safety District.

Similar presentations were recently made to East Contra Costa and the Rodeo Hercules board of directors.

Each governing body will now reach out to constituents for more feedback before moving on to the process.

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“This is an exciting day for the ECCFPD and residents of East Contra Costa County,” said Diane Burgis, a supervisor for Contra Costa County, whose district encompasses much of East Contra Costa, in a statement. “Our actions today and the decision of the ECCFPD Board of Directors to continue working with Con Fire is a long-awaited opportunity to find a regional sustainable solution to provide the level of fire service our communities need and deserve.”

The heads of the three cooperating fire departments approved the study.

“These possible annexations have long been considered informally and this formal study, which was submitted to our board of directors for review and action this week, now provides hard data upon which to make decisions regarding the provision of improved fire, rescue and emergency services Emergency medical programs can sustain much of the county, ”said Lewis Broschard, Contra Costa County Fire Department chief.

The next step in the process is for employees in all three districts to submit a draft resolution to be presented to their boards of directors next month, said Brian Helmick, East County’s chief fire officer.

MORE NEWS: Recology Truck Fire closes the right lane of Highway 101 northbound in San Francisco

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Today, two of the state’s largest districts, San Francisco Unified and Los Angeles Unified, began a return to face-to-face learning.

After months of intense back and forth, dozens of preschools and elementary schools opened their doors in San Francisco.

What lessons have we learned and where do we go from here? We had a special guest with us at Getting Answers, California State School Superintendent Tony Thurmond.

RELATED: Some SFUSD students are returning to class for the first time since March 2020

That return to school for SFUSD and to Los Angeles was such a struggle. California was one of the last countries in the county to reopen schools. Why do you think this took so long here in San Francisco and across the state, and what ultimately helped solve this problem?

“You know you can look for a lot of reasons, but I’d point it out if we think about what we were just a few months ago. We had some of the highest rates of COVID-19 infection during the winter,” Thurmond said. “So much so that many of our counties had absolutely no hospital bed capacity. We have suffered more than 60,000 deaths and more than three and a half million COVID-19 cases. We have been in a difficult position. But lately where we have now gotten a clear picture how to use rapid COVID-19 testing and ventilation, and other resources, will enable us to keep our schools open safely, besides that, we now have a way our schools can be opened and stay open, safe and us are working with 1,000 school districts across the state to make this happen. I think we’re at 9,000 out of 10,000 of our open schools that will be open soon, so obviously things have really turned in a different direction. “

RELATED: “Sign of Hope”: More than 30 San Francisco Public Schools Set to Reopen

Now the vaccination authorization is open from this week for people aged 16 and over. State law requires that public school students receive the vaccines they need. What’s your plan for the COVID-19 vaccine?

“Yeah, it’s exciting that we’re going to see this week that 16 years and older, like you said, can get the vaccine,” Thurmond said. “Look, I am aware of your discussions with the FDA and CDC about the ability to distribute vaccines to young people younger than 12. Some have asked some manufacturers and we are monitoring this and for sure I don’t think it is It is possible to really get into a conversation about the requirement of the vaccine until we have heard from our top health and safety staff whether the vaccine can be safely made available to young people, and we are monitoring and looking forward to it to learn more about what we could do next. “

RELATED: Pfizer Asks FDA To Expand COVID Vaccine Use To Adolescents Ages 12-15

He mentioned the importance of public information in clearing up uncertainties about the vaccine, which is why webinars helped create confusion.

“I did a webinar last week to focus on how we can get more vaccines in the Latino community, you know, how we get over fears,” Thurmond said. “On Wednesday we’re running a similar webinar on vaccines for the African American community. I think there are people with concerns from all walks of life, and we’re trying to get a message across that vaccines are safe. You know, I’m proud to say it was painless and quick. And I think we’re in a place now where we’re trying to help everyone see the benefits of vaccines. “

We have to ask about this developing situation in Knoxville. Several people shot at a local high school, including a Knoxville police officer. Obviously, that’s way out of your reach. But we saw school shootings here in the state, back in November 2019 in Santa Clarita, just before the pandemic. In this regard, what steps can you take to make hallways safer for the safety of students and parents?

“It was so heartbreaking to learn about the Nashville shooting, and obviously our hearts go out to these families, those who were affected,” Thurmond said. “You know, as you say, we worked with schools before the pandemic to prevent shootouts, and we work with programs like the Mental Health First Aid program, which trains teachers and educators to recognize someone Who it could be I support what President Biden is calling for about how we get these guns off our streets and look to these communities for the memento of the executive branch. “”

RELATED: Knoxville School Shootout: Student Killed After Firing On TN School Officials

The CDC director said just last week that she does not foresee that schools will have to be closed again for security reasons for these new COVID-19 variants. However, new research shows that they may be much more prevalent in schools than initially thought. What is your idea about it?

“The most important thing I can say is that people have to keep wearing face masks and using social distancing,” Thurmond said. “It’s scary to hear that all of these other states, you know, Utah, Texas, have all of these places that said you don’t have to wear a mask.” I think they miss the point. Even with the vaccine, a person can transmit COVID-19 and so we need to think about it. I think the research is mixed, but I trust what Dr. Fauci said. Dr. Fauci has said we are seeing a plateau of falls, but at a much higher rate than predicted, which tells us that there is a chance that it may have to be shut down again. I think we can control our own destiny. “

Social inequalities in education only got worse during this pandemic, and we got clear signs of how. Distance learning, internet access, parents who have multiple jobs, etc. How is your office working to resolve this at the state level?

“You know I am grateful,” said Thurmond. “This was the system that had to go into distance learning overnight, and our system wasn’t designed for it, and that also means we discovered nearly a million children with no access to high-speed internet who got caught in the pandemic, many, too without a computer. Although a lot of our teachers and educators are really ajar, our students and parents have been resilient, even though people have leaned to try to get our distance learning to work, there have been some inevitable bumps and the same learning gaps that we tried to close many of these loopholes exacerbated during the pandemic. “

RELATED: Parents, Students, who are excited to see SFUSD Schools Reopen for In-Person Learning

What about the psychological side of things? It is clear that this is a crisis for so many teenagers and young adults.

“I think the number one thing we should look out for when students are just returning to campus is how well their mental health is working and where they need support.” said Thurmond. “This is so different, they’ve been gone for a year, many of them don’t have direct contact with students and their peers. And so we’re working on a number of mental health programs right now, including medical and other I have a national coalition on mental health Health working with our psychologists and others to support our students. The number one social-emotional well-being of our students is the number one thing to look out for right now, and how we can support our students, and we are doing it. “

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