Committee wants Palm Beach County district to address deferred maintenance

Years of putting off maintenance and upkeep at schools because of budget concerns has left the Palm Beach County (Fla.) School District with cracked caulking, unusable playing courts, broken equipment and other facility problems that need to be addressed. The Palm Beach Post says the school district’s volunteer Budget Advisory Committee is searching for ways to cut spending and plug an estimated $35 million hole in next year’s capital budget. Staff and committee members say they think the cuts have gone far enough — if not too far. District Treasurer Leanne Evans says the district understands the problems resulting from postponing maintenance, but the budget has dictated that the focus be on just making sure schools can keep running safely.