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Backlogged repairs at LA schools pose some safety risks

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Dan Sapia, left, consults Christopher Cadena while working on a leaking water main at Hoover Street Elementary School. The Los Angeles Unified School District plumbing crew estimated that the repair would take three days. Until the water main feeding the fire sprinklers is fixed, the school has someone on fire watch at all hours of the day.
Benjamin Brayfield/KPCC
Dan Sapia, left, consults Christopher Cadena while working on a leaking water main at Hoover Street Elementary School. The Los Angeles Unified School District plumbing crew estimated that the repair would take three days. Until the water main feeding the fire sprinklers is fixed, the school has someone on fire watch at all hours of the day.

Repairs span from burned out light bulbs and cracked concrete to compromised fire safety systems and exposed electrical wiring.

Los Angeles schools are waiting on more than 116,000 fixes to maintenance and safety problems reported since January, records show. The repairs span from burned out light bulbs and cracked concrete to compromised fire safety systems and exposed electrical wiring. 

Officials say they don't have the staff or money to fix them all.

But, as KPCC's Annie Gilbertson reports, voters approved five different measures between 1997 and 2005 — bringing in $19.5 billion intended for school repairs.

Read the full story: More than 100,000 LA school repairs backlogged; fire safety at risk in some schools

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