Pomona Unified School District

Overview

Located approximately 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, Pomona Unified School District (PUSD) is comprised of 44 schools and educational facilities that serve 30,000 K-12 students and 17,000 adult learners. 

Approach

Southland has been providing mechanical, maintenance, and energy services to the District for almost 10 years. Most recently, Southland developed a facilities condition assessment and energy master plan. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and ventilation upgrades became a critical need, the district engaged Southland to implement HVAC, controls, and lighting upgrades.

The project is being funded by COVID-19 relief and bond funds. Southland collaborated closely with the District to develop a multi-phase program that will be executed over three years. The plan includes a construction schedule that minimizes disruptions to student learning while also meeting the COVID-19 relief funding deadlines.

The previously developed facility condition assessment and energy master plan were instrumental in allowing the District to move quickly to contract. Southland worked at risk for the design-build portion of the project to ensure designs were submitted on time to the Division of State Architects (DSA) in order to support the summer of 2022 fieldwork.

Result  

Southland has been awarded a base contract and 3 modifications for 20 schools totaling $67 million. As much of the funding for this project comes from Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, there are tight deadlines. Overlapping phases of development, pricing, approval, and execution in a tight timeframe have resulted in a significant challenge that the Southland team has met. Designs were submitted to DSA for approval in a few months and work was able to commence less than six months after the base contract execution. Additionally, as the summer 2022 fieldwork wrapped up, zero safety incidents were reported. 

When construction is completed for all phases in the summer of 2024, the District will have new HVAC and controls at 19 sites and new lighting at 15 schools. The project will reduce annual electricity consumption by 2,672,887 kWh and save the District $538k annually. 

Community Partnerships 

In addition to our project scope, Southland has partnered with the District to support students, improve the learning environment, and provide interactive learning opportunities about the industry. As part of our partnership, Southland has awarded three scholarships to exemplary students and hosted multiple career days and events to highlight career opportunities in the trades. 

Together, we're improving the learning environment for students and giving back through activities like hosting career days, participating in career fairs, supporting student activities, and awarding scholarships. -Maureen McDonald, Southland Industries, Energy Services Director 

• Successful Partnerships

  Owner: Pomona Unified School District
  GC: Southland Industries