FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2025
SFPUC Contact:
communications@sfwater.org
San Francisco Middle School Playground Transformed from Asphalt to Green
The new schoolyard will capture up to one million gallons of rain each year, keeping it where it falls, instead of sending it into the City’s sewer system
SAN FRANCISCO – A San Francisco middle school is welcoming students back this year to a new play and learning space, including four rain gardens and a rainwater harvesting system, replacing two acres of unforgiving asphalt.
Everett Middle School, which straddles the Castro and Mission districts, is celebrating its newly renovated schoolyard, made possible through a unique public-private partnership. The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) provided initial funding through its Green Infrastructure Grant Program, contributing about one-third of the nearly $6 million investment. Project partners included the San Francisco Unified School District, which led construction and design with input from students and staff, and a private donor working through the San Francisco Education Fund, which served as the donor’s fiscal sponsor.
“This project shows what's possible through strong partnerships,” said San Francisco Public Utilities Commission General Manager Dennis Herrera. “With support from the San Francisco Unified School District, the San Francisco Education Fund, a private donor, and the SFPUC, we've created not just a system to manage stormwater, but a beautiful, educational space for students in the community. The green infrastructure helps rain soak into the ground, reduces flooding, and teaches the next generation the value of building climate resilience.”
“The Everett yard is the result of nearly three years of planning, community input, and collaboration across different agencies in service of reimagining outdoor spaces for SFUSD students,” SFUSD Superintendent Maria Su said. “The project delivers on the district’s commitment to more engaging and environmentally resilient schoolyards that bring joy, inspire play, and improve learning conditions for all students.”
An anonymous donor, working through the San Francisco Education Fund, also contributed to the project. "SF Ed Fund is proud to have supported Everett Middle school since its inception,” said Ann Levy Walden, CEO of the San Francisco Education Fund. “With the support of generous community members, especially the anonymous donor who contributed to this project, we can be a part of the special public-private partnership that has allowed us to contribute to making our public schools welcoming, efficient, and beautiful spaces for its students."
Everett’s transformation will help meet the city’s stormwater management goals by capturing up to one million gallons of rainwater each year and easing pressure on San Francisco’s sewer system during heavy storms. In addition to the rain gardens and cistern, the new yard will serve about 400 students and feature a permeable turf field and new track, new basketball courts striped for pickle ball and volleyball, a shade structure, and seating areas.
Through the SFPUC’s Green Infrastructure Grant Program, the agency has awarded $26.5 million to 26 projects, including 10 in partnership with SFUSD. Together, these projects will capture more than 16 million gallons of stormwater each year -- enough to fill 24 Olympic-sized swimming pools -- and are helping San Francisco stay on track to capture one billion gallons of stormwater annually by 2050.
The Everett project is also the first of SFUSD’s bond-funded comprehensive Schoolyard Outdoor Learning projects to be completed, with several more under construction across the City.
Learn more about the SFPUC’s Green Infrastructure Grant Program here.
Learn more about the yard here.
Learn more about the SFUSD Bond Program here.
About the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is a department of the City and County of San Francisco. It delivers drinking water to 2.7 million people in the San Francisco Bay Area, collects and treats wastewater for the City and County of San Francisco, and meets 75% of the electricity demand in San Francisco. The SFPUC’s mission is to provide customers with high quality, efficient and reliable water, power, and sewer services in a manner that values environmental and community interests, and sustains the resources entrusted to the agency's care. Learn more at sfpuc.gov.
About the San Francisco Education Fund
The San Francisco Education Fund (SF Ed Fund) advances equitable education by providing quality learning programs, community support, and financial resources to students, educators and schools. The SF Ed Fund was founded in 1979 as a response to Proposition 13 decimating funding for public education in California, and since then we have consistently mobilized the San Francisco community to champion equitable access to quality education for all public school students. As the first third-party intermediary in the nation focused solely on uplifting local public school teachers, students, and their schools, the SF Ed Fund has spent 45 years building a powerful legacy of community engagement and quality learning.