A free, online resource center that provides school, college and university facility operations professionals with the tools and training to achieve excellence in educational facility maintenance.
The Credibility of the school district is impacted by the condition of school facilities. School facilities are the billboards of the district. When the buildings look in disrepair inside and outside, it influences the perception of the district in a negative way. Furthermore, well maintained school facilities protect the capital investment that the community has made to educating students. School facilities are most often the largest capital investment of a community. If the district fails to provide the appropriate care of the facilities, then the credibility of the district to manage resources is questioned.
Well maintained educational facilities help to Manage Costs. And this is particularly important in the current economic environment. Preventive maintenance is less expensive than emergency repairs, and it extends the useful life of the building and its systems – reducing long-term capital costs. HVAC equipment and roofing, along with boilers and burners, require ongoing maintenance in order for the equipment to operate properly. When equipment is not operating efficiently, it takes more energy to operate the equipment. Properly maintained equipment will minimize the amount of energy consumed and thereby save district financial resources.
Hosted by Roger Young, featuring Ronald Willhite (Kentucky School Boards Association), Jim McClanahan (Scott County Schools, KY), Cheryl Semmel (United School Administrators of Kansas), Dave Hill (Blue Valley School District, KS), Darin Headrick (Kiowa County School District, KS), and Sue Pierce (Washington Elementary School District, AZ)
Quite often school boards, district leadership and the community as a whole overlook the importance of maintaining school facilities during the budget deliberation process. The purpose of this series is to highlight some of the reasons why the condition of school facilities impacts the school district.
Student Achievement and Safety is impacted by the condition of school facilities. Poor lighting, inadequate indoor air quality, uneven heating, leaking roofs, cleanliness, and poor acoustics create an environment that negatively impacts teaching and learning. Not only is this commonsense, it is also the subject of research and many documented reports. The following link to the United States Environmental Protection Agency provides more specific information and resources. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/student_performance/index.html . Furthermore, broken floor tile, unmanaged asbestos containing materials and insulation, improper storage of chemicals, and uneven surfaces create a safety hazard for occupants and guests alike. Learning does not occur in a vacuum. Students and staff thrive in an orderly, clean and safe environment.
Hosted by Roger Young, featuring Kathleen Anderson (Coupeville School District, WA), Tom Kuehn (Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction), Dan Modrall (Evergreen Public Schools, WA), and Stephen Story (Bethel School District, WA)
