Provides assistance to California districts applying for funds to perform deferred maintenance work on school facilities, with two types of funding (basic and extreme hardship) available. Chapters provide an overview of the of the state program, a description of the funding mechanisms, and details on extreme hardship considerations. Appendices provide a list of typical school facilities components, frequently asked questions, deadlines, architect/engineer fee schedules, applicable education code sections, and ineligible deferred maintenance expenditures. 35p.

Presents the responses to an eight-question fuel and energy survey that asked school superintendents about the effect of rising fuel and energy costs on their school districts. Ninety-nine percent of respondents reported these rising costs are having an impact on their school systems. Further, they reported that conserving energy, cutting back on student field trips and consolidating bus routes are among the top steps districts are taking to minimize the impact of rising fuel and energy costs. Meanwhile, few states are stepping forward to assist school systems struggling to meet escalating these rising costs. 16p.

Advises on simple energy saving strategies for schools. These include limiting equipment operation during unoccupied times, low-cost repairs by in-house staff, preventive maintenance, energy tracking, and performance contracts. 2p.

Provides repair and component replacement costs for 56 building types in 210 major U.S. and Canadian metropolitan areas. Maintenance cost data is provided for over 1,000 building components. Information in the book includes costs to maintain a building over its service lifetime, how many trade labor hours are required, the historic inflation rate of maintenance and repair construction cost, variation of maintenance and repair across different metropolitan areas, and lifetimes of specific building components. 400

Profiles building operations costs for 56 common building models. Local cost indexes are provided for 210 U.S. and Canadian metropolitan areas. Alternative level of service costs are shown for each operation,including custodial service, energy, grounds, maintenance, repair, management, pest control, refuse, road clearance, security, telecommunications, water, and sewer service. 248

Reports on the initial year's work of Washington state's Small School Repair Grant program. 26 grants were awarded to 126 applicants who sought assistance for facilities needs that they could not address with local funds. The report catalogs the types of maintenance done to ensure student safety and health, as well as the location, size, and urban, suburban, or rural nature of the district. 44p.

This study addresses indoor air quality and general conditions problems in schools throughout the United States. Tools employed to investigate conditions include a nationwide, web-based survey, characterization of actual operating conditions in schools through field audits and diagnostic tests, and retrofits in problem schools. Survey results found temperature to be by far the greatest comfort complaint in regular classrooms, with indoor air quality (IAQ) and then humidity being the next greatest areas of complaints. Ventilation problems were found at each of eight audited schools. These problems appear to be occurring due to a combination of factors including lack of maintenance, lack of knowledge of the systems and in some cases poor system design. Four small retrofit projects were also completed. The results from this project indicate that without substantial funding for and prioritization of school maintenance, widespread significant school improvements will not be realized. [Authors' abstract] 17p.

This addresses the cost of all aspects of buildings and grounds maintenance and repair, preventive maintenance, general maintenance, and the cost and repair frequencies of thousands of work items. Coverage is comprehensive, including unit costs with equipment and labor productivity, bare costs, in-house costs, and much other data arranged in UNIFORMAT II numbering system. The book is a loose-leaf binder packed with unit price data, systems costs, references, tables, and illustrations. 600p.

Provides housekeeping, maintenance and utility costs on a per-square-foot basis for a variety of facility types. Also included are temperature standards and information on energy management. The user can compare their own operational costs and practices to other facilities of similar size, type, scope, and geographical location.

Describes the current status of maintenance in Maryland public schools, and details three initiatives to assist the local districts with maintenance: 1) Improve the State's annual maintenance surveys in order to enhance its ability to monitor the maintenance of public schools. 2) Strengthen the relationship between maintenance and State funding provided through the Capital Improvement Program. 3) Develop an incentive program of State funding to assist the local school systems with their maintenance tasks. 12p.

Argues for small schools in three ways. First, analysis of more than three thousand construction projects shows that smaller schools are no more expensive to build than much larger schools. Second, analysis of the budgets of 25 good small schools throughout the United States demonstrates that on average they spend less per student on educational program, maintenance and operations than the per-pupil expenditure in their districts, yet they achieve results that are equal to or better than schools in the same area. Third, these schools offer innovative and effective educational programs, facilities, and strategies for cost effectiveness that can serve as models to people interested in cost-effective good small schools. Appendices contain contact information, budgets, test scores, a strategies grid, a list of criteria for school selection, and 30 references. The accompanying website www.goodsmallschools.org supplements the written report, and contains many documents from the schools and links to additional resources. 66p.

Provides detailed practical guidance on how K-12 school districts can plan and implement enhancements to their current operations and maintenance programs that can successfully maintain their facilities while also reducing energy costs up to 20 percent. Most of the strategies detailed entail limited capital costs and produce rapid paybacks. In addition to technical information, the guide provides organizational information on barriers, challenges, the steps necessary to develop this type of program. Reviews successful strategies from a wide variety of American school districts and includes case studies. 114p.

This reference book is a comprehensive source of building maintenance and repair (M&R) cost statistics. Included are local and national M&R cost indexes; 50-year cost profiles for 51 common building types;in-house and contract labor costs for 210 metropolitan areas; and life-cycle costs for selected building components. 290p.

Written for decision-makers in school buildings, district offices, and boards, this book outlines the major aspects of school maintenance and renovation, with a focus on cost-effectiveness. Chapters include: 1) How Schools are Funded; 2) Organization of Maintenance, Engineering, and Operations Staff; 3) School Board Policies for Maintenance and Operations; 4) Administrative Process--The Paper Chase; 5) Capital Improvement and Maintenance Planning; 6) Cost Maintenance; 7) Deferred and Preventive Maintenance; 8) Emerging Role of Technology; 9) Contract Maintenance--External Management Service; 10) Regulatory Aspects of Maintenance and Operations; 11) Cost-Effective Procurement Processes; 12) Deciding to Renovate; 13) Planning the Educational Program; 14) Selection of the Architect; 15) What the Architects Does; 16) Renovation Funding; 17) Alternative Funding Plans; 18) Bidding and Contractor Selection; 19) School Operating During a Renovation; 20) Bringing Closure to the Project; and 21) The Price of a Good Education. 200p.

This survey rates facilities costs and practices for Michigan school districts. Twenty-one key measures were tabulated, assessing many different types of salaries and costs on a per student, square footage, and acreage basis. Contracted services information and four years of historical data are also included. The report is designed to assist facilities managers in assessing their district's expenditures against those of the group. 22p.

Examines the New York State Education Department's administration of their RESCUE program, which requires school districts to develop maintenance plans for their school buildings and prepare an annual report card of building conditions. The report finds that many of the districts have not prepared maintenance plans and most have not prepared the required report cards. Another finding was that some districts are inappropriately deferring maintenance so they can claim state capital construction aid to cover their costs. The report recommends changes in reporting within RESCUE and modifications to State Building Aid to encourage compliance and decrease abuse of both programs. 24p.

Describes the problem of deferred maintenance for school facilities, especially from the perspective of small rural districts. It examines the extent, causes, and consequences of deferred maintenance as well as recommendations for policy, practice, and funding that can help correct this national problem. 23p.

The planning guide was developed to help readers better understand why and how to develop, implement, and evaluate a school facilities maintenance plan. The guide is designed for staff at the local school district level, where most facility maintenance is planned, managed, and carried out. This audience includes school business officials, school board members, superintendents, principals, facilities maintenance planners, maintenance staff, and custodial staff. The document is also relevant to the school facilities interests of state education agency staff, community groups, vendors, and regulatory agencies. The guide focuses on: (1) school facility maintenance as a vital task in the responsible management of an education organization; (2) the needs of an education audience; (3) strategies and procedures for planning, implementing, and evaluating effective maintenance programs; (4) a process to be followed, rather than a canned set of "one size fits all" solutions; and (5) recommendations based on best practices, rather than mandates. The document offers recommendations on the following issues, which serve as chapter headings: (1) "Introduction to School Facilities Maintenance Planning"; (2) "Planning for School Facilities Maintenance"; (3) "Facilities Audits (Knowing What You Have)"; (4) "Providing a Safe Environment for Learning"; (5) "Maintaining School Facilities and Grounds"; (6) "Effectively Managing Staff and Contractors"; and (7) "Evaluating Facilities Maintenance Efforts." 184p.

This guide is designed to help higher education facilities managers, through the implementation of preventive maintenance (PM), to increase the life of facility systems and equipment, lower overall operating costs, and provide maximum responsiveness to the college/university community. Part One, "Selling the Need," is designed to address the institutional facility manager's preventive maintenance challenges and to provide necessary information to determine an appropriate direction. The tools in Part Two--models of typical campus buildings--help to answer the question, "What resources are required to implement a PM program if I could fully fund it?" Then, assuming that the budget does not allow for full funding, as is sometimes the case, it addresses what the optimal way is to allocate PM resources to achieve a successful PM program. Part Three includes PM standards and checklists for equipment priority levels, maintenance requirements, and frequencies. (Appendices contain information on return-on-investment models, rating an institution's PM program, integrating computerized maintenance management systems, and organizational resources.) 150p.

The Foundation for California Community Colleges (FCCC) is a non-profit foundation whose mission is to support the California Community College (CCC) system and to save the CCC money. FCCC is the official auxiliary to the Board of Governors, the Chancellor's office, and the system of 108 colleges of the CCC. This document provides details on the CCCs, FCCC, and FCCC's facilities program, "facilitybuys.com." Consistent with the CCC system priorities, the primary goals of FCCC are to (1) generate and provide substantial financial and in-kind support to the CCC system; (2) substantially reduce operational, equipment, and other costs for the CCC through establishing and maintaining a Higher Education Cooperative Purchase Consortium, facilitating private sector partnerships, and assisting in the development of partnerships between CCC colleges/districts and businesses/industries; (3) partner with and provide support to the local CCC foundations and the Network of NCCCFs; and (4) promote and support programs that increase access to and improve effectiveness of the CCCs, especially in the areas of technology, access, and competency. By pooling the negotiating and purchasing power and collective knowledge of the individual CCCs, districts, and a number of other institutions of higher education and K-12, FCCC has been able to save approximately $4 million for the CCCs during the first year of the program. 19p.

This guide introduces the community to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools budget and explains how it works. The guide is for parents, voters, taxpayers, residents, and students. The guide describes the two main types of school funding, operating and capital. It looks at where the money comes from; explains the various ways operations money is spent on staff, transportation, maintenance, food service, and special programs; tells how bond money is being used for new construction, renovation, upkeep, technology, and other projects; looks at what the budget buys; and enumerates ways to take action. Includes resources for more information. 32p.

This guide to the improvement of maintenance operations focuses on organization, inventory, continuous inspection, planning, scheduling, and program management. It provides guidelines on implementing a management system, and on customizing it to fit the needs of a particular organization. Chapters discuss the principles of controlled maintenance, history files, work classification, work input control, planning and estimating, material coordination, scheduling, work performance, buildings and grounds, predictive maintenance, and cost accounting. 137p.

This brochure shows how school facility administrators and business officials can make smart energy choices to reduce school operating costs and create better learning environments. It provides guidelines on ten key elements to consider for designing a high performance school: site design, daylighting and windows, energy-efficient building envelope, renewable energy systems, lighting and electrical systems, mechanical and ventilation systems, environmentally sensitive building products and systems, water conservation, recycling and waste management, and transportation. 7p.

Only M&O directors and staff in educational facilities responded to this salary survey for FY2000-2001. Data collected from 43 states and D.C. depicts a correlation between salary and student enrollment and length on the job. Almost half of respondents had at least an associate's degree. “Small schools” paid the Director of M&O $42,327, “medium schools” paid $59,182, and “large schools” paid $67,455. Most respondents earning $50,000 per year or more had at least 10 years of experience. Directors making $80,000 or more averaged 18.6 years of experience on the job. You must be registered at SchoolDude.com to download the complete report. 18p.

This report presents U.S. comparative data, collected during the last quarter of 2000 from 248 educational institutions, on facility operating costs, including general information and profiles about the participating institutions. The report provides operating cost ratios for eight common functions performed in educational facilities, including comparative data for in-house labor and total utilities costs. Additionally, the report presents data on operating costs as well as staffing, salary, and union representation information. 190p.

Compilation of data for elementary, secondary, and high school maintenance and operations costs in New Jersey.

Information to help reduce maintenance costs during the building design process. This kit provides architects a logical, comprehensive procedure for documenting maintenance impact throughout the design process. 94p.

Includes information on maintenance and repair; preventive maintenance; general maintenance; facilities audits; life cycle costing; equipment rental rates; travel cost tables; crews; city adjustments and cost indexes, and location factors. 620p.

This paper examines the impact current maintenance and operations (M&O)practices have on U.S. school performance and offers possible opportunities for improvement through the judicious use of technology and methodology. The paper also presents a regional comparative analysis of M&O costs across the country. A list of equipment and their service life is provided as are suggested equipment to be considered for M&O programs, the financial benefits of preventive maintenance operations, and ways of integrating new M&O into existing plans. Final sections examine the budgeting of M&O processes in new school construction projects, and the steps school officials can take to implement a proper M&O plan that can avoid excessive costs, protect assets, and increase staff productivity. (Contains 16 references.) 16p.

Presents comparative data on facility management costs and staffing based on responses from 193 U.S. postsecondary educational facilities and K-12 institutions during 1997-98. Lists data from both private and public institutions, beginning with Section 1, which contains general data on the survey response tally; and institutional profile. Section 2 lists comparative data for institutional costs and staffing levels, including costs for facility operations, in-house labor, and utilities. Section 3 compares personnel data and costs, including position salaries, average annual position staffing, percent unionized, and personnel data and costs by institution series. Section 4 lists energy/utility costs and consumption, including mean electric, natural gas, fuel oil, coal, steam, and chilled water usage. 287p.

The Des Moines Independent Community School District (Iowa) has initiated management support services in the custodial/security areas that have reduced administrative costs, provided for more efficient use of staff time, and streamlined inventory and maintenance management. This presents data tables on the department's operating budgets; describes its computerized inventory tracking system; and details its general operational responsibilities, including staff job descriptions and staff selection, evaluation, and development. Finally, the document presents an evaluation on department adherence to standards, policies, and regulations regarding personnel, in-service/staff development, commendations, maintenance procedures, equipment replacement, supplies, budgeting, security, the establishment of regulatory committees, and areas of future planning.

Presents comparative data on facility management costs and staffing based on responses from 213 U.S. postsecondary educational facilities during 1995-96. Lists information from both private and public institutions, grouped in sections identical to the survey. The sections are: general data; personnel data and costs; energy/utility cost and consumption; and the custodial addendum. Additionally, the report presents statistics for each institution and raw data for all institutions.

This discussion of college and university capital renewal and deferred maintenance (CRDM) explores issues facing campus managers, presents the successful facilities maintenance strategies of eight institutions, and gives an overview of the efforts of several Canadian institutions.An introductory chapter gives background information on CRDM in U.S. colleges and universities and identifies some common characteristics of successful programs. It is found that at institutions with staying power, facilities managers garner support from a variety of senior staff, including the president and trustees, raise awareness of the seriousness of the CRDM backlog, and create positive awareness of achievements through public relations. Subsequent chapters detail the strategic planning and implementation strategies of several universities, looking at such issues as institutional funding history, support from the institution's administration and from state officials, institutional autonomy, the planning process, strategies for eliminating the deferred maintenance backlog, and capital improvement plans. (Contains 56 references.) 102p

Chapters include determining current replacement values; items appropriately included in budgets; and minimizing facilities maintenance and repair costs through structured management techniques and advanced decision support and diagnostic tools. 49p.

This study examines the problem of deferred maintenance in U.S. public schools, including the repair funding required to comply with federal mandates in the next 3 years; the estimated percentage of schools needing repairs listed by state; and the changes in apportionment of state budgets from 1987 to 1994. Public school maintenance funding trends and options are discussed, including lease financing and privatization. A model for passing a bond issue as illustrated through the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (Sacramento, California) is examined. 19p.

This report presents the results of a study of the condition of higher education facilities in the United States and offers recommendations to improve the deteriorating state of such facilities. The 1995 survey examined statistical, financial, and operational data gathered through mailed questionnaires returned by 400 institutions. The results indicated that there is an estimated $26 billion in total costs to eliminate accumulated deferred maintenance, of which $5.7 billion are urgent needs. The report concludes that the existing large amount of deferred maintenance represents a threat to the ability of institutions of higher education to fulfill their missions, and that statewide agencies and individual institutions will have to make difficult choices for resource allocation. Three appendixes provide the survey research report, copies of the survey instruments, and a list of survey respondents. 199

Presents comparative data on facility management costs and staffing based on responses from 516 U.S. postsecondary educational facilities during 1993-94. Lists statistics from both private and public institutions, beginning with statistical reductions presenting the survey response tally, institutional profiles, and mean costs per square foot. Subsequent sections detail institutional indexes, profiles, costs, staffing levels, and utilities consumption. There is additional information comparing staffing salaries, percentage unionized, chargeback rates, contract services, and full- time-equivalent staffing, as well as statistics on mean electric and gas usage, other fuel usage, and water and sewer consumption. 373p.

Diagnoses causes underlying the deterioration of college and university physical plants. The fundamental problems are: 1) lack of integration of physical plant concerns with the institution's broader mission; 2) the low priority given physical plant needs; 3) the isolation of the physical plant director from institutional decision-making; 4) lack of awareness of requisite funding; 5) ineffective management of physical plant staff; and 6) inefficient use of institutional facilities. The report recommends: 1) establishing a facilities planning group; 2) conducting a thorough physical plant audit; 3) improving plant department management; 4) analyzing the fit between programs and facilities and allocating space accordingly; and 5) implementing a comprehensive energy management program. 45p.

This series of five booklets has been developed to provide Oregon public school district administrators with suggestions for cost containment and increasing productivity. The five sections focus on the following topics: (1) the problem of declining funds for schools and solution strategies; (2) cost-saving tips for district and school-level administration; (3) cost-saving tips in curriculum, instruction, vocational education, special education, student services, and media services; (4) cost-saving tips for support services (buildings and grounds, maintenance, pupil transportation, and food services); and (5) cost savings for community colleges. The fourth section features suggestions on energy conservation, use of buildings, maintenance of buildings, cleaning of buildings, grounds use and maintenance, and equipment use and maintenance. It also offers eight cost-saving ideas and two appendices. 118 (in 5 vols.)p.

Discusses school cleaning and maintenance, including organizing of custodial services, scheduling, supervision, inspection, supplies, equipment, employment, working conditions, training, cleaning standards, cleaning procedures, safety, grounds care, security, vandalism, and preventive maintenance. 294p.

Defines what constitutes an energy-efficient motor, discusses what energy cost savings might be realized by using them, and advises on assessing motors for efficiency and replacement, as well as on how to prevent motor failure.

Advises on maintenance equipment rental, including equipment condition, availability of staff to use the equipment in a timely manner, proper training, how to obtain honest appraisals of models, and when it is time to buy rather than rent.

Discusses the deferred maintenance crisis facing many higher education institutions. Maintenance of existing structures is frequently slighted in the interest of building new and more glamorous facilities. Examples of maintenance backlogs at various institutions are described, as is the facilities condition index that is used to calculate deferred maintenance.

Offers an overview of the current guidelines for APPA's 2002 publication of Maintenance Staffing Guidelines for Educational Facilities. The article discusses the development of a maintenance model, the five maintenance levels, the four campus space types and the zero-based budget (ZBB) approach that make up the publication. A case study of the application of these guidelines on the campus of the University of Nebraska- Lincoln is included.

Presents the results of a 2007 study of two- and four-year colleges, revealing that maintenance and operations expenditures averaged 11 percent of total expenditures, which is down from 16.4 percent in 2006. Energy spending per full-time equipvalent (FTE) student rose 24 percent over 2006. The amount of square feet per building maintained per FTE was 277. The survey methodology is described, with numerous tables displaying costs and square footages per FTE student, costs per square foot, historical spending data, types of institutions, types of expenditures, enrollment figures, payroll data, and buildings and grounds statistics

Presents the results of a 2006 study of public school districts, revealing that maintenance and operations expenditures averaged 8.35 percent of total expenditures, which is lower than the previous year's figure of 9.19 percent. The square footage maintained per custodial worker rose 14 percent to 26,786. Rising energy costs are forcing cuts in other areas of maintenance and operations. The survey methodology is described, with numerous tables displaying costs per student, costs per square foot, historical spending data, types of expenditures, payroll and personnel data, and buildings and grounds statistics.

Advises on identifying reasons for excessive wear on plumbing fixtures and funding replacement systems.

Advises on how to transition from a pattern of reactive maintenance to one of planned and organized maintenance. Prioritization or weighting is the key coupled with segmenting larger campuses into a best practice zone by isolating a subset of facilities.

Advises on how to present a convincing deferred maintenance scenario that will get the attention of decision makers who are not necessarily dedicated to national standards for facilities condition. Elements that a convincing presentation should contain with suggestions for charts and graphs are included.

Profiles the cooperation of design and maintenance personnel in the Milwaukee Public Schools, resulting in buildings that are easier and less expensive to maintain.

Details total cost of school building ownership in terms of initial and operating costs, the typical stages of school building design and what cost analyses occur in each, software programs for building management from design through maintenance, and elements of a successful school building maintenance plan.

Reviews potential debates over vacuum purchases, including quantity versus quality of equipment, day versus night cleaning, backpacks versus uprights, and indoor air qulaity.

Reviews the pros and cons of outsourcing custodial and maintenance services at higher education institutions. Efficiency, flexible staffing, ability to concentrate on core mission, personnel management, availability of specialty services, and training are seen as benefits of outsourced services, whereas a sense of ownership, security, corporate culture, stability, and institutional knowledge are benefits of in-house staffing. Advice on selecting outsourcing services is included.

Presents the results of a 2006 study of two- and four-year colleges, revealing that maintenance and operations expenditures averaged 16.4 percent of total expenditures, which is up from 11 percent in 2005. A significant portion of the increase can be attributed to increased energy costs. The survey methodology is described, with numerous tables displaying costs and square footages per FTE student, costs per square foot, historical spending data, types of institutions, types of expenditures, enrollment figures, payroll data, and buildings and grounds statistics

Presents the results of a 2006 study of public school districts, revealing that maintenance and operations expenditures averaged 9.19 per cent of total expenditures, compared to the previous year's figure of 7.58 percent. This represents a high since the late 1990's, but is still considerably below that of 20 years ago. Utility spending represented the largest increase, at 28 percent. The survey methodology is described, with numerous tables displaying costs per student, costs per square foot, historical spending data, types of expenditures, payroll and personnel data, and buildings and grounds statistics.

Details a vocabulary to organize building costs under categories of one-time and continuing costs.

Reviews budgeting, training, and equipment selection for floor care, as well as green trends in floor care products and equipment.

Advises small school districts to consider joining together to engage permanent maintenance teams that provide consistent service, rather than to individually engage local contractors who build no history with the school's facilities.

Reviews traditional methods that facility managers use to determine annual maintenance and operations budgets, and recommends a more accurate system of modeling costs and the effect of maintenance and operations on facility performance. Components of modeling are defined, and a multi-step approach that can be compiled and perpetuated over several budget cycles is detailed.

Reviews statistics concerning the condition of America's schools and discusses essential capital, infrastructure, educational, preventive, deferred, cleaning maintenance. The elements of a quality plan for preservation of capacity are detailed, and advice on creating a plan is offered.

Discusses how to budget for facility maintenance, with particular attention to budgeting in an environment where buildings are being added to the campus, and budgeting for extraordinary events like years with significant snow removal requirements or major natural disasters.

Presents the results of a 2005 study of two- and four-year colleges, revealing that maintenance and operations expenditures averaged 11 per cent of total expenditures, which is up from 10 percent in 2004. The survey methodology is described, with numerous tables displaying costs and square footages per FTE student, costs per square foot, historical spending data, types of institutions, types of expenditures, enrollment figures, payroll data, and buildings and grounds statistics.

Presents the results of a 2005 study of public school districts, revealing that maintenance and operations expenditures averaged 7.58 per cent of total expenditures, which is statistically even with the previous year's figure of 7.5 percent, and considered deficient when compared to the 9.59 percent expenditures of ten years ago. The survey methodology is described, with numerous tables displaying costs per student, costs per square foot, historical spending data, types of expenditures, payroll and personnel data, and buildings and grounds statistics.

Reviews types of maintenance underway in public schools, with categories of work reported as percentages of overall maintenance projects.

Explains the "65 Percent Solution," which requires school districts to spend at least 65 percent of their operating budget on "in-classroom" expenses. The rule has become law in several states, with many others currently considering it. Potential negative impacts to school maintenance, safety, transportation, and food service are described.

Profiles this institution's facilities maintenance program, detailing a major restructuring that began in 1999. This included updating equipment, cleaning procedures, and staff training. Awards won by the staff and plans for continued improved service are included.

Reviews major reports quantifying an increasing amount of deferred maintenance in schools, and highlights recent publications that can help, as well as the ongoing efforts of the Association of School Business Officials.

Offers money-saving maintenance ideas submitted by school facility mangers, including performing routine tasks less frequently, empowering and equipping teachers and principals to investigate maintenance situations, collective purchasing, energy management, flexible scheduling, and outsourcing.

Discusses the basics of life-cycle cost analysis, the benefits of strategic planning and budgeting for deferred maintenance, and measuring the success of a deferred maintenance plan.

Reports preliminary findings from APPA's Facilities Core Data Survey, showing 2003-04 facilities operating costs in cost per student tables that are also broken down into overall costs, type of expenditures, type of institution, and level of education offered (K-12, baccalaureate, graduate.)

Details reasons behind deferred maintenance, including willingness to cut maintenance and operations budgets to preserve educational program funding, lack of master planning for maintenance, lack of administrative understanding of maintenance due to insufficient communication from maintenance administrators, and lack of priority for maintenance.

Presents the results of a 2004 study of public school districts, revealing that maintenance and operations expenditures averaged 7.5 per cent of total expenditures, which is near the historic low of 7.43 per cent from 2003. The survey methodology is described, with numerous tables displaying costs per student, costs per square foot, historical spending data, types of expenditures, payroll and personnel data, and buildings and grounds statistics.

Presents the results of a 2004 study of higher education institutions, revealing that maintenance and operations expenditures averaged 10 per cent of total expenditures, which is up from 9.5 per cent in 2003. The survey methodology is described, with numerous tables displaying costs and square footages per FTE student, costs per square foot, historical spending data, types of institutions, types of expenditures, enrollment figures, payroll data, and buildings and grounds statistics.

Describes the Japanese practice of students, sometimes along with teachers, cleaning their own classrooms at a prescribed time during the day. This is done not because of budget constraints, but as a means of including cleanliness in the educational program. It is suggested that a similar practice in the U.S. might mitigate the current lack of attention given to a quality school environment and help ease M&O budgetary pressures.

Reviews the backlog of deferred maintenance in America's schools, describes typical damage and energy loss in a school with a deteriorating building envelope, and suggests elements of a school maintenance plan.

Proposes an "entrepreneurial" approach for central plan facility management that considers foremost the often disparate needs of the various campus "clients" and aims to deliver value just as a private firm would.

Describes money saving trash management techniques including compaction to reduce hauler visits and cardboard baling to remove it from the waste stream and possibly sell to recyclers. The savings that can be realized will vary according to waste hauling costs in the area, and the extent to which equipment can be used by more than one facility.

Summarizes circumstances and liabilities of deferred maintenance, elements that should be included in estimating capital needs, and methodologies for capacity analysis, condition needs assessment, functionality needs assessment, and life cycle renewal modeling.

Describes the University of Southern Indiana's approach to residence hall maintenance, which includes training residents and resident assistants to execute many of the smaller tasks.

Discusses the results of a 2003 study of public school districts revealing that maintenance and operations expenditures, as a percentage of budgets, are near historic lows. Tables display costs per student and square foot, as well as worker per square foot and salary information.

Discusses the results of a 2003 study of higher education institutions revealing that maintenance and operations expenditures, as a percentage of budgets, dropped from 10 to 9.5 percent. Tables display costs per student and square foot, as well as worker per square foot and salary information.

According to a survey conducted by the Association of School Business Officials, the rising cost of health insurance is leaving less money for school facilities maintenance, teaching positions, technology upgrades, and districts' ability to comply with the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Just over half of the survey respondents said they had reduced school maintenance budgets to offset the increases. [Free subscriber registration is required.]

Discusses considerations for removing systems from planned maintenance, allowing them to fail, and then replacing them. Issues of return on maintenance investment and avoidance of collateral damage from failing systems are highlighted.

Describes tightened school budget situations, where cuts and savings are occurring, and how some school systems generate revenue from use of their facilities.

Describes how five school districts maintain their new facilities in order to avoid deferred maintenance issues.

As a result of management’s vision and the maintenance department’s expertise, the Portland School District is now reaping cost-saving benefits estimated to be about $9 million over the past eight years. In 1990, the district undertook a series of aggressive measures to enhance the energy efficiency in its 100 schools and better control its utility costs. It launched energy-efficiency programs and retrofit projects designed to maintain energy use and costs at the lowest level possible without compromising the schools’ learning environment.

Presents an interview with the coordinator of physical plant stores at the University of South Florida, Tampa. The interviewee worked with the univerisity's IT staff to build an effective database for tracking transactions from the physical plant store. Also discussed is the impact on the store of a campus retrofit for for energy efficiency, budgeting and the acquiring of new products.

As institutional budgets tighten and administrators face tough decisions about spending priorities, deferring maintenance can seem like the least painful choice. But some colleges that have deferred maintenance in the past have found that repairing leaking roofs, repaving parking lots, upgrading heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems, patching peeling plaster, or replacing campus sewer lines is a lot harder and a lot more costly than they expected.

How well is your campus maintained, and what is housekeeping really costing? Maybe it's time to clean up custodial service operations. This discusses whether or not to outsource and the rethinking of campus maintenance setups on several campuses.

Discusses issues involved in outsourcing school maintenance and custodial services. There are many advantages to this approach, but it has definite drawbacks. In many instances, a combination of contract and employee services works well.

An annual survey of school maintenance and operations funding concludes, among other detailed findings, that budgets continue to shrink in the face of a weak economy--the sixth year of dropping budgets and the smallest level since the survey began. M&O spending as a percentage of district net current expenditure sank to 7.4 percent in the 2002-03 school year, down from 7.8 percent the year before. The amount of square feet maintained per custodian continued to grow, increasing to 24,167 square feet from 23,985 square feet last year. Square feet maintained per maintenance worker also jumped, increasing to 95,120 square feet from 89,000 square feet last year. Acres maintained per grounds worker grew to 36 from 30 last year.