planning guide for maintaining school facilities sponsored by the national center for education...

Planning Guide for Maintaining School

FacilitiesSponsored by

The National Center for Education Statistics

U.S. Department of Education

http://nces.ed.gov/forum/maintenance.asp

Partnership

A cooperative venture:

Sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education

National Forum onEducation Statistics

Purpose: To improve the

QUALITYCOMPARABILITYUTILITY

of elementary & secondary education data

http://nces.ed.gov/forum

ASBO® International

Promotes the highest standards of school business management practices

Supports a standing committee on school facilities

6,200 members with dissemination to >15,000 LEAs

http://www.asbointl.org

Task Force MembersRoger Young MA / ASBO / Forum / MASBOFrank Norwood TX / ASBO / TASBOJoan Hubbard MP / ASBO / Facilities ConsultantJohn Bowers MI / ASBO / Facilities ConsultantTim Shrom PA / ASBO / PASBODavid Uhlig VA / ASBO / Forum / VASBOChristine Lynch MA / MA DOEJay Sullivan MA / MA DOEJanet Emerick IN / ForumJudy Marks DC / National Clearinghouse Educational FacilitiesMary Filardo DC / Forum / 21st Century School FundPatty Murphy UT / Forum / USABOLee Hoffman DC / Forum / NCESTom Szuba VA / Project Consultant

This planning guide focuses on…

School facility maintenance as a vital component of the responsible management of an education organization.

The needs of an education audience.

Strategies and procedures for planning, implementing, and evaluating effective maintenance programs.

A process to be followed, rather than a canned set of ‘one size fits all’ solutions.

‘Best practice’ recommendations rather than mandates.

In a nutshell… These guidelines are written to help school

administrators, staff, and community members better understand why and how to develop, implement, and evaluate a facilities maintenance plan.

How does an organization… develop, implement, and evaluate…a maintenance plan?

This planning guide is not:

Presented as a how-to manual of maintenance procedures and instructions.

An attempt to dictate policy making in local and state education agencies.

Target Audience School business officials Superintendents and principals (and their

assistants) Other policy makers (e.g., school board members) Other facilities maintenance planners Maintenance and custodial staff

Secondary audiences include state education agency staff, community members, vendors, and regulatory agencies (e.g., the EPA)

Chapter Headings Introduction to School Facility Maintenance

Planning Facilities Maintenance Planning Facilities Audits: Knowing What You Have Providing a Safe Environment for Learning Maintaining School Facilities and Grounds Effectively Managing Staff and Contractors Evaluating Facilities Maintenance Practices

Chapter Framework Table of Contents Chapter Goals and Objectives Best Practice Recommendations Vignettes/Real World Examples Commonly Asked Questions Checklist (i.e., a To-Do-List) Additional Resources (primarily Web-based)

Chapter 1: Introduction Why Does Facilities Maintenance Matter?

Table of Contents:

Why Does Facilities Maintenance Matter?Who Should Read this Document?Planning Guide FrameworkIn Every Chapter…Commonly Asked QuestionsIntroductory Facilities Maintenance ChecklistAdditional Resources

Goals:

To explain how clean, orderly, safe, cost-effective, and instructionally-supportive school facilities enhance education.

To introduce the purpose, structure, and format of the planning guide.

Chapter 4: Safety

Best Practice Recommendations: Asbestos

The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) regulates the management of asbestos-containing materials in all public and private schools

Local education agencies are required to: Designate and train an asbestos coordinator Identify friable and non-friable asbestos containing materials Develop and implement an asbestos management plan Develop and implement a responsible operations and

maintenance program Perform semiannual surveillance activities Notify all occupants (and occupant guardians) about the status of

asbestos-containing materials on an annual basis For more information:

http://www.epa.gov/reg5foia/asbestos/ahera.html

Chapter 1: Introduction To err is human…

… but you’d like to avoid this kind of thing all the same!

The school board was happy, the community was proud, and the students were ecstatic. In 1992 the high school finally invested in a gymnasium that would meet the needs of the physical education department, the athletic department, and community organizations alike. After six years of use, the facility looked to be in great shape, so everyone was shocked to find that school had been cancelled on a Monday morning so that the maintenance staff could combat a flood that had gushed across the gym floor and into the main building. What had happened? A $12 gasket had failed—but it happened to be the one that sealed the 40,000 gallon back up water tank that lay adjacent to the gymnasium. Even that, however, could have been overcome had not the tank’s emergency drain been covered with boxes of books in a misguided attempt to increase the building’s storage space. As it was, school was cancelled for two days, emergency response cost $26,000, and the gymnasium was closed to school and community users alike for five weeks while $160,000 worth of repair work was performed. So how could this problem have been avoided? In truth, there were many things that could have saved the district from its woes:

Solution 1. Proper Planning – Might there have been another, less perilous, place to construct the the water tank, rather than over the gymnasium floor? Probably so!

Solution 2. Acceptable Maintenance – Might regular equipment inspections of the backup water tank have identified a rotting gasket and prevented the flood? Perhaps so!

Solution 3. Appropriate Operations – Shouldn’t there have been someone who had enough common sense to know that covering an emergency drain with boxes wasn’t an acceptable storage system? Definitely so!

Chapter 1: Introduction Commonly Asked Questions

How will a maintenance plan make our schools better?

Learning does not occur in a vacuum. Students and staff interact more constructively in an environment that is orderly, clean, and safe. Poor air quality, for example, can negatively impact student alertness, and student and teacher attendance, which has a corresponding impact on student learning. On the other hand, classrooms that are well ventilated, suitably lighted, and properly maintained actually facilitate learning. Moreover, appropriate facilities maintenance extends the life span of older facilities and maximizes the useful life of newer facilities. Thus, a facilities maintenance plan contributes to both the instructional and financial well being of an education organization and its community.

Chapter 1: Introduction Checklists

Accomplished Check Points

Page

Yes

No

Are top-level decision makers aware that school facilities maintenance affects the instructional and financial well-being of the organization?

X

Are top-level decision makers aware that the occurrence of facilities problems (and lack thereof) is most closely associated with organizationally controlled issues such as staffing levels, staff training, and other management practices?

X

Chapter 1: Introduction Additional Resources

Guide for Collecting and Using Data on Elementary and Secondary Educational Facilities: A publication from the National Forum on Education Statistics which defines a set of data elements that are critical to answering overarching policy questions related to elementary and secondary school facility management. (http://nces.ed.gov/forum/publications.asp)

Indoor Air Quality and Student Performance. (2000) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division, Washington, DC. This report examines how indoor air quality (IAQ) affects a child's ability to learn and provides several case studies of schools that have successfully addressed their indoor air problems, the lessons learned from that experience, and what long-term practices and policies emerged from the effort. (http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/performance.html)

Chapter 1: Introduction Why Does Facilities Maintenance Matter? The appearance of your community’s school buildings says a

lot about its values

A positive relationship exists between school conditions and student achievement and behavior1

Students who attend schools in poor condition score 11% lower than those attending schools in excellent condition2

Physical conditions have a direct effect on teacher morale, sense of personal safety, and feelings of effectiveness in the classroom3

1Department of Education (1998) Impact of inadequate school facilities on student learning2American Association of School Administrators (1992) Building our Future: Making School

Facilities Ready for the 21st Century, NASBE3Corcoran T.B., Walker L.J., and White J.L. (1998) Working in Urban Schools. Washington, DC:

Institute for Educational Leadership.

Chapter 1. Introduction

What causes facilities problems?

Environmental Conditions

Deferred maintenance

Inadequate funding

Inadequate staff training

Poor practices

The occurrence of facilities problems is less likely a function of geography or socioeconomics and more directly related to staffing levels, staff training, and staff practices.


What if we don’t plan to protect our investments?

Buildings and equipment deteriorate

Warranties become invalidated

Student and staff morale is affected

Future public investment in the education system is discouraged


Facts about Facilities…

We know that both routine and unexpected maintenance demands will arise. This is inevitable.

Facilities maintenance is big and costly. It can get even more costly if it handled in a haphazard manner.

It seems that we are always having to weigh short term demands against long term demands.

An organization must PLAN to meet these challenges.


What is a facilities maintenance plan?

A document that details an organization’s strategy for proactively maintaining its facilities.

Reflects the vision and mission of the entire organization. Includes an accurate assessment of existing facilities. Incorporates the perspectives of various stakeholder groups. Focuses on preventive measures. Provides a formal way of communicating the district’s priorities. Establishes necessary documentation for funding authorities

and other approving organizations. Demonstrates organizational commitment to facilities

maintenance.

Chapter 1: Introduction How Does Facilities Maintenance Save $$$

Unlike other investments, the return on investment for facilities maintenance doesn’t necessarily result in increased revenues. Instead, good facilities maintenance produces savings by lowering:

Replacement costs Labor costs Overhead and utility costs

Chapter 1: Introduction Other Benefits…

Effective school facility maintenance can…

Improve the cleanliness, orderliness, and safety of an organization’s facilities.

Contribute to an organization’s instructional effectiveness and financial well-being.

Reduce operational costs and life cycle costs. Help staff deal with limited resources by identifying

priorities proactively rather than reactively. Extend the useful life of buildings. Increase energy efficiency and help the environment.

Chapter 2: Planning

Effective Management = Planning

“Planning” is the formulation of a strategy for getting an organization from the here and now to the future

As circumstances change over time, strategies for achieving tomorrow’s successes also change

Good planners are always mindful of the need to review and revise plans to meet the changing needs of the organization

Chapter 2. Planning

Identify Stakeholders

Stakeholders include anyone who has a sense of ownership in facilities decision-making

Maintenance Staff/Contractors ParentsCustodial Staff/Contractors StudentsSuperintendents Community Groups/UsersPrincipals School Business OfficialsPTA Representatives TeachersState DOE Staff School Board MembersPublic Safety Officials/Regulators Contracted ExpertsTaxpayers Againsters*

* Againsters are those people who make a habit of opposing any kind of change. In order to minimize the likelihood of last minute delay tactics, planners must include these stakeholders in the decision making process from its onset.

Chapter 2. Planning

Be Clear About What You Want

‘CLEAN’ IS A RELATIVE TERM

Your local high school can be cleaned by a single person…no kidding.

The only catch is that you have to be willing to live with the job that would be done. Thus, it is imperative that there be agreement on expectations. Somebody is bound to be unhappy if parents expect 4-star hotel but planners only budget for discount motel standards.

Chapter 2. Planning

Data for Informed Decision-Making

Good data are necessary to inform good decision-making.

Without data, planners are forced to work without context, and planning becomes guesswork:

Vision = What you WANTPlans = What you EXPECTData = What you KNOW

Chapter 2. Planning

Planning + Information = Success

Planners must know: what facilities exist where they are located how old they are their status/condition

Are equipment and facilities working:as designed?as they should?as they need to?

The only way to make effective decisions is to collect data in a regular, timely, and consistent manner

Chapter 3: Knowing what you have

The Facilities Audit

A facilities audit is a comprehensive inventory and review of all aspects of new or existing facilities

It provides a snapshot in time of how the various systems and components are operating.

It provides the landscape against which all facilities maintenance efforts will occur.

It requires time, energy, and expertise.

Chapter 3: Knowing what you have

Commissioning

A type of facilities audit that occurs after building construction or renovation in order to document that the facility operates as designed and is able to meet the requirements of intended use

Performed by a neutral third party.

Must be included in all construction and renovation contracts as a standard expectation to occur before transfer of liability.

Re-commissioning measures current performance against as-new performance

Retro-Commissioning allows baselines to be established for older buildings

Chapter 4: Safety

Providing a Safe Environment for Learning

Safety is the priority over cleanliness, orderliness, cost-effectiveness, and even instructional support

Efforts to provide safe facilities are regulated by: Federal regulations State law Local law District policy Good old fashioned common sense

Chapter 4: Safety

Providing a Safe Environment for Learning

Major catastrophes and other serious incidents are not the preferred method of learning about environmental regulations.

The first step in complying with environmental regulations is to become aware of their existence, intent, applicability, and requirements.

In most cases, this knowledge can come from regulatory agencies, professional associations, and on-the-job training.

Getting this information may not always be expensive, but it does demands considerable expertise, either hired or developed.

Chapter 4: Safety

“Four Horsemen” of Facilities Maintenance

Indoor Air Quality

Asbestos

Water Management

Waste Management

Chapter 4: Safety

Other Major Safety Concerns

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs and HCFCs) Emergency Power Systems Hazardous Materials Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Lead Paint Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB’S) Radon Underground Storage Tanks (USTs)

Chapter 5: Maintaining School Facilities and Grounds

Types of Maintenance

Emergency Maintenance: The main water line breaks and floods the lunchroom… someone better fix it NOW!

Routine Maintenance: The pencil sharpener in a classroom needs to be replaced… get to it when you can.

Preventive Maintenance: The air conditioner filter is due for replacement every 3 months… schedule the work.

Predictive Maintenance: Monitoring software indicates that a piece of equipment will fail within a predicted time frame based on user demand and other performance measures… get out your computer.


Maintenance & Operations Issues

Access Controls Boilers Electrical Systems Energy Management Fire Alarms Floor Coverings Gym Floors HVAC Hot Water Heaters Kitchens Painting Plumbing Public Address Systems and Intercoms Roofs Water Softeners


Grounds Management

Courtyards Exterior lighting and signage Pools Museums Bike trails Modular facilities Paved surfaces (e.g., side walks, parking lots, and roads) Athletic fields; outdoor learning equipment Use of fertilizers/herbicides Watering and sprinkler systems Use of recycled water (gray water) for plumbing, watering fields Drainage Scheduling ‘rest’ time for fields The aesthetic benefits of flower beds versus the health costs of

increasing allergy events and bee stings Use of the grounds as a classroom (e.g., ‘science’ courtyards)

Chapter 6: Effectively Managing Staff and Contractors

Hiring Staff

Expertise on the hiring team is essential Many maintenance jobs require technical skills Identify the qualities you want before the interviews begin Job descriptions must include:

Duties and responsibilities Working conditions Physical requirements Educational requirements Credentials and licensure Equipment used At-will vs. unionized position Channels of authority and supervision Evaluation mechanisms


Training New Employees

Equipment instructions: Training on all tools, machinery, and vehicles the individual will be expected to use

Lessons: Show the trainee how to perform the job properly, common mistakes that lead to improperly completed tasks, and what the job looks like when it is done right

Expectations: A clear description of precisely what the individual must do in order to meet the requirements of the job

Evaluation information: A clear explanation of all criteria on which the individual will be evaluated

Potential ramifications of the evaluations: Some mistakes result in retraining, others warrant reprimands, and a few demand punishment or dismissal… be clear.


Evaluating Staff

Establish performance standards and evaluation criteria

Develop an evaluation instrument and use it objectively, consistently, and regularly (e.g., a checklist and a rating scale)

Be positive and encouraging

Provide retraining/remediation as necessary… termination is an expensive option and should not be used without good reason

Document evidence that supports assessment


Maintaining Staff

What keeps people on the job? Good pay Good benefits A sense that they are respected A feeling that their work is valued Opportunities for advancement

Remember that the organization has made an investment in the employee. If they lose the employee, that investment is lost

Consider incentives and awards.

Chapter 7: Evaluating Facilities Maintenance Efforts

Evaluating the Maintenance Program

After demonstrating their support of maintenance, it is fair for stakeholders to expect the maintenance program to yield results

Establish measurable baselines against which progress can be measured (e.g., average time it takes to complete a work order)

Accurate, timely, and comparable data are the key to measuring and documenting status

A good computerized maintenance management system can provide the evaluation data (work orders, energy use, etc.)

Chapter 7: Evaluating Facilities Maintenance Efforts

Measurable Components of Evaluation

Number of work orders accomplished Major incident reviews (e.g., number of school shutdowns, etc.) “Customer” feedback Weekly foreman’s meetings Visual inspections by supervisors and managers Comprehensive Management Audits Focused Operational Reviews Performance Audits Organizational Studies Annual snapshots (cost per square foot or per student) Facility Report Cards Comparisons with “peer” organizations/ Peer reviews Progress toward the organization’s long-range plans Staff turnover rates Public opinion (e.g., newspaper articles, etc.)

Other Forum Publications

School Facility Data Elements (expected July 2003) Safety in Numbers: Collecting and Using Crime,

Violence, and Discipline Incident Data to Make a Difference in Schools

Technology in Schools: Suggestions, Tools and Guidelines for Assessing Technology in Elementary and Secondary Education

Weaving a Secure Web Around Our Schools Basic Education Finance Data Elements Protecting the Privacy of Student/Staff Records Building an Automated Student Record System

… and more!

Publication Orders

Browse pubs at: http://nces.ed.gov/forum/publications.asp

For FREE single copies, call: 1-877-4ED-PUBS

For large orders, visit:http://bookstore.gpo.gov/index.html

or write: U.S. Government Printing OfficeNew Orders, Superintendent of

DocumentsP.O. Box 371954Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954

Contacts

Project Chair: Roger L. YoungExecutive Director of

BusinessHaverhill Public Schools4 Summer StreetHaverhill, MA [email protected]

Website: http://nces.ed.gov/forum/maintenance.asp

Project Support: Tom Szuba ([email protected])