Contracting for noneducational services is standard operating procedure in many school districts. Private contractors are involved in transportation, food service, maintenance, and even, in rare cases, instruction. Before deciding to contract out, school boards should examine improvement to school-run operations before making a final decision.…

This book has been designed to provide practical information to managers on how to work with outside contractors in the higher education facilities area, and provides "real world" advice on the opportunities and pitfalls of privatization. Overviews and detailed case studies of contracting-out for services such as custodial services and…

Guidance for public decision makers and facilities managers in coping with the persistent problem of underfunding of maintenance and repair (M&R) is provided in this report. A committee of experts was selected to review maintenance and repair activities of government agencies and to offer recommendations for improvement, with a focus on…

This booklet is designed for administrators who are being encouraged to build a new, or remodel an old, school facility. It describes the planning process from perceived need to the hiring of an architect; the duties of the architect, bondsman, and contractor; school bonds and finances; disability access requirements; force account; economical…

Describes the approach taken by the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee to budgeting for maintenance of general-assignment classrooms, noting the advantages of this straightforward and transparent model, its limitations, information needs, and the assumptions underlying the renovation model that emerged from this analysis. Technology costs are…

To cut costs, some administrators are contracting with the private sector for such services as pupil transportation, facilities maintenance, and cafeteria operations. Proponents of competitive contracting assert that it can provide public schools with the kind of expertise, flexibility, and cost efficiencies not always available with inhouse…

The poor condition of many schools and other educational buildings is giving rise to increasing concern in many countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Development and Cooperation. The disparity between concern with deterioration of educational buildings and the failure to fund improvements and/or maintenance is referred to as…

Parents and community members who want to improve their schools are often told that things "must" be done a certain way because of rules and regulations. Often union contracts are blamed for why certain changes cannot be made. Union contracts may not be the barrier to change, however; management inaction may be the real culprit. This…

The ordinary conduct of school business is accompanied today by risks that were rare or unknown a few decades ago. School administrators are continually being challenged to develop new strategies to safeguard their districts' assets. Risk management is a coordinated effort to protect an organization's assets, both human and financial, from all…

This document contains guidelines for developing policies and procedures related to chronic infectious diseases, as recommended by the Illinois Task Force on School Management of Infectious Disease. It is designed to help school personnel understand how infectious diseases can be transmitted, and to assist school districts in the development and…

The responsibilities and functioning of a college trustee committee on buildings and grounds (i.e., physical plant/campus development) are described. Specific tasks of the committee include: ensuring the adequacy and condition of capital assets; developing and keeping current physical planning policies for land, buildings, and equipment; providing…

This publication presents a series of field-proven school energy conservation, management, maintenance, and operations practices and ideas. Also included are the names, addresses, and phone numbers of individuals and organizations to contact for more detailed information. The brief summaries are grouped into six sections. "Planning and…

This workbook is designed to meet the energy planning needs of colleges and universities in organizing, developing, and implementing an energy management program based on individual campus needs. The workbook is organized into three sections which address diagnosis, program development, and implementation. By using the exercises provided, campus…

The 1997 Virginia General Assembly passed HB 1851, which directs local school boards to require all schools under their supervisory control to conduct school safety audits. This type of audit should "assess the safety conditions in each public school." HB 1851 also directed the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop a list of…

Colleges and universities are turning increasingly to private real estate and property management companies to boost customer satisfaction with, and income from, student housing. Issues to be considered are examined, including the market profile, facility types and needs, maintenance and housekeeping, communications technology, complementary…