Guidelines are offered for setting priorities on neglected maintenance deficiencies: breaking down the aspects of buildings into various categories, and weightings within these categories; conducting a campus audit; and convincing the administration that the maintenance work recommended is vital to the institution's continued operation.…

Findings from a national survey of school plant maintenance and operation costs by ten regions and eight size categories. (MLF)

Discusses the impact that new technologies are already having on programs and facilities, as well as predictions for the future. Discusses selected educational and facility technologies and the ways in which buildings and different kinds of classrooms can be made user-friendly. (Seven references) (LMI)

The University of Washington has addressed its deferred maintenance needs through a strategy that includes building an externally reinforced consensus, internal monitoring, a review and priority-setting system, and a conscious budget strategy that separates needs for deferred maintenance from projects that serve teaching and research directly.…

Effective and efficient management of school district custodial and maintenance services can be achieved by contracting out these services. A competent management company will offer a computerized management system and a complete training program. Prospective management companies should also offer management and cost controls. (MLF)

An inadequate (although constant) share of funding, a serious accumulation of deferred maintenance, and the decline in constant dollars directed toward physical plants all suggest that the overall higher education enterprise is underfunded. At the expense of future generations, we are spending down the capital asset represented by facilities. (MLW)

Explores the implementation of total quality management in the maintenance and operations department of an upstate New York school district. Four figures illustrate the problem-solving process. (MLF)

Offers tips on how to find the best lighting solution for school facilities that is also cost effective. Tips include looking for energy-efficient lighting systems that help cut long-term costs; using high-quality lighting that reduces the number of fixtures needed; and considering heating and air-conditioning loads, daylight entering the…

Three school districts are working successfully with a private contractor to reduce the operating costs of lunch programs, while increasing participation and maintaining nutrition standards. The facilities department of the fourth school is producing higher quality work and greater accountability under the direction of a private contractor. (MLF)

An annual survey of physical plant directors at 2-year colleges and 4-year institutions with no significant graduate programs revealed that spending on maintenance and operations (M & O) as a percentage of total budget dropped to 10 percent from 10.5 percent a year ago. Other survey findings are presented in several data tables. (EV)

It is hard to be a school professional these days. There seems to be an increasing number of demands, but the time, money and public support needed to bring about school improvements seem to be declining. This is especially true when considering buildings and grounds, which often get a seat at the back of the class. A number of new, affordable…

Background: Policies set at the state, district, and school levels can support and enhance a healthy and safe school environment. Methods: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducts the School Health Policies and Programs Study every 6 years. In 2006, computer-assisted telephone interviews or self-administered mail questionnaires were…

Deferred maintenance has been known to be a costly and growing issue on America's campuses. A new survey sent to 750 plant administrators is discussed. The cost of catching up and keeping up is more than most institutions can afford. (MLW)

Six physical plant managers at various types of educational institutions review the mixed results of their strategies to secure funds for deferred maintenance projects. (MJL)

The 1981 unionization of service and maintenance employees at Cornell University marked a growing trend. The university's policy and procedure throughout the process is chronicled and discussed from the perspective of maintaining good personnel relations. (MSE)