Provides advice on developing an effective floor and carpet-care program for public schools. Considers eight primary elements: writing cleaning procedures; establishing accountability policies; providing quality-assurance guidelines; making daily and periodic assignments; developing a continuous quality-improvement program; providing on-going…

Discusses the need for custodial training and presents training tips. Also examines how to identify what specific training may be needed for a particular school, the training areas that need frequent repeating over time, and ideas for conducting effective training classes. (GR)

Guided by clear planning principles, and under the custodial care of a governance council, the model strategic planning process at Carroll Community College is evidence-driven, connected to budget decisions, and continuously refreshed.

When students think about the obstacles they must overcome to get into a school, most probably are thinking in terms of SATs, ACTs or other entrance exams. However, for students with disabilities, the obstacles they face often are literal ones: manual doors. Accommodating those with disabilities or physical limitations is one reason for schools to…

A practical approach designed to reduce energy waste by schools is to improve the knowledge and upgrade the skills of school building custodians. This paper discusses an operation and maintenance training program for custodians developed by the Will County (Illinois) educational service region. The major parts of the program consist of skill…

An inservice training program for school maintenance employees in a suburban Chicago elementary school district has motivated the staff to feel an ownership of their jobs and to suggest ideas of their own. Both factors have helped the district save thousands of dollars. (MLF)

Gerald Scott's favorable evaluation of the foamed polyurethane roofing system is based on experiences with 55 buildings at Texas A & M. Michael Kinzer, an architect at Colorado State University, disagrees and claims that the system is difficult to install and maintain, and the cost prohibitive. (MLF)

The Folsom Cordova Unified School District decided to make a model energy-saver out of its Cordova Villa-Reymouth complex, a combined preschool, development center, and K-6 school for 300 students. Particular emphasis was given to cutting unnecessary lighting. Graphs of energy consumption and dollar savings are provided. (SJL)

Suggests that new cleaning and finishing materials and new equipment can help school facility departments cope with staff cuts, focusing on: chemicals and dispensers, safety training and information for custodial staff, cleaning tools and power equipment, and cleaner and more efficient schools. (SM)

Offers ten suggestions for schools and universities to help maintain a healthy indoor environment: proper flooring, sanitary washrooms, consistent maintenance, indoor air quality, preventing mold, daylighting, good acoustics, avoiding volatile organic compounds (VOCs), ergonomic furniture, and well-maintained roofs. (EV)

Discusses the latest in school restroom and locker room design, such as wash facilities in outside corridors, infrared water control, repositioned mirrors, plastic lockers and benches, and multiple-head showers. These innovations are designed to address cost, maintenance, and security concerns. (EV)

A computer-assisted design (CAD) software program is used in a Connecticut school district to graphically provide information on maintenance projects by school and category of project over time. CAD supplies a computerized building plan, a "foot-print," used as a recordkeeping system for maintenance projects. (MLF)

Explains how a team cleaning approach can be cost-effective and efficient means of school maintenance. Assigning staffing responsibilities and work schedules are addressed and the advantages of using a team system are explained. (GR)

Reports on the experience of the University of Pennsylvania in outsourcing the operation and maintenance of its campus buildings. Finds differing opinions on why the contract with Trammell Crow Company has not been successful, such as the extreme state of disrepair of many of the buildings. Also notes the experiences of institutions in this…

Discusses the idea of team cleaning educational facilities as a new concept in maintaining floors and carpets, as well as maintaining the entire building. This team effort can streamline and improve custodial operations. Each worker becomes a specialist with two or three functions instead of multiple cleaning tasks. (RE)