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…

In an effort to update a 1992 study of the deteriorating condition of facilities in the Illinois Community College System (ICCS), a follow-up study was conducted to determine the status of facilities as of February 1997. Questionnaires were sent to 50 state community colleges requesting data on funds spent on facility replacement during fiscal…

This chapter of "Principles of School Business Management" reviews the extensive range of activities associated with planning for and constructing school facilities. These activities include (1) organizing the staff and organizing the task; (2) conducting long-range planning (involving the gathering of data, the development of a planning document,…

The District of Columbia Public Schools system has taken action to ensure that supply items will be obtained at the most competitive prices. Because lack of storage facilities prevented bulk purchase of emergency items at competitive rates, the Division of Buildings and Grounds has remodeled a building as a warehouse to store large quantities of…

A planned maintenance system, which was implemented at Washington State University (WSU), uniquely integrates functions of equipment inventory, scheduling, time reporting, project management, materials inventory, and billing. Management now has immediate access to equipment data, maintenance status, and costs. Staff requirements are readily…

A series of tables display the appropriated reserves and unappropriated funds arising from university operating accounts during fiscal year 1981-82 for each of the 43 provincially assisted universities and affiliated institutions in Ontario. Data are given for opening and closing balances and basic fund activity during the year. The five…

This book is a complete description of a toddler day care center as it was developed over more than 6 years of operation, and of empirical research into management, teaching techniques, care routines, environmental designs, and materials selection. Part I gives a general description of the center, its goals, and how its organization contributes to…

Educational institutions and larger public school districts have implemented computerized systems of planning and management functions. The application of computers to facility management roughly may be divided into two general areas: (1) planning efforts of administrators and designers through methods of simulation, and (2) systems management…

This presentation is comprised of 12 session papers and the text of a large institution experience exchange session dealing with various aspects of campus physical plant maintenance. Among the subjects covered are unionism; fire safety; air conditioning water treatment; cost and performance control; housekeeping consultants; Building design for…

This book deals with the management of privately supported schools and offers guidelines on how these schools might be operated more effectively and economically. The discussions and conclusions are based on observations and data from case studies of independent school operations. The subjects discussed include the role and organization of…

The National Governors' Association Task Force on School Facilities termed $250 billion worth of underused and poorly maintained public school facilities a disgrace. The governors believe that no community should be hampered by state laws or regulations governing usage for community education purposes. States should act immediately to restore…

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…

Successful facilities management is described as based on a 10-point comprehensive program including: (1) physical planning policy; (2) facilities analysis; (3) management audit; (4) space utilization; (5) capital programs; (6) deferred maintenance; (7) controlled maintenance; (8) energy conservation; (9) environmental quality, health, and safety;…

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…