Present capital outlay investments in elementary and secondary school buildings, sites, and equipment in the United States are being increased at the rate of about $3 billion annually. Maintenance and operational services, important aspects of property protection, educational progress, pupil safety, and plant efficiency, are being provided in these facilities at a cost of more than $1 billion per year. This cost may be expected to increase as new facilities are added. School plant management, like other phases of the educational program, faces serious challenges, making it imperative that school officials have some knowledge of the basic principles and procedures involved in school plant care. This bulletin deals primarily with organizing and developing official maintenance programs for school districts. Its purpose is to bring together, in one document, the collective "know-how" of many people whose experience enables them to give authoritative information on school maintenance programs. The ideas, practices, and suggestions which have been used in this bulletin have been carefully documented as to source. This document is presented in five chapters, as follows: (1) Introduction; (2) Developing a Maintenance Organization; (3) Programming Maintenance Needs; (4) Financing the Maintenance Program; and (5) Reducing Maintenance Costs. A selected bibliography of books, periodicals, and bulletins is also included. The following are appended: (1) Maintenance Control: Exhibit 1--Site, Exhibit 2--Building, Exhibit 3--Equipment; (2) Cumulative General Control: Exhibit 4; (3) Master Control: Exhibit 5; and (4) Master Budget Control--Exhibit 6. (Contains 2 tables, 3 charts and 73 footnotes.) [Best copy available has been provided.]