The planning guide was developed to help readers better understand why and how to develop, implement, and evaluate a school facilities maintenance plan. The guide is designed for staff at the localschool district level, where most facility maintenance is planned, managed,and carried out. This audience includes school business officials, schoolboard members, superintendents, principals, facilities maintenance planners,maintenance staff, and custodial staff. The document is also relevant to theschool facilities interests of state education agency staff, communitygroups, vendors, and regulatory agencies. The guide focuses on:(1) schoolfacility maintenance as a vital task in the responsible management of aneducation organization;(2) the needs of an education audience;(3)strategies and procedures for planning, implementing, and evaluatingeffective maintenance programs;(4)a process to be followed, rather than acanned set of "one size fits all" solutions; and (5) recommendations based onbest practices, rather than mandates. The document offers recommendations onthe following issues, which serve as chapter headings:(1) "Introduction toSchool Facilities Maintenance Planning";(2)"Planning for School FacilitiesMaintenance";(3)"Facilities Audits (Knowing What You Have)";(4)"Providinga Safe Environment for Learning";(5) "Maintaining School Facilities andGrounds";(6)"Effectively Managing Staff and Contractors"; and (7)"Evaluating Facilities Maintenance Efforts." (EV)
