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)
Tag: Facilities Maintenance
Creating a School Maintenance Program
After a school building is constructed and turned over to a school district for educational use, it is imperative for the school district to initiate a comprehensive school maintenance program. New buildings begin to deteriorate because of inclement weather and routine wear and tear almost immediately, and lack of or deferred maintenance can lead to damages that require substantial repairs. The U.S. General Accounting Office indicates that $112 billion is needed to complete all the repairs, renovations, modernizations, and deferred maintenance that are required to bring U.S. schools up to good overall condition (Lewis 1995). The deplorable conditions of our school buildings were further reported by Ennis (1998) and a special facility team formed by the Association of School Business Officials (Honeyman 1999).
General Maintenance and Operations Guidelines: Maintenance and Operations Administrative Guidelines for School Districts and Community Colleges
This section establishes several basic guidelines for managing maintenance and operations programs at educational facilities. These guidelines are not intended to conflict with, but rather complement, new and existing policies, practices, and procedures that are in use at the local school district and individual community college.
Management of Maintenance Programs: Maintenance and Operations Administrative Guidelines for School Districts and Community Colleges
Although considerations for maintaining educational facilities should begin during the programming phase, actual maintenance practices should be implemented just prior to new buildings being occupied. From this point forward, the maintenance process will continue throughout the useful life of a building and will vary according to its specific needs over time. In order to ensure maximum utility from educational facilities and to ensure they remain in good functional order, administrators must put in place a comprehensive program for effectively managing the full range of maintenance services required at each institution.
Standard Procedures: Maintenance and Operations Administrative Guidelines for School Districts and Community Colleges
For every educational facility maintenance and operations department, there are certain standard procedures that define the manner in which they operate and deliver required services. Although specific approaches may vary, these work practices and methods ultimately define the management style and “culture” of the organization. The following sections identify some of the most important procedures that all maintenance and operations organizations will encounter. Although it is not an exhaustive list, the procedures outlined here are meant to help define the breadth of administrative functions and establish the basis for good practices for each facet of managing educational facility physical plants.
Operations & Maintenance Best Practices: A Guide to Achieving Operational Efficiency
This Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Best Practices Guide was developed under the direction of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). The mission of FEMP is to facilitate the Federal Government’s implementation of sound, cost-effective energy management and investment practices to enhance the nation’s energy security and environmental stewardship. Each of these activities is directly related to achieving requirements set forth in:
- The Energy Policy Act of 2005, which established a number of energy and water management goals for Federal facilities and fleets and also amended portions of the National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NECPA).
- Executive Order 13423, Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management (signed in January 2007). This set more challenging goals than EPAct 2005 and superseded existing executive orders 13123 and 13149.
- The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which further established energy, water, and building commissioning management goals and requirements and also amended portions of EPAct 2005 and NECPA. EISA was signed into law in December 2007.
- Executive Order 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance (signed in October of 2009) directs Federal agencies to further address energy, water, and operational efficiency beyond E.O. 13423 with targeted goals and actions.
Release 3.0 of this guide provides updates to Release 2.0 in the areas of O&M technologies, equipment performance, and costs. This new release also addresses water use and the impacts that recommended O&M practices can have on water efficiency.
Ops and Maint Best Practices Guide 3.0_US Dept of Energy 2010
Alaska School Facilities Preventive Maintenance Handbook
The goal of preventive maintenance, as a component of a facilities maintenance system, is to maximize the useful life of all building systems. Just as maintenance is an aspect of facility management that impacts most other areas of the total facility operation, so to preventive maintenance, as a philosophy, has a broad influence on the total maintenance effort. At its heart, preventive maintenance asks, “What can I do to make this item— be it an automobile, building, or piece of equipment— remain as good as new for as long as practicable?”
Sample Preventive Maintenance Work Plan New York City
Here is a useful checklist for preventive maintenance of educational facilities.
Sample Maintenance Audit Report
This maintenance audit is a review of the maintenance management processes and practices at <Insert Company Name> <Insert Site Name> Operations was prepared by Lifetime Reliability Solutions following a request by <Insert Name>, Maintenance Manager of the operation.
1.1 Scope of Work
1) Review the current effectiveness of maintenance processes
2) Suggest improvements to the content and set up of the computerised maintenance management system (CMMS) at <Insert Site>;
3) Complete an objective maintenance review, using a spider audit question set; and
4) Provide a written report, complete with recommendations for improvement, detailing the results of the maintenance audit and review.
Copies of your maintenance system documents were requestioned and reviewed by the Author to familiarise themselves with your operation and to understand the completeness and capability of your maintenance processes.
View Sample_Maintenance_Audit_Report
Building Up, Mobilizing and Retaining the “Seven-Percenters” While Investing in Custodial Leadership
By Allen Rathey.
Keith Webb, Executive Director of Plant Services, Newport News Public Schools (NNPS), Newport News, Virginia, oversees construction, renovation, and operations for the district’s 30,000 students, served by 5 early childhood centers, 24 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, 5 high schools, 1 middle/high combination school, and 9 program sites.
NNPS received the 2013 Grand-level Green Cleaning Award for Schools & Universities (Sponsored by American School & University magazine, The Green Cleaning Network and the Healthy Schools Campaign), an accomplishment made possible by the custodial team under the direction of Webb’s Custodial Supervisor, Marcella Bullock (American School & University, 2015).
Their secret? Invest in people through training to improve life skills and professional skills and to foster improved work quality, program cost-effectiveness, worker retention and upward mobility.
In 2015, this is modeled through a pilot cohort of 15 entry-level workers in a state-approved apprenticeship and certification program under the auspices of Thomas Nelson Community College, featuring Custodial Technician I and II levels, a program customized and developed in-house (Virginia Department of Industry and Labor, 2015; Thomas Nelson Community College, 2015).
Line workers completing the Custodial Technician I program get a 3.5% pay raise after year one, and another 3.5% after completion of Custodial Technician II in year two. The 7% is in addition to annual raises for all employees.
Building and Keeping the “Seven-Percenters”
“We give beginners an opportunity to attend college for free, so to speak,” noted Webb. Webb also stated, “Thomas Nelson Community College is the State of Virginia’s representative, requiring syllabi and lesson plans within a state-sanctioned program, and they provide qualified teachers when instructional needs are beyond what NNPS can provide internally.”
Year one courses include math and English proficiency, using computers and the Internet for research, computer management of work orders, green cleaning and, overall, teaching the “behaviors of successful people,” notes Webb.
Annual coursework consists of 144 hours of classroom time, followed by 2,000 hours of fieldwork under the mentoring of custodial leads and/or area supervisors.
Graduates receive a handsome certificate of completion from the Commonwealth of Virginia in addition to “college-attendee” prestige and receive pay incentives based on meeting defined standards.
“We are big on expectations, and we make them clear,” adds Webb. “The goal is to train and retain workers by building them up personally and professionally, providing attractive pay-raise incentives based on learning and skill milestones, and getting them involved in continuing education as they matriculate out of the two-year program.”
Mr. Webb expects Thomas Nelson Community College to provide continuing education credit opportunities for those who complete the two-year curricula. “We expect this program will not only improve our green cleaning program and make our schools healthier, but lower our turnover and retraining costs, as 20% of new employee wages go toward getting them trained and prepared,” he notes.
As employees stay longer with better training, they can advance to leadership positions if desired. Senior-level custodial staff members receive management level training via Cleaning Management Institute’s basic and advanced programs, with bonuses tied to course completion (Cleaning Management Institute, 2015).
When schools invest in a sound learning culture and standardized training becomes embedded, it fosters continuous improvement, personal and professional development for all team members, and improved facility outcomes. Investment in the custodial workforce improves service and is a key ingredient of making school facilities cleaner, safer, and healthier.
Quick Facts
Apprenticeship Training Program for Custodial Technicians
A partnership between Newport News Public Schools (NNPS), Thomas Nelson Community College, and the Commonwealth of Virginia
Purpose
Ensure the professional development of the Custodial Services employees by providing relevant education and on-the-job training
Benefits to Custodial Staff
- Advanced knowledge and skills
- On-the-job training
- Industry certification
- Increased pay for higher level of skills
- Potential for career advancement
How it Works for Maximum Results
Incorporates classroom and field Instruction, performance monitoring, and financial incentives
- 144 hours of classroom training per each certificate course – conducted at the local community college, a vocational technical center, or at a NNPS facility
- 2,000 hours of on-the-job training with a highly skilled mentor
- Recommendation from a Senior Custodian, Lead Custodian II, and Custodial Area Supervisor
- Satisfactory performance evaluation
- 5% salary increase and a title of Custodial Technician I (with a Certificate of Completion) for successful completion of Year 1 program
An additional 3.5% salary increase and a title of Custodial Technician II (with a Certificate of Completion) for successful completion of Year 2 program
References
- American School & University. (2015). Green Cleaning Award for Schools & Universities. Retrieved from American School & University: http://asumag.com/green-cleaning-award
- Cleaning Management Institute. (2015). Custodial Technician Training Program. Retrieved from Cleaning Management Institute (CMI): http://www.cminstitute.net/custodial-technician-training-program
- Thomas Nelson Community College (2015). Thomas Nelson Apprenticeships. Retrieved from Thomas Nelson: http://tncc.edu/workforce/business/apprenticeships
- Virginia Department of Labor and Industry. (2015). Virginia Registered Apprenticeship. Retrieved from http://www.doli.virginia.gov/apprenticeship/registered_apprenticeship.html
Allen Rathey is President of the Healthy Facilities Institute (HFI) and Executive Director of the 501c3 Process Cleaning for Healthy Schools (PC4HS). Call him at 208-724-1508.
Keith Webb is Executive Director of Plant Services for Newport News Public Schools, a nearly 30,000-student school division in southeastern Virginia. In that capacity, he oversees construction, renovation, maintenance, energy management and custodial operations of the division’s 72 buildings. In 2011 his department earned the prestigious Facility Masters Award at the Platinum level from National School Plant Managers Association in conjunction with the Virginia School Plant Managers Association. Keith earned his Educational Facility Professional designation from APPA in 2012. Facility Cleaning Decisions magazine named him a Manager of Distinction in 2015.
