Deferred maintenance in K-12 schools has become a $271 billion problem, according to the 2016 State of our Schools: America’s K-12 Facilities report released by the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, the 21st Century School Fund and the National Council on School Facilities.
As school funding dwindles, utility costs rise and operating budgets shrink, staff in K-12 schools become ever more resourceful in managing aging mechanical systems. With increasing pressures and workload, preventative maintenance is often low priority.
When the Great Recession hit in late 2007, nearly every sector and industry — including K-12 schools — felt the impact. Today, however, an increasing number of school districts nationwide are again seeking voter approval for improvement and construction bonds.
NEW ORLEANS, La. — On Dec. 6, Nearly 60 percent of voters supported a ballot proposition that will fund school repairs and upkeep projects across New Orleans for the next decade. The proposition will renew a 4.97-mill property tax currently used to pay off district debt and funnel those funds, an estimated $15.5 million annually, directly into much needed school maintenance projects through 2025. With additional funds from a district sales tax redirected by the state legislature, schools will eventually have an estimated $30 million for repairs at their disposal per year.
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LA VERNE, Calif. — In May 2013, a transformer explosion caused a power outage and forced evacuations at the University of La Verne in La Verne, setting several trees ablaze.
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Unified School District has unveiled a new system intended to keep the nation’s second-largest school district up to date on maintenance issues throughout its 800 campuses.
The district is the first to create a maintenance smart phone application for students, faculty and staff. The user sends in a photo of the maintenance issue to IBM Maximo software, which manages the district’s physical assets and work orders. From there, the district’s facilities crews assess the situation and come up with a response.