IFMA NYC - Challenges in Schools
From an FM perspective, an empty building represents the greatest opportunity to bring a facility back to its operating standards. Navigating the bureaucracy of the public school system has proven not just difficult but seemingly impossible in our system here in New Jersey, even when funds are available. Recent COVID-19 policy discussions in our school system have exposed flaws in how Public Educational Facilities are managed.
As a parent with 2 high school students of my own, I am personally invested in the dialog, and wanted to share my experience here with the greater IFMA NYC community.
Over years of walking the halls as a parent and FM, I didn’t have to look hard to notice that the schools were seriously suffering…some stuck in some weird 1950’s time warp. They do have cleaning services, evidenced by the trucks I’ve seen outside the schools but despite those efforts there has always been a grubby, even dirty feeling. Now that the concerns and the potential impacts are far greater, I have found it more difficult to be passive in the conversation around how public school facilities are managed. The fact is that FM services need to be prioritized urgently.
The need to upgrade our facilities is not a new topic. For years, facility upgrades have been a topic of discussion. For example, a local news reporter snuck into the school on camera to show how easy it was for anyone to do so. The community was vocal and angry with the Board of Education and school administration and demanded action — not unlike what we are experiencing these days.
Handcuffed by bureaucracy, budgets and just 24 hours in a day, the solution offered was not what an FM professional would hope for, to say the least. The actual problem was not solved for, and instead, a big sign was hung up asking visitors to go to the front desk to check in. Not exactly a professional-level solution to the security needs of the community.
I also caught wind of how concerning things were while sitting on a task force for the installation of a turf playing field at the school. We managed to get the project approved in the fall of 2019 via a bond, which includes millions of dollars in other school “repairs and upgrades.” It was $160 million dollars to be exact. This budget included $50M for HVAC upgrades. After seeing the report, including pictures of these necessary renovations, my jaw dropped and remains dropped to this day. It was clear that this work needed to get done and get done quickly.
The fall of 2019 quickly became the fall of 2020. When schools were finally supposed to open, our district delayed until January 2021 because it was discovered that the HVAC upgrades that were claimed to have been installed never actually happened.
As fall became winter 2021, the work was never completed, and the state has not yet approved the work to start. Budgets are being reallocated, and other essential upgrades continue to be identified. The only thing is clear at this time is that we will only be asking more questions…
Oh, the many questions. What are current and future preventative maintenance plans? Where did the budget go? What is the capital improvement strategy to replace building systems at end-of-life cycle? Inevitably, the answer will be a multi-million-dollar bond that will ultimately be paid with additional taxpayer money.
To help answer these questions, architects and engineers in the community, as well as FM professionals like myself, have offered our expertise and services pro-bono. Unfortunately, we have never been engaged in the conversation, and our services were declined. One can only guess at the reasons.
There is no doubt that educators and our system administrators are burdened with a workload and responsibilities that they have never before seen. Unfortunately, our faith that efforts are going where the greatest impacts can be made is diminishing. Our community needs to come together to help create a system where facilities are kept up to standard on a regular schedule that minimizes the need for massive capital improvement projects. And when large projects are required, we need a system that enables the work to be done more quickly.
With more Facilities expertise available to our district leaders, we may be able to avoid the mistakes that we are living through to create a better, more prepared future for our students.
Everyone wants the kids to return to school, including we FMPs. So please let us help – for free! We really don’t need Alice Cooper updating his classic “School’s Out [for Summer]” to cover the rest of the year too…
By: Paul Haley, CFM, FMP, Facilities Manager at EHE Health, CFM Certified Instructor Candidate / Professional Development Committee Member, IFMA NYC Communications Committee Member
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