This manual, published by the Illinois Association of School Boards, was designed to be used as a teaching tool and reference source for overseeing effective school maintenance. Section 1 describes the basics of good school maintenance, including managing the program, using computers, controlling energy costs, ensuring safe practices, designing buildings for efficient maintenance, and being informed about environmental issues. Section 2 details guidelines for operating cleaning and general building services, such as custodial operations, area cleaning programs, and equipment and supplies. A custodian's glossary is included. The third section provides guidelines for building maintenance, specifically, caring for the exterior and roof. Procedures for maintaining school grounds are detailed in the fourth section. The fifth section describes the maintenance of mechanical equipment, including heating and air conditioning systems, sanitary systems and fixtures, sewage treatment plants, and electrical systems. A management tools appendix contains a list of environmental resources; sections on cleaning and general building services, grounds maintenance, and mechanical equipment; and annual inspection checklists. (LMI)

Comprehensive and trusted guide to building, maintaining, upgrading schoolsRecently published 2nd edition adds new material on renovation, alternative funding strategies, green building and moreWith cases and questions, a useful textbook for courses in administration, planning, finance and facilities management This volume was written for educators tasked with providing the best environment for student learning. A practical text, it cover all the details needed to build, maintain and upgrade school facilities, with special attention to student achievement and the budget. Information on financial calculations, procurement, staffing, outsourcing, legal and regulatory aspects and operations is included. The new edition offers important guidance on alternative funding and cost-saving strategies, state and federal regulations, and trends in green building and LEED certification. Both authors have extensive experience in educational facility planning and management. Dr. Earthman is the former executive director for school facility planning for the Philadelphia Public Schools; Dr. Lemasters is a former president of the Virginia Educational Facility Planners.

'The Impact of School Infrastructure on Learning: A Synthesis of the Evidence provides an excellent literature review of the resources that explore the areas of focus for improved student learning, particularly the aspiration for “accessible, well-built, child-centered, synergetic and fully realized learning environments.†? Written in a style which is both clear and accessible, it is a practical reference for senior government officials and professionals involved in the planning and design of educational facilities, as well as for educators and school leaders. --Yuri Belfali, Head of Division, Early Childhood and Schools, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills This is an important and welcome addition to the surprisingly small, evidence base on the impacts of school infrastructure given the capital investment involved. It will provide policy makers, practitioners, and those who are about to commission a new build with an important and comprehensive point of reference. The emphasis on safe and healthy spaces for teaching and learning is particularly welcome. --Harry Daniels, Professor of Education, Department of Education, Oxford University, UK This report offers a useful library of recent research to support the, connection between facility quality and student outcomes. At the same time, it also points to the unmet need for research to provide verifiable and reliable information on this connection. With such evidence, decisionmakers will be better positioned to accurately balance the allocation of limited resources among the multiple competing dimensions of school policy, including the construction and maintenance of the school facility. --David Lever, K-12 Facility Planner, Former Executive Director of the Interagency Committee on School Construction, Maryland Many planners and designers are seeking a succinct body of research defining both the issues surrounding the global planning of facilities as well as the educational outcomes based on the quality of the space provided. The authors have finally brought that body of evidence together in this well-structured report. The case for better educational facilities is clearly defined and resources are succinctly identified to stimulate the dialogue to come. We should all join this conversation to further the process of globally enhancing learning-environment quality! --David Schrader, AIA, Educational Facility Planner and Designer, Former Chairman of the Board of Directors, Association for Learning Environments (A4LE)