School facilities make a huge impact on our children's health, safety and ability to learn. That places a great deal of responsibility on the shoulders of the school facilities director. Much more than a groundskeeper or janitor, today's director of school facilities is a leader, a manager and a critical part of the school district's administrative team. As such, directors take on a vast spectrum of tasks. Here is a small sample:
- Plan, organize, direct, coordinate and control millions of dollars in school assets, including buildings, grounds and equipment
- Maintain safe, healthy and environmentally compliant classrooms according to local, state and federal regulations
- Hire, train, direct and motivate operations and maintenance personnel, and coordinate their work with all other departments of the school district
- Maintain continuous programs of inspection, supervision and safety
- Prepare budgets and project capital financial requirements
- Specify, purchase and retain supplies and equipment for the operation and maintenance of buildings and grounds
- Comply with pertinent legal requirements as outlined in civil service regulations, education law, municipal law, directives of the State Education Department, rules and regulations of the Board of Education and other codes
- Formulate long- and short-range capital and maintenance improvement plans
- Recommend and direct architects and engineers on capital improvements
- Install, operate and maintain school security systems
- Recommend new technology and control systems for building and staff use
- Confer with school administrators regarding furniture, lockers, instructional aids, heating and ventilation, building repairs and other physical needs of the school
- Supervise the care, operation and maintenance of heating and ventilation, sanitation, electrical and lighting systems, plumbing, grounds and walks, athletic fields, buildings, elevators, parking lots, swimming pools and playgrounds
In addition, there are literally scores of regulations and issues that demand attention in such areas as:
- Boiler room safety and emission standards
- Integrated Pesticide Management
- Blood-borne pathogens
- Hantavirus protection
- OSHA employee safety inspection
- Hazardous materials
- Radon
- Lead
- Asbestos
- Fire drill and emergency evacuation procedures
- Ladder and scaffold safety
- Noise pollution
- Emergency disaster planning
A Local Professional
Why must the director of school facilities be local-someone employed directly by the school district? In a word, commitment. Because these professionals live locally, they care deeply about the community, the school district and the children. Because their jobs depend on their performance, they are accountable for their actions in a way no one else can be. Plus, local directors can make the quick and informed decisions that school districts require every day: they don't need to consult with a far-off headquarters or negotiate a costly change order, as private contractors do.
In short, a local school district and a local facilities director share the same goals: the health, well-being and education of children. And, they are committed to making sure facilities are in the proper shape to achieve these goals.
It takes a professional-a local professional-to make that happen.
