The U.S. Department of Education's "Planning Guide for Maintaining School Facilities" states that a sound facilities maintenance plan serves as evidence that school facilities are, and will be, cared for appropriately. On the other hand, negligent facilities maintenance planning can cause real problems. Budget restraints and cuts in areas not directly tied to classroom learning have made it difficult for some schools and universities to fulfill the goals of a comprehensive maintenance plan, but the more education institutions can stick to the plan, the more likely they will be able to avoid deferring work and letting facilities deteriorate. In this article, the author suggests that schools and universities must follow through on their maintenance management plans to ensure that facilities are kept in good shape. He presents the Florida Department of Education's Maintenance and Operations Administrative Guidelines for School Districts and Community Colleges which provides a lengthy list of tasks that should be covered in a maintenance management plan.