ERIC Number: EJ935426
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Apr-1
Pages: 5
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0003-0945
EISSN: N/A
School Maintenance Needs
Erickson, Paul W.
American School & University, v83 n8 p24-28 Apr 2011
The United States is full of schools built in the 1950s and 60s that supported the boomer school-age enrollment increase. These schools, once beacons of the neighborhood, are 50 to 60 years old and susceptible to becoming the community "eyesore." Budgeting for maintenance was fairly systematic for school districts for the first 10 to 20 years after opening those buildings. The schools were relatively low-maintenance, and the annual operations and repair budgets kept ahead of maintenance requirements. The first round of systems and products replacement for those schools was in the mid-80s, and it now is time for a second or third round of upgrades for those buildings. Many districts added new schools in the late 80s and early 90s because of another round of enrollment growth; these schools are due for major upgrades. Today, with budget cuts and funding restrictions, school district budgets cannot cover compounded major maintenance work required to extend the useful life of the 1950s/60s schools, let alone the schools built in the 1980s and 90s. Is it time to ask the community for money to re-invest in schools, or to replace the existing school? Many times, reinvestment goes toward upgrades behind walls, above ceilings, and under floors--for improvements the community won't see after the work is completed.
Descriptors: School Maintenance, Costs, School Community Relationship, Life Cycle Costing, Budgets, Cost Effectiveness, Public Support, Financial Support
Penton Media Inc. American School & University, P.O. Box 2100, Skokie, IL 60076-7800. Tel: 866-505-7173; Fax: 847-763-9682; e-mail: americanschooluniversity@pbinews.com; Web site: http://asumag.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Illinois; Minnesota
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A