So Much More Than Maintenance – Leadership That Matters
School facilities have 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 maintenance personnel, facilities directors are leaders, managers and a critical part of our public school districts’ administrative teams.
Being a School Facilities Director means assuming a multi-faceted role and ability to address a wide spectrum of critical jobs and tasks, including:
- Plan and organize 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, motivate and coordinate staff
- Formulate long and short range capital and maintenance improvement plans
- Recommend new technology and control systems for buildings and staff use
- Advise school administrators regarding furniture, lockers, instructional aids, heating and ventilation, building repairs and other physical needs of the school
In addition to daily operational demands, facilities directors must navigate literally scores of regulations and compliance issues including OSHA employee safety inspections, fire drill emergency evacuation procedures, boiler room safety and emissions, Integrated Pesticide Management, blood-borne pathogens, hazardous materials, radon, and asbestos management. Safety and security concerns have also become increasingly important, requiring directors to implement and monitor access control systems, surveillance technology, and emergency response protocols.
The COVID pandemic drove home the critical role facilities directors play in providing healthy and safe environments for students, teachers, administrators and our communities. Facilities leaders were recognized for their role as front-line responders, implementing enhanced cleaning protocols, managing air quality improvements, and reconfiguring spaces to meet distancing requirements—all while continuing to maintain essential building operations.
