September 02, 2010


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Maintenance/Operations

For everything you need to know on the maintenance side, look below for the latest on operations and facilities management, grounds maintenance and transportation.

Subcategories


Summer Plans 

By Mike Kennedy

While others bask in their leisure time, administrators and other school employees are doing the things that either didn’t get done or couldn’t get done while classes were in session....

Operating Efficiently 

By Mike Kennedy (mkennedy@asumag.com)

To be effective when budgets are constrained, maintenance programs must use resources wisely....

Hard Times 

By Joe Agron (jagron@asumag.com)

New report finds that there may be more pain on the budgetary front for education institutions this coming school year, even as the nation's overall economy continues to claw its way back from "The Great Recession."...

Workable Formulas 

By Mike Kennedy (mkennedy@asumag.com)

Cuts make it unlikely that education institutions will be able to adhere to recommended staffing levels....

Think Outside the Building 

Often overlooked as a learning environment, the outdoors may offer the most diverse range of educational experiences on any campus....

Study says hybrid-electric school buses use less fuel 

A study by researchers at Iowa State University has found that hybrid-electric school buses burn significantly less fuel than comparable diesel buses....

Energy Demands 

By Ron Wilkinson

Energy-conservation tips can save dollars for maintenance and operations....

Coordinator fired after failing to remove drunken bus driver 

Mount Prospect (Ill.) District 57 has fired a bus driver who was intoxicated while transporting students and dismissed the transportation coordinator who failed to recognize the driver's condition....

Support for school buses remains high 

View the results from a survey by The American School Bus Council regarding support for school buses....

Grant money provides more propane school buses in Texas 

The Texas State Energy Conservation Office has awarded a $3.1 million grant to the Railroad Commission of Texas to add 258 propane school buses and 24 support vehicles to 19 public fleets....

Clark County (Nev.) superintendent is stepping down 

Walt Rulffes has announced that he will retire later this year as superintendent of the Clark County (Nev.) School District....

Stimulus Response 

By Mike Kennedy (mkennedy@asumag.com)

Federal funds have helped schools and universities stay afloat, but states' education budgets remain in woeful shape....

Spring Thinking 

By Susan Lustig (slustig@asumag.com)

Keeping your emergency plans up to date....

More funding sought for Native American schools 

U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) is urging the Obama administration to provide more money to upgrade schools run by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)....

Survey shows growing support for green procurement policies 

Procurement officials at higher-education institutions say the adoption of green procurement policies is gaining momentum, but more progress is needed....

Overcoming Obstacles to Going Green 

By Mike Kennedy (mkennedy@asumag.com)

Strategies to meet sustainability and cost goals in the design, construction and operation of education facilities....

Florida district cancels contract with office supply company 

Lee County (Fla.) school superintendent James Browder has cancelled the district's purchasing contract with Office Depot after administrators were unable to resolve a dispute from a previous contract involving overcharges....

Maintenance Management 

By Mike Kennedy (mkennedy@asumag.com)

Concern over the spread of the H1N1 flu virus has prompted many schools and universities to make sure the right cleaning and maintenance efforts are in place to combat the illness....

More cuts at Yale University 

Yale University says it will have to undergo another round of cuts to eliminate a $150 million budget shortfall....

$25 million in grants will help schools buy new kitchen equipment 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing $25 million in grants to help schools purchase new, energy-efficient appliances such as refrigerators, ovens and other food-service-related equipment....

Outlook 2010 

By Mike Kennedy (mkennedy@asumag.com)

Continuing economic difficulties will challenge education institutions in the year ahead....

Outlook 2010: School, university budgets under pressure from continued money woes 

By Mike Kennedy (mkennedy@asumag.com)

No one knows with certainty how severe the economic collapse would have been without federal intervention, but it's clear that even with stimulus relief, many schools and universities will have to continue to address financial obstacles that threaten...

Outlook 2010: Stimulus helps education institution stay afloat, but for how long? 

By Mike Kennedy (mkennedy@asumag.com)

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act enacted by Congress in 2009 was a life preserver for many states and education institutions, helping to rescue budgets for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years....

Outlook 2010: Funding crunch could lead to larger class sizes 

By Mike Kennedy (mkennedy@asumag.com)

No one knows with certainty how severe the economic collapse would have been without federal intervention, but it's clear that even with stimulus relief, many schools and universities will have to continue to address financial obstacles that threaten...

Outlook 2010: Advances in technology provide more learning opportunities for students 

By Mike Kennedy (mkennedy@asumag.com)

Computers and Internet connections have become classroom fixtures for today's students, but schools and universities can't afford to take time and savor that accomplishment....

Essential Reading

The Subtle Stuff

Vikas Nagardeolekar and Edwin Merritt

It's hard to win passage of a school construction bond — whether through a citizen referendum or the vote of a town council or general town meeting.

Hear and Now

Michael McKeon and Lincoln Berry

When acoustics are mentioned with regard to schools, many people first think of performing arts.

Making it Readable

Peter Gisolfi

When my daughter was 10 years old, she left the comfort of her elementary school for the unfamiliar territory of the middle/high school building — a crazy quilt of pieces from the 1910s, 1930s, 1960s and 1970s.

Echo Boom Impact

Phillipe Dordai and Joseph Rizzo

Like their baby-boomer parents, the echo-boom generation is reshaping the college and university landscape.

See the new and improved American School & University Buyer's Guide

Featured White Paper

Free IT Strategy Guides from HP and Intel

Read strategy guides that address branch office consolidation for K-12 school districts and/or business risk for higher education.

More White Papers

Spotlight On

Entry Form Deadline Extended: Architectural Portfolio 2010

View the Call For Entries and more information, including a new free section in the Architectural Portfolio issue about planning outstanding education projects in a new economy.

AS&U 100

American School & University highlights the largest 100 school districts each September. Who's growing and who's slowing?

The Top 10 Lists

Is your institution on a list? Growth rates, green power and more!

AS&U's Online Buyers' Guide

Online Buyers' Guide

Find manufacturers and suppliers of products and services for education facilities, business and operations, including:

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