Just like their school district brethren, higher-education institutions are feeling the pressure on maintenance and operations (M&O) budgets caused by difficult economic conditions and rising costs. The median college allocates 11 percent of total college budget to M&O, down from 16.4 percent the year before, according to American School & University's 37th annual Maintenance and Operations Cost Study.
The area affecting M&O budgets the most is energy expenditures. Spending per full-time-equivalent (FTE) student on energy/utilities rose a whopping 24 percent from the year before. This comes after dramatic increases in the category's costs last year. Also, budget pressures are causing maintenance staffs to absorb more work. For example, the amount of square feet of building maintained per FTE student increased to a record 277 this year.
Additional data from the most recent M&O Cost Study follows, providing you with valuable data that can help you in benchmarking expenditures at your institution. Please note that the information provided only targets two-year and four-year colleges with no significant graduate programs. This is done to provide more useful comparative data. Larger four-year universities with significant graduate programs are not surveyed because their costs and activities are so varied that results would be less useful.
Study methodology
Data for the annual American School & University M&O Cost Study were collected via an in-depth questionnaire mailed in October 2007 to physical plant directors at two-year and four-year colleges with no significant graduate programs. Recipients were asked to document various M&O costs for the 2007-08 school year. The tables and charts detail median M&O expenditures per full-time-equivalent (FTE) student and per square foot, as well as the incidence of various maintenance practices.
Among the titles included:
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Administrative: Those individuals who have managerial or supervisory duties (does not include the overall director of physical plant).
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Custodial: Those individuals responsible for building upkeep and cleaning.
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Maintenance: Those individuals who perform skilled jobs, such as plumbing, electrical or HVAC repair.
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Grounds: Those individuals responsible for landscape maintenance and upkeep.
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Secretarial: Those individuals providing clerical support.
Maintenance & Operations Costs (Expressed in median dollars per FTE student)
| Salaries | $472.22 |
| Benefits (based on full-time only) | $103.07 |
| Total Energy/Utilities | $540.17 |
| Gas/Electricity/Other Fuels** | $400.92 |
| Utilities** | $76.25 |
| Total Equipment & Supplies | $110.21 |
| Custodial/Maint. Equip. & Supplies** | $76.81 |
| Grounds Equip. & Supplies** | $27.41 |
| Vehicle Maintenance | $16.64 |
| Other | $175.60 |
| Total M&O Budget* | $1,417.91 |
| % M&O of Total College Budget | 11.0% |
|
*Calculated from sub-totals (in bold). **Based on fewer responses than the total because of schools that combine some of these categories. |
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Maintenance & Operations Costs (Expressed in median dollars per square foot)
| Salaries | $1.82 |
| Benefits (based on full-time only) | $0.49 |
| Total Energy/Utilities | $1.87 |
| Gas/Electricity/Other Fuels** | $1.60 |
| Utilities** | $0.27 |
| Total Equipment & Supplies | $0.35 |
| Custodial/Maint. Equip. & Supplies** | $0.25 |
| Grounds Equip. & Supplies** | $0.08 |
| Vehicle Maintenance | $0.06 |
| Other | $0.44 |
| Total M&O Budget* | $5.03 |
|
*Calculated from sub-totals (in bold). **Based on fewer responses than the total because of schools that combine some of these categories. |
|
M&O expenditures over the decade
Spending by colleges on maintenance and operations as a percentage of total college expenditures over the past 10 years:
| 1999 | 10% |
| 2000 | 10% |
| 2001 | 10.5% |
| 2002 | 10% |
| 2003 | 10% |
| 2004 | 9.5% |
| 2005 | 10% |
| 2006 | 11% |
| 2007 | 16.4% |
| 2008 | 11% |
1,652
Median FTE enrollment of survey respondents.
Total gross area maintained of all buildings
(including corridors and other common and office areas)
(by responding institutions)
| Less than 150,000 sq. ft. | 7% |
| 150,000 to 299,999 sq. ft. | 11% |
| 300,000 to 449,999 sq. ft. | 17% |
| 450,000 to 599,999 sq. ft. | 14% |
| 600,000 to 749,999 sq. ft. | 12% |
| 750,000 to 999,999 sq. ft. | 13% |
| 1 million sq. ft. or more | 15% |
| No answer | 11% |
Total grounds acreage maintained
(by survey respondents)
| Less than 40 acres | 14% |
| 40 to 80 acres | 23% |
| 80.1 to 110 acres | 15% |
| 110.1 to 200 acres | 21% |
| More than 200 acres | 13% |
| No answer | 14% |
Square footage maintained
The amount of square feet of building maintained per full-time-equivalent (FTE) student at colleges over the past decade (in median square feet):
| 1998-99 | 194 |
| 1999-00 | 206 |
| 2000-01 | 219 |
| 2001-02 | 213 |
| 2002-03 | 189 |
| 2003-04 | 207 |
| 2004-05 | 183 |
| 2005-06 | 197 |
| 2006-07 | 272 |
| 2007-08 | 277 |
34,084
Amount of square feet maintained per custodian.
M&O budget
(of survey respondents)
| $1 million or less | 10% |
| $1 million to $2 million | 14% |
| $2,000,001 to $3 million | 19% |
| $3,000,001 to $5 million | 20% |
| More than $5 million | 22% |
| No answer | 15% |
$850,000
Annual amount the median college spends on energy (gas, electricity, other fuels).
Number of buildings at institution
| 1-4 buildings | 8% |
| 5 to 10 buildings | 19% |
| 11 to 15 buildings | 10% |
| 16 to 25 buildings | 19% |
| 26 to 40 buildings | 18% |
| More than 40 buildings | 20% |
| No answer | 6% |
Data analysis
Following are medians for the 2007-08 school year:
| Sq. ft. of bldg. maintained per student | 277 |
| Sq. ft. maintained per custodial employee | 34,084 |
| Sq. ft. maintained per maintenance employee | 69,873 |
| Acres maintained per grounds employee | 22 |
| Total reported M&O Budget | $3.03 million |
277
Amount of square feet of building maintained per student.
FTE enrollment
(of responding institutions)
| Less than 600 students | 11% |
| 600 to 999 students | 15% |
| 1,000 to 1,999 students | 26% |
| 2,000 to 2,999 students | 13% |
| 3,000 to 4,999 students | 13% |
| 5,000 to 9,999 students | 8% |
| 10,000 students or more | 8% |
| No answer | 6% |
69,873
Amount of square feet maintained per maintenance worker.
Median M&O salaries and number of employees at colleges
(Full-time employees)
| Function | Salary | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative | $56,333 | 3 |
| Custodial/Housekeeping | $23,004 | 15 |
| Grounds | $27,823 | 4 |
| Maintenance | $35,661 | 8 |
| Secretarial/Clerical | $28,217 | 1 |
Agron is editor in chief of AS&U.
About the Author
Joe Agron
Editor-in-Chief and Associate Publisher
Joe Agron is the editor-in-chief/associate publisher of American School & University magazine. Joe has overseen AS&U's editorial direction for more than 25 years, and has helped influence and shape national school infrastructure issues. He has been sought out for comments by publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, ABC News and CNN, and assisted with the introduction of the Education Infrastructure Act of 1994.
Joe also authors a number of industry-exclusive reports. His "Facilities Impact on Learning" series of special reports won national acclaim and helped bring the poor condition of the nation's schools to the attention of many in the U.S. Congress, U.S. Department of Education and the White House.