Colleges are focusing increased effort — and money — to improve the physical condition of existing facilities and address a huge backlog of deferred maintenance. According to American School & University's 36th annual Maintenance and Operations Cost Study, the median college spends 16.4 percent of total college budget on M&O, up from 11 percent the year before.
The boost in percentage spending by colleges reflects a growing need by institutions to get their physical plants prepared for the approximately 2 million more students projected to enter their doors over the next decade. While spending on M&O by far surpassed annual percentage amounts reported over the past decade, much of the increase could be attributed to huge outlays this school year for the cost of utilities — especially gas, which skyrocketed 117 percent from what was spent per student the year before.
More information from the latest M&O Cost Study follows, providing you with valuable data that can help you in benchmarking expenditures at your institution. As you review the information, keep in mind that the survey only targets two-year and four-year colleges with no significant graduate programs in order to provide useful comparative data. Larger four-year universities with significant graduate programs are not surveyed because their costs and activities typically are so varied that results would be less useful.
Survey methodology
Data for the annual M&O Cost Study were collected via an in-depth questionnaire mailed in October 2006 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 2006-07 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.
Maintenance & Operations Costs (Expressed in median dollars per FTE student)
| Salaries | $409.76$ |
| Benefits (based on full-time only) | $117.66 |
| Total Utilities | $434.66 |
| Gas** | $145.83 |
| Electricity** | $277.30 |
| Gas & Electricity (subtotal) | $368.66 |
| Other Utilities** | $72.64 |
| Total Equipment & Supplies | $92.26 |
| Custodial/Maint. Equip. & Supplies** | $64.96 |
| Grounds Equip. & Supplies** | $23.73 |
| Vehicle Maintenance | $15.90 |
| Other | $78.97 |
| Total M&O* | $1,149.21 |
| % M&O of Total College Budget | 16.4% |
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*Calculated from sub-totals (in bold). **Based on fewer responses than the total due to schools that combine some of these categories. |
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Privatization
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Percentage of colleges that outsource M&O services.
Median M&O salaries and number of employees at colleges
(Full-time employees)
| Function | Salary | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative | $50,000 | 2 |
| Custodial/Housekeeping | $22,500 | 8 |
| Grounds | $27,164 | 3 |
| Maintenance | $32,017 | 7 |
10 years of M&O expenditures
Spending by colleges on maintenance and operations as a percentage of total college expenditures over the past decade:
| 1998 | 9.7% |
| 1999 | 10% |
| 2000 | 10% |
| 2001 | 10.5% |
| 2002 | 10% |
| 2003 | 10% |
| 2004 | 9.5% |
| 2005 | 10% |
| 2006 | 11% |
| 2007 | 16.4% |
Maintenance & Operations Costs (Expressed in median dollars per square foot)
| Salaries | $1.87 |
| Benefits (based on full-time only | $0.45 |
| Total Utilities | $1.90 |
| Gas** | $0.53 |
| Electricity** | $1.03 |
| Gas & Electricity (subtotal) | $1.61 |
| Other Utilities** | $0.24 |
| Total Equipment & Supplies | $0.42 |
| Custodial/Maint. Equip. & Supplies** | $0.26 |
| Grounds Equip. & Supplies** | $0.13 |
| Vehicle Maintenance | $0.06 |
| Other | $0.46 |
| Total M&O* | $5.16 |
| Sq. ft. of bldg. maint. per FTE student | 272 |
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*Calculated from sub-totals (in bold). **Based on fewer responses than the total due to schools that combine some of these categories. |
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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):
| 1997 | 220 |
| 1998 | 194 |
| 1999 | 206 |
| 2000 | 219 |
| 2001 | 213 |
| 2002 | 189 |
| 2003 | 207 |
| 2004 | 183 |
| 2005 | 197 |
| 2006 | 272 |
Total gross area maintained of all buildings
(including corridors and other common and office areas) (by responding institutions)
| Less than 150,000 sq. ft. | 13% |
| 150,000 to 299,999 sq. ft. | 18% |
| 300,000 to 449,999 sq. ft. | 10% |
| 450,000 to 599,999 sq. ft. | 18% |
| 600,000 to 749,999 sq. ft. | 20% |
| 750,000 to 999,999 sq. ft. | 8% |
| 1 million sq. ft. or more | 8% |
| No answer | 5% |
Total grounds acreage maintained
(by survey respondents)
| Less than 40 acres | 26% |
| 40 to 80 acres | 15% |
| 80.1 to 110 acres | 10% |
| 110.1 to 200 acres | 26% |
| More than 200 acres | 15% |
| No answer | 8% |
Number of buildings at institution
| 1 to 4 buildings | 10% |
| 5 to 10 buildings | 15% |
| 11 to 15 buildings | 23% |
| 16 to 25 buildings | 18% |
| 26 to 40 buildings | 18% |
| More than 40 buildings | 13% |
| No answer | 3% |
Detailed data
Following are medians for the 2006-07 school year:
| Sq. ft. of bldg. maintained per student | 272 |
| Sq. ft. maintained per custodial employee | 39,391 |
| Sq. ft. maintained per maintenance employee | 71,479 |
| Acres maintained per grounds employee | 30 |
| Total reported M&O Budget | $2 million |
FTE enrollment (of responding institutions)
| Less than 600 students | 18% |
| 600 to 999 students | 10% |
| 1,000 to 1,999 students | 23% |
| 2,000 to 2,999 students | 18% |
| 3,000 to 4,999 students | 5% |
| 5,000 to 9,999 students | 10% |
| 10,000 students or more | 6% |
| No answer | 10% |
M&O budget (of survey respondents)
| Less than $1 million | 26% |
| $1 million to $2 million | 23% |
| $2,000,001 to $3 million | 18% |
| $3,000,001 to $5 million | 13% |
| More than $5 million | 15% |
| No answer | 5% |
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.