school facilities essay

School Facilities essay

The primary goal of any school is to provide an environment conducive for learning. This would cover the external and internal structure of the school where the atmosphere should be comfortable, secure, safe, accessible, well illuminated, well ventilated, and aesthetically pleasing for both students and school personnel alike. “The school facility consists of not just the physical structure such as plumbing, mechanical, electrical, telecommunications, security, fire prevention and suppression systems, and the various building systems, but it also includes furnishing, materials and supplies, equipment and information technology.

” It should also cover different aspects of the building grounds such as playgrounds, vehicular access and parking, athletic fields, and other areas for outdoor learning. It is said that “the layout and design of a facility contributes to the place experience of students, educators, and community members. ” There are varied feelings and reactions one would feel depending on the quality of design a school has; is it spacious or crowded; the facility also contributes to ones sense of ownership, safety and security, privacy as well as sociality.

When proper planning, designing, and managing school facilities, “these factors of the so called place experience should, when possible, be taken into consideration. ” Given the situation where existing spaces be converted to an office, first let us look into the set-up. The current condition is that there is an occupation work study class with an office at the back; this is the proposed area for the future office of the Assistant Principal. It should be noted that before changing or renovating school facilities several environmental issues are needed to be addressed.

These are classroom acoustics, indoor air quality, water quality, energy conservation, and abatement or asbestos, radon, and similar hazardous elements. These should also adhere to the government mandates such as energy deregulation and other regulations and guidelines of the state or federal levels. To expand the office but make both areas functional, the walls should be knocked down and be replaced with a sliding plastic divider. That will allow some private moments for small meetings but enable to accommodate even bigger groups.

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There should be the right amount and sizes of windows for daytime lighting capabilities, proper ventilation, and exit for extreme urgent situation cases. An air-conditioning unit should also be installed to use during very hot season and this unit should particularly be mounted on the area where there is less ventilation. Although it seemed that there will be expenditures in the demolition of the wall and the purchase of the air-condition unit, however, not at all times will this unit be used. Instead, opening the walls will give the other part an access of the air from the classroom.

Oftentimes, if the air can already pass through the windows then there will be little use of electric generated equipments this will save on some of the operational cost but with a fully functional space. The demolition of the wall must be thoroughly reviewed by an engineer because it can be part of the structure and it can cause a collapse of the entire floor. Unless it is guaranteed to be safe, then it can be torn down. An alternative solution is to open the upper part of the wall to create a 1 foot opening to let air come in.

Making an opening on the upper part of a wall permits hot air to go out thus cooling the place. Brightly colored paint such as pastels can also allow and enhance the light inside the room. This can also contribute to cutting down lighting costs without sacrificing the condition of the personnel inside the room. As much as possible, the choice of furniture should be done in such a way that it would occupy some portions of the office yet not overcrowd it. The provision of the office equipments will rely on need of the school employees occupying the room.

Normally, this would involve computer, fax machine, telephone, printer, and all others that would facilitate the office tasks. This renovation is a typical example of maximizing the school’s available resources to make every room useful but with less cost. The main objective of all school administrators is to make use of every possible space and turn into a fully functional unit. In fact, some very big classrooms are already divided to contain small groups of students for study shows that the smaller the class size the better it is for learning.

Concurrently, this will cut down on some of the school’s operational expenses since bigger rooms would need more electricity for lighting and longer use of any cooling system. It is also more expensive if a separate wing will be constructed just to provide more rooms for office work or for educational purposes. The best way is to identify unused facilities and spaces in the existing structure and develop them to make it efficient and serviceable. Usually, an architect or a builder would know the right materials to use to save on cost and also to avoid hazardous incidents.

For whatever purposes these facilities are utilized, still it should adhere to providing better service to the students, school employees, faculty, and administrators. There must also be a long-range of planning activities that covers demographics, financial options, site acquisitions, adherence to legal matters and regulations, and sometimes community partnership prospects. The outcome of which will always result to the growth of a comprehensive capital improvement program to deal with unattained facility needs.

1. Pickus, L School Facilities – OVERVIEW, MAINTENANCE AND MODERNIZATION OF. Retrieved June 16, 2009, from State University. Com Web site: a href=”http://education. stateuniversity. com/pages/2394/School-Facilities. html”>School Facilities – OVERVIEW, MAINTENANCE AND MODERNIZATION OF> 2. Castaldi, B. 1994. Educational Facilities: Planning, Modernization and Management. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. 3. Brubaker, C. 1998. Planning and Designing Schools. New York: McGraw Hill.

• The Importance of School Facilities in Improving Student Outcomes

Introduction

 A growing body of research has found that school facilities can have a profound impact on both teacher and student outcomes. With respect to teachers, school facilities affect teacher recruitment, retention, commitment, and effort. With respect to students, school facilities affect health, behavior, engagement, learning, and growth in achievement. Thus, researchers generally conclude that without adequate facilities and resources, it is extremely difficult to serve large numbers of children with complex needs.

According to the US General Accounting Office (GAO) almost three-fourths of existing US schools in 1996 was constructed before 1970. Of these schools, about one-third of schools had need of extensive repair or replacement and almost two-thirds had at least one inadequate building feature such as substandard plumbing, roofing, or electrical systems. Moreover, 58-percent had at least one unsatisfactory environmental condition such as inadequate ventilation, acoustics, or physical security.

Besides general maintenance and construction issues, researchers have found most schools lack 21st century facilities in the form of infrastructure, laboratories, and instructional space. More than half do not have sufficiently flexible instructional space for effective teaching to take place.

Thus, facility quality is an important predictor of teacher retention and student learning. The physical and emotional health of students and teachers depend on the quality of the physical location, which makes establishing safe, healthy buildings essential.

The Impact of Facilities

Improving the quality of school facilities is an expensive undertaking. However, when the positive impacts of facility improvement on teachers and students are translated into dollar figures, the rewards of such investments far outstrip the cost of the investments. There are five primary facets of school facilities: acoustics/noise, air quality, lighting, temperature, and space. These are addressed below.

Acoustics and Noise

Noise levels greatly affect teacher and student performance. In fact, excessive noise causes dis-satisfaction and stress in both teachers and students. Research has found that schools that have classrooms with less external noise are positively associated with greater student engagement and achievement compared to schools with classrooms that have noisier environments. Thus, building schools that buffer external noise from classrooms can improve student outcomes.

Air Quality

Indoor air quality is also a concern because poor air quality is a major contributor to absenteeism for students with asthma. Research also indicates that many schools suffer from “sick building syndrome” which affects the absenteeism and performance of all students. Moreover, bacteria, viruses, and allergens that contribute to childhood disease are commonly found in schools with poor ventilation systems.

Indoor pollutants are also emitted from office equipment, flooring materials, paints, adhesives, cleaning products, pesticides, and insects. All of these environmental hazards can negatively affect children, particularly in schools with poor ventilation systems.

Before the advent of cheap electricity, schools often relied on natural lighting. As electric power costs declined, the amount of artificial light used in schools increased. Research has shown that artificial lighting has negative impacts on those in schools while natural lighting has positive impacts. In fact, research has shown that not only does classroom lighting boost the morale of teachers and students, appropriate amounts of natural lighting also reduces off-task behavior and improves test scores. One study found that students with the most exposure to natural daylight progressed 20% faster in in math and 26% faster in reading than students who were taught in environments with the least amount of natural light.

Proper Temperature and Control of Temperature

One consistent research finding across individuals of all ages is that the temperature in which a person works affects engagement levels and overall productivity—including student achievement. Anyone that has worked in a classroom or office that is too hot or too cold knows how difficult it can be when trying to work when the temperature is uncomfortable. According to the best analyses, the ideal temperature range for effective learning in reading and mathematics is between 68º and 74º.

To maintain such a temperature in every classroom within a school, teachers typically need to be able to control the temperature in their own classroom. At the very least, teachers should be able to control the temperature of small blocks of classrooms that receive the same amount of sunlight and have similar exposures to outside temperatures.

Classroom Size and Space

Overcrowded classrooms—and schools—have consistently been linked to increased levels of aggression in students. Overcrowded classrooms are also associated with decreased levels of student engagement and, therefore, decreased levels of learning.

Alternatively, classrooms with ample space are more conducive to providing appropriate learning environments for students and associated with increased student engagement and learning. Classroom space is particularly relevant with the current emphasis on 21 st century learning such as ensuring students can work in teams, problem solve, and communicate effectively. Classrooms with adequate space to reconfigure seating arrangements facilitate the use of different teaching methods that are aligned to 21 st century skills. Creating private study areas as well as smaller learning centers reduces visual and auditory interruptions, and is positively related to student development and achievement.

Twenty-First Century Learning

Policymakers, educators, and business people are now focused on the need to ensure that students learn 21 st century skills such as teamwork, collaboration, effective communication, and other skills. As noted above, older buildings simply are not conducive to the teaching of 21 st century skills. This is particularly true with the respect to reconfiguring seating arrangements to facilitate various modes of teaching and learning and the use of technology in the classroom as a mode of teaching and learning.

Conclusions

A large body of research over the past century has consistently found that school facilities impact teaching and learning in profound ways. Yet state and local policymakers often overlook the impact facilities can play in improving outcomes for both teachers and students. While improving facilities comes at a financial cost, the benefits of such investments often surpass the initial fiscal costs. Policymakers, thus, should focus greater attention on the impacts of facilities and adopt a long-term cost-benefit perspective on efforts to improve school facilities.

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INTRODUCTION TO SCHOOL FACILITIES MAINTENANCE

School facilities issues arise at all educational levels, from Kindergarten through high school, and at all sites, from classrooms to administrative offices. Challenges arise in new and old facilities alike, although the types of concerns may differ. We face the growing challenge of maintaining the school's education facilities at a level that enables our teachers to meet the needs of 21st century learners. Because routine and unexpected maintenance demands are bound to arise, every school must proactively develop and implement a plan for dealing with these inevitabilities. A sound facilities maintenance plan helps to ensure that school facilities are, and will be, cared for appropriately. Negligent facilities maintenance planning can result in real problems. Large capital investments can be squandered when buildings and equipment deteriorate. Failure to maintain school facilities adequately also discourages future investment in the school system. However, school facilities maintenance is concerned about more than just resource management. It is about providing clean and safe environment for children. It is also about creating a physical setting that is appropriate and adequate for learning. A classroom with broken windows, a light that is not functioning, and an LCD projectors that need repairs, do not foster effective learning. Furthermore, poor facilities maintenance can negatively affect student and instructor alertness, attendance, and even health. Effective facilities maintenance extends the life of older facilities and maximizes the useful life of newer facilities. Because facilities maintenance is constrained by real world budgets, planners must often think effective ways on how to manage it. Thus, they must weigh routine tasks against preventive maintenance that pays off only over the long run, while always needing to be prepared for emergency responses to broken air conditioners and ceiling fans, cracked pipes, and etc. The difficult job for facilities maintenance is most effective when it relies upon up-to-date information about the condition and use of buildings, campuses, equipment, and personnel. Thus, staff who are intimately involved in the day-today assessment, repair, and maintenance of school facilities must also play an active role in the facilities maintenance process. Yet facilities maintenance is not solely the responsibility of the facilities department. Effective planning requires coordination of resources and commitment of all stakeholders. Effective school facilities maintenance plans have…

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The study sought to assess and investigate how the proficiency and creativity of principals affect the management of school facilities in Cross River State, Nigeria. The sample of the study included 36 secondary schools, with two drawn from each of the 18 Local Government Areas in the State. The primary data were collected from questionnaire and personal interview while the secondary data were collected from checklists, school records & documents, journals and internet. The data were given both qualitative and quantitative treatment. Pearson Product Moment Statistical Instrument was adopted in the analysis. The outcome of the study showed that there is a significant relationship between the principal's proficiency, creativity and the overall educational objectives in the management of school facilities. This shows that effective management of school facilities is necessary in creating the enabling conducive academic environment thereby enhancing a corresponding achievement and performance in the teaching – learning process. Based on the above, appropriate recommendations were made to include: Appointment of qualified and competent professionals as principals; Government should set up a Committee or Agency to oversee, supervise and monitor on school facilities while school principals, teachers and students should be encouraged to inculcate maintenance culture in the handling of school facilities across school organizations in the State in particular and Nigeria generally.

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Maintenance management aims at keeping the facility working at a good and acceptable condition. In Egypt many obstacles hinders the process of maintenance management. Those obstacles almost occur through the building lifetime, starting from the pre-design stage, the design stage , passing by the occupation stage and ending by the operation and maintenance stage. The most reasonable approach when dealing with maintenance management (MM) , is to view it as a branch of a larger profession, which is, Facility Management(FM)which can simply be explained as the management of both services and assets. In the near future , Integrated Facility Management approach (IFM), which is considered the recent development in the field of maintenance management, will be used to an unprecedented extent, through the use of modern Computer Aided Facility Management technologies (CAFM). Thus require considerable forethought of (IFM) and their costs, benefits and implications when applied in local public buildings. This thesis aims at finding a relevant approach to an Egyptian market capable of appreciating the need for the integration of maintenance and facility management. This aim is attained through the use of a software assessment tool, that might help in determining the value added in having an integrated facility management approach.

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It is generally acknowledged that school plant is a critical input that aids in the attainment of school goals. As a plant is put into use daily, the need for maintenance becomes imperative to sustain its continuous usage. However, it is evident in literature that there is lack of plant maintenance culture in the Nigerian school system. The chapter examined school plant maintenance culture and utilization. It also elucidated the concept of school plant maintenance culture and school plant utilization. Furthermore, the chapter explained the need for school plant maintenance. Basic principles and approaches to plant maintenance were highlighted. Different types of plant maintenance and the role of school personnel in enhancing plant maintenance culture were discussed. The various challenges inhibiting maintenance culture in the school system were identified and explained. Finally, suggestions for instituting a positive maintenance culture were given.

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School Facilities

Overview, maintenance and modernization of.

OVERVIEW Jeffery A. Lackney

MAINTENANCE AND MODERNIZATION OF Lawrence O. Picus

An effective school facility is responsive to the changing programs of educational delivery, and at a minimum should provide a physical environment that is comfortable, safe, secure, accessible, well illuminated, well ventilated, and aesthetically pleasing. The school facility consists of not only the physical structure and the variety of building systems, such as mechanical, plumbing, electrical and power, telecommunications, security, and fire suppression systems. The facility also includes furnishings, materials and supplies, equipment and information technology, as well as various aspects of the building grounds, namely, athletic fields, playgrounds, areas for outdoor learning, and vehicular access and parking.

The school facility is much more than a passive container of the educational process: it is, rather, an integral component of the conditions of learning. The layout and design of a facility contributes to the place experience of students, educators, and community members. Depending on the quality of its design and management, the facility can contribute to a sense of ownership, safety and security, personalization and control, privacy as well as sociality, and spaciousness or crowdedness. When planning, designing, or managing the school facility, these facets of place experience should, when possible, be taken into consideration.

Constructing New Facilities

During strategic long-range educational planning, unmet facility space needs often emerge. The goal of educational planning is to develop, clarify, or review the educational mission, vision, philosophy, curriculum, and instructional delivery. Educational planning may involve a variety of school and community workshops and surveys to identify and clarify needs and sharpen the vision of the district. Long-range planning activities, such as demographic studies, financing options, site acquisitions, and community partnering opportunities are often initiated by the district administration as a response to the results of educational planning. An outcome of long-range planning is the development of a comprehensive capital improvement program to address unmet facility needs.

The district superintendent appoints a steering committee to oversee the details of the capital improvement program. The responsibility of the steering committee includes the selection of various consultants, the review of planning and design options, and the reporting of recommendations to the school board for a final decision. Depending on the needs of the district, one of the first tasks of the steering committee is to retain a variety of consultants. Educational and design consultants, financial consultants, bond counsels, investment bankers, and public relations consultants are retained to perform pre-referendum planning activities during which project scope, budget, financing, legal issues, and schedule are defined. Once project feasibility is established, a public referendum package is developed and presented to the taxpaying public through public hearings. Upon passage of the public referendum, more detailed facility planning of the school can begin.

An architect is often selected to assist in facility planning in cooperation with the educational planning consultant and in-house facility staff. The school board, as the owner, enters into a contract for services with the chosen architect. The architect, in turn, negotiates contracts with a variety of consultants, including interior designers, landscape architects, mechanical, electrical, and civil engineers, and land surveyors.

The facility planning process at its best involves an assessment of functional needs in light of the educational program developed during educational planning. There are several names for this process: Educators refer to the development of educational specifications, while architects refer to it as facility programming. Facility planning includes any or all of the following activities: feasibility studies, district master planning, site selection, needs assessment, and project cost analysis. Spatial requirements and relationships between various program elements are established. The outcome of the facility planning process is a public facility program, or educational specifications document, that outlines physical space requirements and adjacencies and special design criteria the school facility must meet.

The design phase of the process, which includes schematic design, design development, and construction documents and specifications, can last from six months to one year. Each step in the design process involves more detailed and specific information about the technical aspects of the building systems, components, and assemblies. The design process requires school board decisions and approval, with each phase offering more detailed descriptions of the scope, budget, and schedule. The products of this phase include sketches, drawings, models, and technical reports, which are shared with the school and community through public hearings, workshops, and other forms of public relations and community involvement. Community participation during the earliest stages of the design phase can be as critical for stakeholder support as it was in the educational planning process.

There are several construction delivery methods available to the school district: competitive bidding, design/build, and construction management. Each state has evolved its own laws regulating the acceptable forms of construction project delivery. Competitive bidding is still the most common form of construction delivery. It allows contractors in each trade, such as general, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing, to compete for individual prime contracts and form separate contracts with the school district. In principle, it provides the most open and fair competition appropriate for a public sector project; however, project communication and coordination may ultimately affect schedule and budget. Design/build is most popular with private sector owners but is occasionally used in the public sector. Under a design/build contract, the owner contracts with one firm that completes both design and construction of the project under one contract. Cost and time savings are possible but often with a loss in quality of the product. Construction management is a service that often is established simultaneously with the hiring of the architect. A construction manager's responsibility is to act as project manager throughout the design and construction process, coordinating the project budget and schedule along the way. A fourth form of construction delivery is actually a comprehensive project management delivery service, which includes construction management but also extends from pre-referendum through occupancy and even facility management, offering one-stop shopping for facility development. Large school districts that have multiple projects often contract with project management services. Project management firms offer a wide array of financial, legal, and construction services promising economies of scale.

Following the competitive bidding process, the next phase of the school building process is that of bidding and negotiation. An Invitation for Bids is publicized to obtain bids from prime construction contractors. Most states require the school district to accept the lowest responsible and responsive bidder. However, the school district reserves the right to reject all bids. Once low bids are accepted, the school district, as owner, negotiates a contract with each prime contractor. The architect represents the owner in the construction phase, but the contract and legal relationship is between the school district, as owner, and each prime contractor. The construction of the school can last from twelve to eighteen months, depending on the project scope, material selections, lead times for shipment to the site, weather, unforeseen subsurface site conditions, and a variety of other factors. With the use of school buildings being tied to the school year schedule, project phasing is always an issue that needs to be addressed. Other factors that can escalate cost and slow the project are change orders to rectify unforeseen conditions or errors and omissions in the original construction documents. Once the architect is satisfied that the project is complete, a Certificate of Substantial Completion is issued and the owner can legally occupy the facility.

Facility Management

While the planning, design, and construction of the school facility may take two to three years, the management of it will last the entire life cycle of the facility. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the mean age of a school building in the United States as forty-two years, with 28 percent of school buildings built before 1950. Many of the building materials, furnishings, and equipment will not last half that long and will require constant upkeep, maintenance, and inevitable replacement to defer building obsolescence.

The costs of managing school facilities have historically received much less attention than facility planning. The percentage of the operating budget for the maintenance and management of school facilities has steadily decreased, creating a capital renewal crisis as a result of years of deferred maintenance at all levels of education.

Best practice requires that a comprehensive facility maintenance program be established and monitored by the school district. The maintenance program often includes several distinct programs, including deferred, preventive, repair/upkeep, and emergency maintenance. Responsibility for facility management is divided between the district office and the school site, with the principal being the primary administrator responsible for the day-to-day operation of the school, including custodial, food, and transportation services. Custodians are typically hired by the school district but managed by the principal. Custodial staff is generally responsible for cleaning the building; monitoring the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems; and providing general maintenance of both building and grounds. District staff is responsible for long-term maintenance programs and the procurement of outsourced services for specialized maintenance projects.

Several environmental quality issues have emerged over the past few decades, such as classroom acoustics, indoor air quality, water quality, energy conservation, and abatement of asbestos, radon, and other hazardous materials. Many of these issues require the services of facility consultants hired through the district. Other issues for the building-level administrator include safety and security, vandalism and threats, and acts of violence and terrorism. All of these functions must be conducted within a constantly changing set of government mandates, such as energy deregulation, accessibility guidelines, codes, and other regulations and guidelines at the state and federal levels.

Trends and Issues

Many communities recognize that in addition to school facilities being cost effective, they should be more learner-centered, developmentally and age appropriate, safe, comfortable, accessible, flexible, diverse, and equitable. By location of new facilities in residential neighborhoods and partnering with other community-based organizations, schools are becoming true community centers. In addition, schools are taking advantage of educational resources in the community, as well as partnering with museums, zoos, libraries, and other public institutions and local businesses.

Based on mounting evidence that smaller schools lead to improved social climate as well as better achievement, school leaders have begun to create smaller schools or have created schools within schools.

The design of safe schools increasingly recognizes the desirability of providing natural, unobtrusive surveillance mechanisms, rather than installing checkpoints and security guards. Smaller scaled school buildings allow for both natural surveillance and territorial ownership, where students and teachers are on familiar terms, thereby decreasing the possibility that any one student is overlooked.

The self-contained classroom can no longer provide the variety of learning settings necessary to successfully support project-based, real-world authentic learning. Research indicates that smaller class size is a factor contributing to improved achievement. Learning settings are being designed to support individualized, self-directed learning and small informal group learning, in addition to traditional large-group instruction. Rather than lining up classrooms along a long corridor, instructional areas are being organized around central cores of shared instructional support.

A trend in the provision of professional space for teachers has emerged as well. Teacher office space, including desk and storage, phone/fax, and information technologies, is seen as essential to the development of teachers as professionals.

Information technology is precipitating a variety of changes in the organizational and physical form of schools. With respect to instructional processes, technology is facilitating the movement toward project-based, self-directed learning and individualized instruction. As learning becomes increasingly virtual, web-based, and wireless, it still must physically take place somewhere. As information technology is becoming ubiquitous, more schools are decentralizing technology throughout the school building and across the community.

The trend toward smart buildings, or buildings that are designed and constructed to integrate the technologies of instruction, telecommunications, and building systems, will have increased responsiveness to occupant needs as well as the educational process.

Finally, because of the recognition that spending too much time in buildings can be detrimental not only to health but also to learning, school buildings will begin to connect more to the natural environment visually, aurally, and kinesthetically by including transitional indoor and outdoor learning spaces.

Cost Considerations

Estimates of cost to repair and modernize school facilities nationwide continue to grow from the $112 billion estimated by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) in their landmark 1995 report, to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) estimate of $127 billion in 1999, to $268.2 billion estimated by the National Education Association in 2000.

The construction and operation of a school building involves a substantial expenditure of public funds. The investment for construction, however, represents only a fraction of the cost of operating a school over the life of the building. When life-cycle costs of operating a school are considered (including staff salaries and overhead costs, in addition to maintenance and operation of the facility), the initial cost of the school facility may be less than 10 to 15 percent of the life-cycle costs over a thirty-year period. Properly designing and constructing school buildings for the realities of management can often provide cost savings over time that could in turn provide additional funds for education. Operational costs for power and fuel, water and sewer, garbage disposal, leases and insurance, building maintenance, and custodial staff are important items in the annual budget, competing yearly for funds identified for educational delivery. Building life-cycle cost analysis is admittedly difficult for taxpayers and school boards to comprehend when available building funds are tight, but the rewards in effective facility management are potentially great.

See also: C LASS S IZE AND S TUDENT L EARNING ; F INANCIAL S UPPORT OF S CHOOLS ; L IABILITY OF S CHOOL D ISTRICTS AND S CHOOL P ERSONNEL FOR N EGLIGENCE ; R URAL E DUCATION ; S CHOOL B OARDS ; S CHOOL C LIMATE ; Y EAR -R OUND E DUCATION .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

B ITTLE , E DGAR H., ed. 1996. Planning and Financing School Improvement and Construction Projects. Topeka, KS: National Organization on Legal Problems in Education.

B RUBAKER , C. W ILLIAM. 1998. Planning and Designing Schools. New York: McGraw Hill.

C ASTALDI , B ASIL. 1994. Educational Facilities: Planning, Modernization and Management. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

C ROWE , T IMOTHY. 2000. Crime Prevention through Environmental Design: Applications of Architectural Design and Space Management Concepts. National Crime Prevention Institute. Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann.

E ARTHMAN , G LEN I. 2000. Planning Educational Facilities for the Next Century. Blacksburg: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

G RAVES , B EN E. 1993. School Ways: The Planning and Design of America's Schools. New York: McGraw Hill.

H OLCOMB , J OHN H. 1995. A Guide to the Planning of Educational Facilities. New York: University Press of America.

K OWALSKI , T HEODORE J. 1989. Planning and Managing School Facilities. New York: Praeger.

L ACKNEY , J EFFREY A. 2000. Thirty-Three Educational Design Principles for Schools and Community Learning Centers. Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities.

M ACIHA , J OHN C. 2000. Preventive Maintenance Guidelines for School Facilities. Kingston, MA: RS Means.

M AGEE , G REGORY H. 1988. Facilities Maintenance Management. Kingston, MA: RS Means.

N ATIONAL C ENTER FOR E DUCATIONAL S TATISTICS. 2000. Condition of America's Public School Facilities: 1999. Washington, DC: National Center for Educational Statistics.

S ANOFF , H ENRY. 1994. School Design. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

U.S. G ENERAL A CCOUNTING O FFICE. 1995. School Facilities: Condition of America's Schools. Washington, DC: U.S. General Accounting Office.

U.S. G ENERAL A CCOUNTING O FFICE. 2000. School Facilities: Construction Expenditures Have Grown Significantly in Recent Years. Washington, DC:U.S. General Accounting Office.

J EFFERY A. L ACKNEY

As public education in the United States entered the twenty-first century, educational leaders and policy-makers were faced with increasing costs for the maintenance and modernization of educational facilities. Driven by two factors–a considerable backlog of deferred maintenance expenditures and needs, and the need to ensure that classrooms have adequate facilities to accommodate the growing use of technology–estimates of the costs for maintenance and modernization of school facilities have soared.

In a 2002 article, Philip E. Geiger stated that as of January 2002 it would cost between $112 and 150 billion to "bring the nation's schools up to good condition" (p. 43). The U.S. Department of Education (DoE) estimated that the cost would be $127 billion. Moreover, the DoE estimated that 30 percent of the country's schools needed extensive repairs and another 40 percent needed replacement of some major component. This suggests that at the beginning of the twenty-first century some 70 percent of schools across the United States were in need of major repairs.

In 2000 the National Education Association estimated that total school infrastructure needs–including technology–amounted to some $322 billion. This estimate included costs of new school construction, additions to existing buildings, renovation and retrofitting, deferred maintenance, and major improvements to school grounds, as well as the costs of technology.

Estimating the age of a school building is difficult because many schools have had additions or major remodeling at some point in their history, either to accommodate more students or to update and upgrade the facility. The DoE found that in 1999 the average age of public schools across the United States was forty years. Moreover, on average it had been eleven years since these schools had been renovated. The DoE estimated the functional age of each building and found that the average functional age of school buildings was sixteen years.

Schools in central cities tend to be older than those in other areas. Moreover, in such urban districts, it has often been somewhat longer since a major renovation has taken place. While the differences are relatively small, high minority population schools tend to be in older buildings as well. Many of these older schools need substantial repairs as well as upgrading to meet newer building codes and fire safety standards.

In addition, it is generally these older buildings that do not have sufficient capacity to meet the wiring demands of new technology. Frequently classrooms do not have enough electrical outlets to support more than one or two computers, and many remain without connections to the Internet, even via telephone modem connections. Wiring for school-wide networks is also made difficult because older construction often has solid walls and no false ceilings where wires and networking cable can be installed. This adds yet more to the costs of modernization for technology.

Maintenance

When faced with a revenue shortfall, most school districts strive to keep major funding reductions away from the classroom. One way to save money in the short term is to defer maintenance on school facilities. While this is often a useful tool for short-term savings, the deterioration in the condition of an improperly maintained building is very obvious and can often begin within a matter of a few years. Given the high cost of building new schools, this approach may be inappropriate in the long term. California, for example, has an estimated school infrastructure need of more than $22 billion, with another $10 billion or more needed for technology.

Much of this could be prevented if proper preventative maintenance procedures are implemented and used by school districts. Geiger provided a list of seven priorities school districts need to consider in developing a high-quality school maintenance program:

• A commitment on the part of the board, the superintendent, and senior staff to facility maintenance.
• Development of a comprehensive preventative maintenance program.
• Adequate funding for both preventative maintenance and capital improvement.
• A willingness to consider new ideas for construction and maintenance of facilities.
• Continual search for new and different ways to pay for maintenance and construction needs.
• Careful review of district goals and policies to make sure facility management receives appropriate levels of funding in the annual budget cycle.
• A plan to link academic programs to facility needs.

In a 1999 article, Michael Zureich provided evidence of the success of adopting the fourth priority above, that of considering new ideas. Zureich described three schools where a coordinated design and building committee had led to better use of less expensive and easier-to-maintain construction materials, resulting in reduced construction costs and lower lifetime maintenance costs. He pointed out that it is important to consider the strength, reliability, and life of all construction materials and to plan for maintenance needs in the initial construction. Zureich suggested that schools using this process have reduced design, construction, and maintenance costs by between 18 and 25 percent.

Modernization

In addition to maintaining existing school buildings, there is a continual need for modernization. This is a far broader need than the typical concern over creating an infrastructure for technology. Many schools built in the past do not provide adequate space resources for the way schools educate children in the early twenty-first century. Efforts to reduce class size across the nation along with growth in the number of students have placed a burden on school facilities and increased the demand for more classroom space. Moreover, teacher efforts to use classrooms in different ways to maximize learning often require additional square footage in each classroom. For example, in elementary schools, the traditional room full of tables has often been replaced by a room with desks on one side and a large carpet in another part of the room where students sit on the floor for certain activities. Some rooms have special corners for computers or for quiet reading activities. All of this requires additional space and reorganization of the classroom space.

In earlier periods, schools were built to meet the requirements of educational methods that are no longer in favor. Many schools built in the 1970s relied on the "open classroom" model where there were no walls between classrooms. As teaching moved away from this model, schools had to spend substantial sums of money to reconfigure their facilities.

Other more mundane changes are also an important part of a continuous modernization process. Installation of white boards to replace traditional chalk boards or changing wall surfaces to make it easier to hang displays and teaching aids can make a tremendous difference in the appearance of a classroom. Yet even these simple things can be expensive, and planning for such upgrades is important. Furthermore, as new schools are built with such features as work areas for teachers attached to clusters of classrooms, the school budget needs to provide adequate funds for work materials and equipment for teachers (such as computers, copiers, and telephones) and for reasonable replacement programs for these important tools.

The growing use of technology–particularly computers–in instruction has placed a whole new set of demands on the construction, maintenance, and modernization of school facilities. Although technology in schools is a much broader concept than simply the use of computers, it is computers that are most frequently thought of in discussions of educational technology today. Schools face problems with acquiring adequate numbers of computers, replacing them on a regular and frequent basis, providing the electrical power to operate them in each classroom, and providing and maintaining the wiring infrastructure needed to keep them connected with the school and across the district and the community more generally.

Computers represent a new challenge to school budgeting processes as they have a life span of three to five years, somewhat longer than typical "current" expenditure plans and considerably shorter than the traditional capital funding models used by school districts. As a result, many districts have had difficulty in purchasing and keeping adequate numbers of up-to-date computers. Some have turned to lease programs; others rely on donations of computers–new and used. Other districts have simply not replaced old and obsolete computers in a timely fashion.

Even if a district has managed to develop a purchase plan to provide adequate computer systems for all its schools, there is still the problem of electrical wiring and connections between computers. Older schools simply do not have the capacity to handle the electrical and wiring needs of state-of the-art computers. Funding for installation of the infrastructure may be available through the e-rate funding, a process whereby telecommunications firms contribute to a fund whose proceeds are distributed on a competitive basis to school districts for technology needs.

Once installed, there are also substantial costs to maintaining computer networks. Updating all of the routers and servers needed to keep the computers communicating as well as repair technicians to fix computers and related peripherals when they break down are essential to successful technology implementation. Funding for all of this needs to be a regular part of a district's budget.

Sources of Funding

The maintenance and modernization needs of schools require both one-time and continuing sources of money, with maintenance and modernization requiring different approaches. Maintenance is probably best funded through budget allocations of current resources. This means that adequate funds need to be allocated each year to be sure that the investment a district has made in facilities is not lost because of premature deterioration of the buildings. Some districts in some states have had some success in getting community redevelopment agencies to provide a portion of the tax increment they receive to stimulate development for school facility needs. Often this money is used to supplement existing allocations for maintenance.

Modernization may require one-time funding options. Some of the alternatives available to school districts include:

• Bond Issues: By taking advantage of the taxexempt status of school district bond issues, education agencies can often borrow funds for capital projects at relatively low interest rates. Bonds typically require voter approval and, depending on state law, may need to be accounted for in a separate budgetary and accounting fund. Nevertheless, they remain a powerful and relatively inexpensive way to fund facility needs.
• Special Local Option Sales Taxes: Allowed in some states, these are sales tax increments added to the state and local sales taxes already collected. While such taxes can be a reliable source of funds, local sales taxes may also inhibit development of commercial and retail centers in the district.
• Voter-Approved Levies or Sinking Funds: Some states allow school districts to levy special taxes for specific purposes such as technology. Others allow districts to levy taxes for a sinking fund, which collects the revenues and accumulates interest so that construction and/or modernization needs can be funded through the cash balance in the fund.
• State and Federal Funding: Special state and federal programs are sometimes available to fund improvements and construction. Individual state programs to help meet deferred maintenance needs are common, and the federal government has provided funding for school facilities through the Qualified Zone Academy Bond program. In each case these programs provide local school districts with funds for improving or building school facilities.

Maintaining school facilities is important to providing high-quality education programs. More important, by investing in strong preventative maintenance programs, school facilities can continue to serve students for long periods of time. Modernization of school facilities has faced a number of new challenges in recent years with the advent of the personal computer. As new technologies are increasingly integrated into programs of instruction, the ability to adequately finance the acquisition of this equipment and to have the infrastructure in each school to support this technology is also important.

See also: F INANCIAL S UPPORT OF S CHOOLS ; R URAL E DUCATION ; S CHOOL B OARDS ; T ECHNOLOGY IN E DUCATION ; U RBAN E DUCATION .

G EIGER , P HILIP E. 2002. "Deferred School Maintenance Creates National Crisis." School Business Affairs 68 (1):43.

N ATIONAL C ENTER FOR E DUCATION S TATISTICS. 2000. Condition of America's Public School Facilities, 1999. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.

N ATIONAL E DUCATION A SSOCIATION. 2000. Modernizing Our Schools: What Will It Cost? Washington, DC: National Education Association.

Z UREICH , M ICHAEL. 1999. "Yes, Reductions in School Construction Costs Are Possible." CASBO Journal 64 (2):32–38.

L AWRENCE O. P ICUS

Additional topics

• School Food Programs - Early Lunch Programs, The National School Lunch Program, More Recent Program Changes, NSLP Payment Rates
• School Climate - Measuring School Climate, School Climate and Outcomes, Issues Trends and Controversies
• School Facilities - Maintenance And Modernization Of

Education - Free Encyclopedia Search Engine Education Encyclopedia

How School Facilities Improve a Child’s School Experience

• By Archieval Andrews
• under Business
• October 28, 2019

Regardless of the country, good school facilities help determine the success of students and the effectiveness of a teacher’s lesson. However, with tight budgets and staff costs, the condition of school facilities is often further down the list of priorities.

Studies show that school facilities have an impact on the overall school experience of students and teachers. According to an article by PennState University, school facilities affect teacher recruitment and retention. More importantly, they also affect the health, behaviour and engagement of the students. Thus, adequate facilities make it easier for the school to deliver better education.

Many parents often do not consider the quality of school facilities as a factor in choosing a school for their children, looking only at exam rates. Good equipment and facilities are part of a school’s holistic approach to improving the learning environment and balancing academics with other important non-curriculum activities, whether science lab facilities or sports equipment. When a school invests in facilities, the benefits to the school go far beyond the initial capital costs.

Helps improve environmental conditions

School facilities improve the quality of the study environment in the school, thus improving the quality of education. For example, if the classroom layout considers the room’s acoustics, then the students will be able to focus and concentrate more on their studies with teachers facing fewer distractions.

Schools can also better utilise outdoor space by installing outdoor canopies or waiting sheds so students can hang out during breaks, whatever the weather. This provides the opportunity to relax outside the classroom and allows them to refresh and refocus when returning to lessons.

The classroom lighting also affects students’ performance. Studies found natural light helps boost their morale and motivation, with long periods in artificial lighting negatively affecting students’ concentration.

Facilities should depend on the school size

Schools with a bigger school population often result in a larger staff to student ration. One concern is that slower learners or students requiring learning support are more likely to be missed by teaching staff and counsellors. Smaller schools often have better rates of attendance, extracurricular engagement and a sense of belonging among its students because teachers are able to focus their attention more on the limited numbers.

In addition, overcrowded classrooms have been linked to aggression and decreased levels of student engagement, thus lowering the quality and level of learning.

Quality of school facilities

The quality of school facilities affects students in two ways. Firstly, a lack of facilities limits the ability of a student to achieve various learning and extra curricula activities. Secondly, a lack of facilities has a negative impact on a teachers’ job satisfaction, which undermines their motivation to teach.

Deeper focus in education

Although maintaining and modernising a school’s facilities have always been a balancing act with other school expenses, more studies are beginning to highlight the full impact of a well-equipped learning environment. In turn, school governors and heads have a clearer understanding of the benefits and are giving more attention to the issue.

With the will of the school managers, and the continuing improvements and innovations of school facilities, the learning environment is more interactive and conducive. With good facilities, teachers will be better prepared to adapt to the changing education requirements of their students for the job market.

Archieval Andrews

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How do facilities affect student learning?

There are many factors that determine the success of students at school. Parents often measure their child’s success based on grades, but the quality of a school’s teaching and learning environment and its facilities have a vital influence on a child’s overall development. In this article, we are going to discuss the ways in which facilities affect student learning and why it is an important consideration for parents when choosing the right school for their child.

Provides Unique Opportunities for Students

Many subjects and specialities are dependent on facilities, and if a school cannot provide the right environment, there may be little to no opportunity for a student to pursue that subject. A school that can provide a range of high-quality facilities can offer opportunities students may not be able to find at another school. For example, a student looking to pursue their interests in the performing arts would benefit from a studio and a theatre to perform in. This is the same for sports; state-of-the-art facilities can present students with the opportunity to take their talents to a level they may not reach elsewhere. Facilities should be an important consideration for students looking to study a specialist subject or who have real ambitions of pursuing a career in sports or the performing arts.

Classroom Size and Space Can Impact Quality of Learning

The quality of facilities a school provides impacts class sizes, which are proven to influence student learning. According to an  article by Penn State University , overcrowded classrooms have been consistently linked to increased levels of aggression and decreased levels of learning. Alternatively, classrooms with ample space provide a learning environment that increases student engagement and learning. Spacious classrooms allow for seating arrangements that best suit the individual needs of each student and can create the option of private study areas where students can work uninterrupted, free from distractions.

At Nord Anglia Education, our unique, personalised learning approach ensures all our schools have an excellent student-teacher ratio and all our classrooms have a max capacity that helps our teachers provide the time and support students need to thrive.

Improves Environmental Conditions

Schools with fantastic facilities, including low noise levels, proper air circulation, natural lighting, and regulated temperatures, have been shown to improve student performance. Let’s take a closer look at each of these factors.

Acoustics and Noise

Noise levels affect both teachers and students. Excessive noise is a distraction, impacting how well teachers can do their job and how well students can listen and learn from their teacher. There is a link between less external noise and greater student engagement and achievement. Facilities that consider acoustics and noise will see better results from both teachers and students.

Air Quality 

Poor air quality isn’t good for children’s health, and health issues can impact a student’s ability to concentrate and learn. High-quality, modern facilities factor in air quality and provide good air ventilation, meaning these types of health issues don’t have to be a concern for child or parent.

Natural Lighting 

Research highlighted in the article by Penn State University says students exposed to the most natural light progressed 20% faster in math and 26% faster in reading. Facilities that factor in the value of natural light could have a positive effect on student learning.

Temperature 

Temperature affects our engagement and overall productivity levels. Facilities affect student learning because those with control over the temperature can provide better working conditions for their students, particularly in countries that experience more drastic weather patterns.

Increases Social Interaction

Outside of the classroom, the best schools have spaces that promote social interactions, which can improve student learning because it helps build comradery and improve teamwork. Providing facilities where students can play during break times, develop new interests and make friends is an important part of school. A good example would be outdoor facilities and indoor sports pitches — these are places children can relax or burn off some of the energy they built up during their time in lessons, allowing them to refresh and refocus when they return to class.

Enhances Teacher Job Satisfaction

How facilities affect student learning doesn’t just come down to how they influence the children, but also the positive effect they have on teachers. A school that provides a teacher with the facilities and resources they need to get the best out of their job is going to improve job satisfaction and staff retention. And a school that attracts the best teachers is going to provide the best education for its students.

Nord Anglia Education has a real focus on providing improvements and innovations when it comes to our school facilities. The learning approach and environment we provide our students is a priority, and that is why our schools have state-of-the-art facilities and specialty rooms for science, technology, computing, art and music. If you want to learn more about the facilities at our school and the premium education we provide, you can find all the information you need  here .

Article shared from Nord Anglia Education .

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Strategies for Maintaining School Facilities Report (Assessment)

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The importance of strategic planning has been emphasized by specialists in every area of management. Strategic planning is described as a “smart practice” (Bryson, 2011, p. 17) and the way to deal with a situation with the purpose to achieve particular results. Strategies are based on knowledge and a profound understanding of issues that one deals with. School maintenance requires strategic planning because, when maintenance is merely about repairing what is broken, it will constantly interfere with education. School maintenance should be more than resource management: it is “about providing clean and safe environments for children” (U.S. Department of Education, 2003, p. xi), and also about arranging the space in a way that is suitable for learning. Although maintaining school facilities and grounds is a complicated process with numerous considerations, three main strategies can be recognized: preventive maintenance, external and internal communication, and involving all stakeholders in the facility maintenance.

Preventive maintenance proved its advantages over emergency maintenance and routine maintenance. What makes it different is that equipment is not replaced when it breaks down, but is attended on a regular basis according to a schedule. The long-term benefits of such an approach are the reduced risk of emergencies and a lesser amount of maintenance work overall, which is important because “the goal of maintenance is (paradoxically) to get out of the maintenance business” (Levitt, 2011, p. 6).

There are three stages of planning for preventive maintenance: auditing, scheduling, and arrangement (U.S. Department of Education, 2003, pp. 74-75). First, it is necessary to identify and list everything that requires maintenance. Second, a schedule should be composed to indicate how often and for which technical details each item on the list should be inspected. The way to do this is to consult specialists and check manufacturers’ manuals. Third, a system should be created to allow scheduled inspections without interruptions. It is a managerial task of creating conditions for the schedule to be accurately followed.

Another strategy to be employed by school maintenance planners is communication, both internal and external. Communication is not merely about emailing maintenance reminders to an electrician or a plumber. Communication as a strategy means organizing the maintenance work in a way that allows every participant to clearly see their role and connections to other participants. School maintenance work involves administration, professors, maintenance staff, and central office, therefore, to make this work efficiently, communication between these components “must be seamless and well documented” (U.S. Department of Education, 2003, p. 95). An example of internal communication is making sure that all the staff members are informed and instructed on how to initiate a work order request. External communication is maintaining contacts with everyone from outside of the school who is involved in planned maintenance work. The importance of communication has been proved by researches that showed how enhancing communication improves coordination among participants and thus makes the facility maintenance work more successful. For instance, the introduction of visualized 3D information models to facility maintenance in schools in Taiwan proved to be effective (Su, Lee, & Lin, 2011). People involved in facility maintenance work could see the connections between them and could manage and control the communication in a visible way. The result was the increased efficiency of their coordinated work.

One more strategy for school maintenance planners is involving more participants in the maintenance work. The main point of it is acknowledging that “keeping a school clean isn’t only the custodian’s responsibility” (U.S. Department of Education, 2003, p. 84). Everyone in a school should be engaged in one way or another in maintaining a clean, safe, and healthy environment, which is in everyone’s interest. Wang, Wang, Wang, Yung, and Jun (2013) point out the necessity of engaging facility maintenance in the design stage of construction. This is to emphasize that maintenance is an integral part of the facility’s operation. Therefore, it should not be limited to the activities of the facility management.

For example, in some schools there have been so-called “30-second rule” adopted, meaning that, for 30 seconds before leaving the school, professors and students, as well as staff members, clean the room they are in. This practice was observed to be particularly popular among many parents, who highly approved of their children’s obligation to clean up at school. In terms of involvement, it is also important to acknowledge that “[s]chools belong to their communities” (U.S. Department of Education, 2003, p. 86). Communities often make individual and group efforts to improve the schools where their children study. One of the forms of such improvement is contributing to school facilities. Facility maintenance planners and managers should encourage these initiatives and collaborate with their communities, but, at the same time, monitor every such activity to guarantee efficiency and safety.

Facility management is aimed at creating clean and safe conditions for learning. Properly handled, facility management in schools positively affects students’ achievements (Bowers & Urick, 2011). In order to make it successful, planners and practitioners should think and act strategically. Three particular strategies that proved their efficiency are involving more interested parties in the process, communicating with the property, and choosing preventive maintenance over other types of it.

Bowers, A. J., & Urick, A. (2011). Does high school facility quality affect student achievement? A two-level hierarchical linear model. Journal of education finance, 37 (1), 72-94.

Bryson, J. M. (2011). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement . San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Levitt, J. (2011). Complete Guide to Predictive and Preventive Maintenance . New York, NY: Industrial Press.

Su, Y. C., Lee, Y. C., & Lin, Y. C. (2011). Enhancing maintenance management using building information modeling in facilities management . Web.

U.S. Department of Education. (2003). Planning Guide for Maintaining School Facilities (National Center for Education Statistics, National Forum on Education Statistics no. 347). Washington, DC: Author.

Wang, Y., Wang, X., Wang, J., Yung, P., & Jun, G. (2013). Engagement of facilities management in design stage through BIM: framework and a case study. Advances in Civil Engineering, 2013 (2013), 1-8.

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School administrators spend countless hours trying to keep their facilities in the best possible shape through routine maintenance and regular inspections, and other preventative tasks. While these efforts detract from the role they were hired to do, the upkeep is vitally important . Students and the educational community-at-large benefit from positive surroundings, particularly student health and learning. Schools have a responsibility to do everything they can to promote a healthy learning environment, and proactive facilities management is an integral component.

The well-being of students and staff is a top priority. When facilities undermine this, performance suffers. Many parts of the educational process rely on comfortable, safe settings. If the temperature is too hot or cold, for example, or the lighting is too dark or too bright, students may become frustrated and struggle to focus. Teachers may have a difficult time conducting lessons and get frustrated.

Optimizing school facilities should be the cornerstone of every district’s mission to ensure students, teachers, and staff perform at their best and generate positive attitudes about your district overall.

Impact of School Facilities on Student Health

Researchers have found that the  quality of school facilities impacts student academic performance and learning . Students focus better when they’re comfortable, are more likely to attend classes, and may be less likely to become ill. These qualities all come from classrooms that have proper ventilation, are well-lit, and maintain efficient cleaning schedules. Students who aren’t distracted or uncomfortable due to environmental factors are students who can remain attentive and better retain information.

This same idea applies to teachers. A teacher who doesn’t have environmental distractions can concentrate on students. If the work environment is safe, healthy, and comfortable, it stands to reason that teachers will enjoy their workday much more, passing the benefits on to their students. Favorable school facility conditions are likely to improve educational outcomes since veteran teachers may be less likely to leave, and qualified teachers may be more easily recruited.

A better learning environment isn’t the only benefit of adequate facilities. The improvement in the physical health of the students and teachers is also substantial.

A student with asthma may struggle to pay attention in a room with low air quality. Students who are more susceptible to certain illnesses and bacteria may be more likely to get sick in a classroom that doesn’t routinely sanitize surfaces. These factors can prevent a student from showing up to class, lowering a district’s attendance and performance ratings. Likewise, an unhealthy environment can lead to more sick days for teachers.

So how can these scenarios be prevented? Improving maintenance procedures and reviewing the performance of your ventilation, lighting, and custodial services are a few strategies. Whatever you do, it is crucial to remember the link between your school facilities and student health.

Four Ways That School Facilities Impact Student Health and Achievement

Now that we’ve established the importance of the physical environment in education, let’s consider how they influence each other and how facility quality impacts students’ academic performance and health.

1. Temperature

Many people consider air conditioning to be a necessity, but for many schools around the country, this isn’t the case. As average temperatures climb , students in the U.S. go to class expecting to sweat in high heat, rather than wonder what they will be learning in class. Even schools that spend most of the year with cold weather can face excessively high temperatures in late spring and summer. When it comes to education, air conditioning can be vital to the continued learning and performance of students .

Anecdotally, many teachers and students are familiar with the struggle of when it gets too hot to learn. Teachers say that children may fight to pay attention, become less compliant, and don’t want to do anything in the sweltering heat. A study conducted by researchers at the Harvard Kennedy School tells us that for each increase in one degree over 90 F, students lose nearly 1% of the year’s learning. Temperatures over 100 F have an effect that is up to 50% larger.

While a district’s wealth influences its likelihood of having air conditioning, all around the country, in both wealthy and non-wealthy areas, you can find schools lacking in air conditioning . For example:

• In Detroit, just one in three schools has air conditioning.
• In New York City, a quarter of classrooms lack air conditioning.
• Hawaii, where temperatures year-round are often in the upper 80s, only has air conditioning in 40% of classrooms.

A well-functioning air conditioning system can keep almost all of these heat-related problems at bay. Unfortunately, many schools that do have air conditioning don’t have efficient systems and may still deal with inconsistent or nonfunctioning heating and cooling. About 30% of public schools consider their air conditioning and heating system to be fair or poor.

Installing a quality air conditioning system and keeping it maintained can help mitigate comfort issues. Students can focus better, improve their academic performances, and end the school day with (quite literally) cooler heads.

2. Lighting

Lighting has changed quite a bit since the construction of many 20th-century schools. Until the ’50s, natural light was the dominant approach to keeping classrooms bright. Large windows were used to illuminate the space, but as electricity became cheaper and easier to obtain, natural daylight was pushed aside.

Natural light has a variety of positive influences on learning and productivity due to its psychological and physiological effects . It results in higher levels of vitamin D and energy while improving sleep and reducing the effects of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Designing for natural daylight is an excellent way to promote alertness and productivity in the classroom.

But daylight isn’t without its disadvantages. It can’t be the only light source, of course, as inclement weather, early winter darkness, and nighttime events all require a secondary source of lighting. Daylight can also be frustrating in some classrooms, especially those using substantial amounts of technology, due to the glare large windows create. Using low-glare designs and adjustable lights and adapting to the amount of daylight present can all combat the adverse aspects of natural lighting.

Energy-saving lighting is an area where many schools can save money. Replacing old, headache-inducing lights with LED bulbs can reduce energy costs, decrease maintenance needs, and even improve safety due to their reduced heat output. These eco-friendly lights can also pair with advanced lighting controls.

Connecting your lights to the Internet of Things (IoT) can automate the task of keeping your building bright. You can reduce consumption by turning off lights in spaces that are not in use or install lights that respond to the amount of natural daylight present, reducing or increasing the brightness as necessary. Many of these lighting solutions can also help make your facility more sustainable .

3. Surface Hygiene

Basic cleanliness is a fundamental aspect of any environment, but especially one where the health and safety of children is a priority. The recent pandemic has spotlighted attention to the importance of cleanliness and pathogen mitigation in school facilities. Schools can be full of germs, and many children don’t know how to protect themselves against viruses and bacteria. Millions of children miss school due to illnesses that could have been lessened with proper sanitation.

For example, one study of athletic training rooms in schools found staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) on 24% of surfaces and influenza on 25% of surfaces. After new hygiene protocols were put in place, these pathogens were eliminated entirely.

Encouraging basic cleaning and hygienic practices can go a long way in cultivating a clean building. Make sure teachers do their part to stay safe and show their students how to, as well. Coughing into the elbow, using tissues, and following other hygienic practices can be especially helpful during flu season to reduce absences and improve student achievement. Teachers can disinfect commonly touched fixtures like doorknobs, computer mice, and light switches frequently.

Custodial staff are also crucial in this area. Appropriate planning can ensure that surfaces are regularly cleaned and sanitized. Integrating a work order system with facility management software may help to stay on top of cleaning tasks. In addition to routine cleaning tasks, you can employ both short-term and long-term pathogen mitigation solutions to make your school a safer, healthier space for students and staff.

The benefits of a clean school go beyond hygiene. An orderly, clean school conveys a message of sincerity and dedication. Students see that their school holds high standards, and teachers know that they work in a place that takes education seriously. These positive connotations can help improve the learning environment, and they give visitors an excellent impression of your commitment to the educational atmosphere.

4. Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is another factor to consider. IAQ has a pronounced effect on children compared to adults, making IAQ in schools a matter of special importance. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) highlights this importance, specifically pointing to the following factors, which all influence a school’s IAQ:

• Airborne pollutants
• Circulation of outdoor air
• Temperature and relative humidity (RH)

Poor IAQ can have an immediate impact on students and teachers, causing allergic reactions or asthma attacks in severe cases. IAQ impacts comfort levels as well, either promoting or detracting from positive attitudes and concentration. No one wants to feel trapped in a stuffy room.

In addition to these immediately felt consequences, exposure to pollutants like dust, mold, and mildew can be detrimental to health long-term. One study even found that teachers with prolonged exposure to relative humidity levels that were either too high or too low were more likely to experience respiratory problems. Bacteria, viruses, allergens, and irritants may continue to thrive in a room despite efforts to sanitize surfaces because the RH is contributing to the problem.

Every school should have their IAQ assessed to determine effective improvement measures. This includes auditing the HVAC system and identifying any potential pollutants that need to be filtered. A humidifier or dehumidifier may help maintain comfortable and healthy RH levels. Since IAQ can have a marked effect on both teacher and student performance and health, schools can’t afford to overlook this aspect of their facilities.

Updated Facilities and the Learning Environment

One transformational component in education is the addition of technology. Though technologies like SMART Boards have been around since the ’90s, policies of one-to-one device usage and developments in instructional techniques have changed the landscape of the traditional classroom. The classic layout with rows of desks facing a teacher and a whiteboard is less common. As pedagogy has changed, so have desk layouts and innovative seating options.

As teaching methods have changed, so must our approach to improving school facilities . Right now, that means flexibility, access to technology, and interactive learning.

Some of the challenges of 21st-century learning involve providing sufficient and accessible locations for charging educational devices, such as laptops, across an entire classroom and creating optimal lighting conditions so students can easily see the screen. The modern learning landscape also offers unique opportunities. Smart lighting and thermostats can help you automate your utilities to be more energy-efficient and comfortable for teachers and students.

The benefits of improving school facilities are widespread. From adding glare-free lighting in a classroom to free-flowing air conditioning in the gymnasium, you can help your students learn better at all points throughout the day. Changes in a student’s environment influence several different spheres of the educational world.

Facility management systems impact the quality of the environment, which affects the performance of students, teachers, and staff. Performance shapes attitudes. Attitudes, in turn, affect their teaching and learning behaviors, which impact student achievement and educational results. In the end, all of this determines future outcomes of individuals and society as a whole.

The system is intertwined, and the resulting academic performance can even influence a school’s future access to resources and benefits. Even something that seems to be relatively simple, like the choice of lighting in a classroom, can have wide-reaching effects. This demonstrates the importance of school facilities in modern education.

Changes to your school’s facilities can deliver improvements across various areas of education. Students can focus better, teachers enjoy their work more, and everyone develops a better attitude toward the facility they spend time in every weekday.

With limited budgets, many districts are hesitant to spend money on infrastructure like lights and HVAC systems, but the improvements speak for themselves. A general sense of well-being does wonders for the atmosphere in a school. Unfortunately, more than half of U.S. public schools in 2012 had inadequate structural facilities. Schools that serve students of lower-income families and large populations of people of color are particularly at a disadvantage.

An investment in facilities is an investment in student education. Better-performing students may net you more resources, and you could save money through energy-saving upgrades, making your district eco-friendly, as well.

A school’s facilities should be representative of its staff, values, and philosophies. If school leaders believe student learning is a top priority, they cannot underestimate the value of the overall physical environment. Often, educators interpret this concept as desk layout or classroom decorations, but aspects they may take for granted, like air quality and temperature, are just as essential. This atmosphere is a significant player in determining student success — and SitelogIQ can help you cultivate it.

A Custom Approach to Facilities Management

At SitelogIQ, we understand that your district is unique. A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for facilities management, which is why we take the time to comprehensively assess the needs of your facilities, district, and community. With this information, we will develop a plan for how to improve your school’s facilities and the learning space for your students.

We can address a variety of building management needs, including lighting, HVAC, and design. Our team of professionals can tear down deteriorating architecture, renovate within an existing footprint, or upgrade systems and fixtures as part of a turnkey solution to help your students enjoy a safe and comfortable learning environment.

If you need help developing an effective solution to boost the health and learning of your staff and students, SitelogIQ is an industry leader in K-12 facility management solutions. Contact us today to learn more about our energy consultation services and how we can elevate your students’ education to the next level.

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Welcome To MIT Vishwashanti Gurukul

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"Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man"

- Swami Vivekananda

Importance of School Facilities in Education

When choosing a school for their children, parents should consider the facilities provided by each school in order to select the best school for their children’s development. The facilities of a school impact overall learning process as well as the mental and physical growth of the students. These also affect the academic performance of the student to some extent. So, parents must consider the school’s facilities.

Basically, facilities offered by a school affect the health, behavior, engagement, learning, and growth of the students. The physical and emotional health of students and teachers also depends on the facilities they are getting in school. So, every school should be equipped with proper facilities for the students and teachers, such that an environment conducive to learning is created.

Five basic facilities that every school should provide to the students are:

Acoustics and Noise

A classroom should be a quiet place where the students can have mental satisfaction, peace and are able to concentrate without any outer distractions. Noisy classrooms have negative effects on the learning of the students. Students get distracted and can never perform satisfactorily in a noisy environment.

Ventilation and Air Quality

In schools, maintaining proper ventilation in each classroom is imperative. Students suffering from respiratory conditions find it hard to stay in the classrooms for long. On top of that, inadequate ventilation can cause discomfort to the student thereby hindering the learning process. The students are unable to focus in such classroom.

Bacteria, viruses and many other pathogens breed at places where there is improper air passage. Thus, it impacts the health of the students. So, in order to provide top-notch quality of education to the students, it is equally important to provide healthy environment with proper ventilation.

According to a study, students that receive maximum exposure to natural daylight in the classroom, grab the classroom learnings in a much better way. Natural light boosts the morale of the students as well as teachers thereby resulting in good quality of education. So, schools should have access to natural light and use less amount of artificial light.

Temperature control

The temperature at which students learn affects their engagement levels and the overall outcome. If students feel too hot or too cold in the classrooms, it results in low concentration. Proper temperature management is crucial in order to enable the students to focus on classroom learnings without worrying about weather conditions.

Space and size of classrooms

Overcrowded classrooms lead to minimum student engagement and improper learning. Teachers also find it uncomfortable to handle a class that is overcrowded. They usually fail to focus on every student when classrooms are overcrowded. So, the number of students in the classroom should be moderate. The classrooms should be spacious in order to provide adequate space for the students to study and for the teachers to give demonstrations.

Clearly, school facilities play a significant role in students’ development. Being one of the top boarding schools in India, MIT Vishwashanti Gurukul understands parents’ concern and students’ requirements. That is why it offers all the requisite facilities to the students. The school follows IB which is based on value education. It has a unique learning pedagogy and well-equipped classroom. The student to teacher ratio is 1:20, which ensures that every student receives individual attention from the teachers. This makes it one of the best international schools in India. So, without a second thought, you should choose MIT Vishwashanti Gurukul for your children.

'Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man' - Swami Vivekananda

Driven by this belief and the responsibility to mould the future generation, MAEER’s MIT Vishwashanti Gurukul is an IB World School known for imparting value-based education for more than a decade.

We are inspired and strongly believe that this is the era to revive the age-old principle of Guru Shishya Parampara . Based on this traditional style of learning combined with modern amenities and facilities , we endeavor to create global citizens of tomorrow who are still connected with their history & heritage.

In this fast paced world which is increasingly coming closer and with the advancement of technology, what we really need today is not just advanced technology, but men and women of strong character who are self-disciplined and capable of being global citizens making the utmost use of technology for the benefit of mankind.

Vishwashanti Gurukul aims to do this while creating awareness of the ancient Indian culture and the deep-rooted ethos of our country. The Gurukul system is the perfect blend of modern technological advancements and the ancient Indian culture to create a new generation of confident & winning personalities.

We are committed to providing these values to the students to make them physically strong, mentally alert and spiritually elevated along with academic excellence.

Dr. Vishwanath D. Karad

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MIT Gurukul Popular Search

Mit gurukul, international school in pune,maharashtra.

In this era of globalization, it is the need of the hour to keep the students abreast with both local as well as international issues and to train them to endure in the global sphere. This is where the international school has its significance as it is based on international academic standards and it imparts global perspective to the students. An international school is the best in this ever-changing world as it aims at creating global citizens who are connected to their heritage.

If you are looking for the best international school in Pune,Maharashtra , then your search ends here. MIT Pune’s Vishwashanti Gurukul is a pioneer international school in Pune,Maharashtra . The school follows the curriculum of International Baccalaureate (IB) board and believes in creating responsible citizens with strong character.

IB Schools in Pune,Maharashtra

A school is a place where a child spends most of his/her childhood. Whatever a child learns at school stays with him/her lifelong. That is why parents are very particular about their child’s schooling. However, education should not just be confined to the syllabi and rather it should include imparting life skills and inculcating moral values to the child so that he/she grows up as a well-balanced individual. For this, you should send your child to an international school. Vishwashanti Gurukul is one of the finest IB Schools in Pune,Maharashtra that creates future leaders.

Best School in India

MIT Vishwashanti Gurukul is one of the best schools in India as it prepares your child to face all impending challenges. It is an IB board school that is based on international academic standards. The student to teacher ratio is low such that every child gets individual attention. The school’s value based education aims at imbibing the skill of inquiry, action & reflex in the child and makes them risk takers. It motivates the child to come out with ingenious ideas and respect the perspective, religion, culture and heritage of others. All these factors make Vishwashanti Gurukul the best school in India.

MIT Gurukul - Boarding and Residential School in Pune,Maharashtra

Vishwashanti Gurukul is a residential school that provides affable ambience to the students and serves as a ‘home away from home’. The boarding at MIT Gurukul Boarding School Pune, Maharashtra offers world-class facilities along with inculcating India ethos. The hostels are equipped with all the modern amenities and have a robust infrastructure. The Guru-Shishya Parampara is fostered in the hostels where every child learns discipline and life skills under the guidance of Guru.

Describing school facilities (Part 1/3)

Lesson details, key learning points.

• In this lesson, we will learn the difference between the key verbs 'hay', 'tiene' and 'es', 'son' to talk about the facilities at your school.
• Purpose of language use. Describe your school
• Grammar. Present tense vs Past (imperfect. Negation

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Starter quiz

13 questions, lesson appears in, unit spanish / studies and life at school.