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Updated:  05/30/2013

 

School Facilities Management

• Maintenance and Capital Improvement Program -Overview
• School Facility Management System (SFMS)
• Maine School Facilities Maintenance Plan (MeSFMP) - FACILITIES MAINTENANCE TEMPLATE
• Indoor Air Quality Assessment Protocol - Maine Bureau of General Services
• Library of Useful Documents and Information
• School Facilities Services Listserve
• FY13/14 School Facilities Inventory Form
• School Facilities Template and Software - User Evaluation 2010

 

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Save the Date

What:              Annual Maintenance & Custodial Conference FY13

When:                 June 24-26, 2013

Where:                Colby College, Waterville, Maine

Website:           http://www.epmamaine.com/

Presented by the Educational Plant Maintenance Association of Maine in Collaboration with the Maine Department of Education

 

 

 

Maintenance and Capital Improvement Program - Overview

In 1998, the Maine State Legislature passed LD 2252 authorizing the Maine Department of Education (20-A §4001 and §15918) to require school administrative units to develop and implement a maintenance and capital improvement program for school buildings. These programs include elements like routine, preventive, and predictive maintenance and capital improvements such as replacement and upgrades of building components. Additionally, school administrative units should designate a certain percentage of their operating budgets toward maintenance and capital improvement programs. The Maine Department of Education has assisted schools with these efforts in terms of financial and technical assistance including web-based capital planning software and maintenance templates.

Funding from the State Revolving Renovation Fund (SRRF) was provided for the development and hosting of a web-based capital asset management database. The SRRF also provided funding for school systems for the initial evaluation of assets and subsequent input of that data.  In 2009 School Facility Management System (SFMS) software was purchased by the Department for use by districts.  The purpose of SFMS is to encourage Maine’s school districts to establish and practice sound management policies which develop, preserve, and protect capital facilities assets used for educational purposes. Educational facilities assets are long-term investments, which require long term management plans.  VFA, Inc. of Boston, MA is supplying VFA.facility and VFA.auditor software.  In order to access the SFMS software, school personnel must attend a training session hosted by the Department. Once the training session is complete, the attendee will receive a User ID and password, which will allow them to access their data and the features of the software.

The Maine Department of Education has established a guideline for school units to reinvest in capital renewal of their school buildings. The guideline establishes a benchmark of 2% of the current replacement value of the building. School systems are advised to appropriate this amount annually for building maintenance.   The School Facility Management System (SFMS) software and the State/Local Reinvestment Expectation (S/LRE) are intended to provide districts with a capital asset management tool and data in order to meet the expectation that districts are annually committing appropriate resources for the preservation of their facilities.

The Maine Department of Education has also created web-based maintenance templates for use by school units to assist with the evaluation and assessment of their facilities regarding custodial, operations, grounds, vehicle, and maintenance services. 

For a more detailed explanation, refer to the State Board of Education rules Chapter 64 - "Maine School Facilities Program and Revolving Renovation Fund."

 

 

School Facility Management System (SFMS)

 

1. Connect to SFMS Software
2. The deadline for completion of 2012 building surveys is March 31, 2013.
3. Free SFMS online training is available to school facilities personnel.  To request training, please email ann.pinnette@maine.gov 
4. Informational Letter #11 dated August 6, 2009.

 

 

Maine School Facilities Maintenance Plan (MeSFMP)

 

Documents below are provided in Microsoft Word format. To view MS Word documents, you will need Microsoft Word or the free Word Viewer.

• Definitions & Introduction
• Custodial Services  (Microsoft Word format)
• Grounds Services  (Microsoft Excel format) 
• Maintenance Services  (Microsoft Word format) 
• Operations Services  (Microsoft Word format)
• Vehicle Service  (Microsoft Word format) 

 

Library of Useful Documents and Information

 

• Building Area Measurement - How To Measure a Building
• Custodial Staffing Guidelines for Educational Facilities by the Association of Physical Plant Administrators
• Definitions - Facility Management Terms (Draft 1/1/2011)
• Healthy Schools - Guidelines for States Development and Implementation of a School Environmental Health Program (PDF) (146 pp.3.5M)
• Healthy Schools – Webinars for Healthy School Environments
• Healthy Schools - Website for U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) State School Environmental Health
• National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities - Resource List
• Playground Safety:  Guidelines to Help Keep Playgrounds in Maine Safe by the Maine Department of Education  
  (updated 6-7-2010)
• Public Playground Safety Handbook by the Consumer Product Safety Commission   (Updated April 2008)

 

 

School Facilities Services Listserve

The School Facilities Services Team is sponsoring an email listserve for school facilities personnel.  The Department will use this list for providing State facilities updates.  School facilities staff can use the list for the exchange of ideas, questions and solutions.  To subscribe to the listserve, please visit:

http://mailman.informe.org/mailman/listinfo/schoolfacilities

 

 

 

 

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