Updated:
April 11, 2012
School Facilities Services / Transportation Team |
SCHOOL FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
NEWS
2010 User Evaluation Results - template (Maine School Facilities Maintenance Plan) and software (School Facilities Management System) - results as of June 2011.
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 software and 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 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 State Board of Education rules Chapter 64 – “Maine School Facilities Program and Revolving Renovation Fund.”
School Facility Management System (SFMS)
- Free SFMS online training available to school facilities personnel. To request training, please email ann.pinnette@maine.gov
- Deadline for completion of 2011 building surveys is March 31, 2012.
- Informational Letter #11 dated August 6, 2009.
- Connect to SFMS Software
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.
Library of Useful Documents and Information
The MAINE GREEN SCHOOLS - Energy Use/Greenhouse Gas Survey project is a collaborative effort between Maine DEP Bureau of Air Quality and the Maine Energy Education Program (MEEP). This spreadsheet will help you calculate and document your energy use and greenhouse gas emissions: this is the first step to begin to make reductions.
Maine GHG School Template Maine GHG Administrative Buildings Template
Step 1: Download excel spreadsheet, there is one spreadsheet for schools and one for administrative buildings;
Step 2: Enter facility information, stationary fuel use, electricity data, school fleet and commuter fuel. The spreadsheet will automatically do calculations and create graphs. Click through the tabs to see what you have and if there is any additional information necessary.
Step 3: Create an energy efficiency improvements wish list;
Step 4: Generate a report to document energy management needs for administration, using the data from the spreadsheet;
Step 5: Contact Efficiency Maine to see if you qualify for financial and technical assistance.
Step 6: Update spreadsheet each year to document savings and emission reduction trends.
Contact Beth Otto at beth.otto@maine.gov or 207-287-6096 for additional assistance.
School Facility Management System (SFMS) carbon footprint entry – Amount to enter is found under the ”results” tab: Total “GHG Emissions (lbs CO2 Equivalent)”.
Maine Green Schools' School Energy Self Audit Guide
High Performance School Construction and Operations Resource Guide
TOPICS YOU WILL FIND
| Architectural Design Tools |
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning |
| Building Envelope |
Indoor Air Quality |
| Classroom Acoustics |
Kitchen and Cafeteria Design |
| Commissioning |
Life Cycle Cost Analysis Tools |
| Construction Costs |
Load Calculation and HVAC Sizing |
| Construction Leads |
Maintenance Costs |
| Daylighting |
Playground Safety |
| Design Guides |
Renewable Energy |
| Electric Lighting |
Safety & Security |
| Energy Use |
Site Planning |
| Environmentally Preferable Materials & Products |
Thermal Comfort |
| Health & Safety |
Water Efficiency |
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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