Maine Department of Education - Informational Letter 106: Capital Asset Management Program Update

INFORMATIONAL LETTER: 106

POLICY CODE: EBAB

TO: Superintendents of Schools

FROM: Susan A. Gendron, Commissioner

DATE: May 15, 2007

SUBJECT: Capital Asset Management Program Update

This letter is intended to provide clarification of the status of the Capital Asset Management (CAM) Program for Maine’s public school buildings. The Department currently contracts with Vanderweil Facility Advisors, Inc. (VFA, Inc.) of Boston to provide a web-hosted database to assist school units in managing their capital assets. The current contract with VFA, Inc. is due to expire on June 30, 2007. However, the Department will extend that contract through December 31, 2007 and will also be developing a request for proposals for the provision of this service once the current contract ends. Data in the database will remain available to the school units and the Department regardless of any program changes, including the possibility of a new contract with another web-hosted provider.

The Department is committed to improving the current Capital Asset Management Program. Currently, a team of state and school personnel are establishing goals, priorities, and needs with respect to the Capital Asset Management Program. The Department will incorporate the identified goals, priorities, and needs into a request for proposals and solicit bids by the end of this year for a program to improve capital asset management in public schools. The Department will provide school administrative units with updated information, including planned regularly scheduled training events, regarding the Capital Asset Management Program as it becomes available.

The Department will continue to reimburse school administrative units for facility condition assessments during this contract extension period. Reimbursements come in two phases: reimbursement for the first half of the facility condition assessment costs immediately upon completion of the assessment, and reimbursement for the second half of the facility condition assessment costs after two years of demonstrated effective use of CAM. Further details and reimbursement forms are available on the Department’s website at

http://www.maine.gov/education/const/fmt.htm

The Department is currently engaged in exploring ways to improve procedures and processes for capital asset management, strategies for local reinvestment, and facility maintenance in general. I encourage schools systems to share any ideas or information with us regarding those topics.
Please contact Ed Antz at 624-6886 or at ed.antz@maine.gov , with any questions, or any recommendations.

Thank you.

SAG:ea