Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Facility Condition

  • By Deb Moore
  • 12/14/16

Did you know…

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there is one birth every 7 seconds, one death every 13 seconds, and one international migrant every 29 seconds — a net gain of one person every 11 seconds.

As population and enrollment increase and M&O budgets decrease, the condition of our educational facilities declines. In the "2016 State of Our Schools" report released by the Center for Green Schools, the 21st Century School Fund and the National Council on School Facilities, the nation faces a projected annual shortfall of about $8 billion for maintenance and operations.

Once-available dollars are being withheld or diverted to salaries, unfunded mandates, or more popular/visible projects.  Many institutions are left with barely enough staff and dollars to handle emergencies, let alone planned, predictive or preventative maintenance.  The consequences are facilities that are in poor condition at best. 

Case in Point... Every four years, the American Society of Civil Engineers’ "Report Card for America’s Infrastructure" depicts the condition and performance of America’s infrastructure – including schools – by assigning letter grades based on the physical condition and needed investments for improvement.  Schools scored a ‘D’ in 2013, barely a passing grade.

Research shows:

  • An increasing number of higher education leaders identified the challenges associated with “aging and expanding facilities” as one of the top reasons for change in the field.  Insufficient facilities were also listed as one of the top threats to the success of higher education.
    (Research conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD])
  • Studies indicate that student achievement is linked with building quality. High student achievement has been shown to be associated with newer buildings, updated and properly maintained buildings, improved lighting, thermal comfort and indoor air quality. 
    (The Walls Speak: The Interplay of Quality Facilities, School Climate and Student Achievement)
  • Recruit and Retain: Parents and prospective students often select an institution based on its facilities. (APPA)
  • Poor school building conditions are a serious threat to the health and academic performance of students. Achievement is significantly lower in schools with poor con­ditions….
    (American Federation of Teachers. Building Minds, Minding Buildings.)
Facilities condition has an impact on students, staff and institutions.

Featured

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.

  • Embry-Riddle Completes Construction on Research, Lab Facility

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced the end of construction on a new research and lab facility on campus. The Center for Aerospace Engineering II (CAT II) will support aerospace research and technology development and broke ground last summer.

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.

  • Minnesota District Opens New PreK–12 School

    Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop Schools in Gibbon, Minn., recently announced that construction is complete on a new, $68.9-million school for students in grades PreK–12, according to a news release.