Table of Contents
CURRENT SITUATION
The Maintenance Department reports to the deputy superintendent for Administration and Operations and is headed by a supervisor. Other positions in the department include the HVAC technicians (2), a plumber, a pest control/environmental technician who also functions as a general assistant, electricians (2), a carpenter, a small engine mechanic, a painter, and grounds maintenance personnel (2). The district added an electrician and an HVAC technician at the beginning of the 1998-99 year. MPISD is still looking for a master plumber.
For each craft, the maintenance supervisor put together a preventive maintenance schedule by campus. The schedule includes all major equipment on each campus, the required work that needs to be completed during the year, and an estimated time for completing the work.
The operating expenditures for the Maintenance Department for 1997-98 were $578,400, including salaries, materials, and contracted services. This is a 16 percent increase from the 1995-96 level of $498,666.
The operating expenditures for the maintenance and janitorial functions (function 51) for 1997-98 were $2,139,027 (Exhibit 5-11). Expenditures have increased 13.1 percent over the past three years.
Exhibit 5-11 Source: Public Education Information Management System data.
MPISD Maintenance and Janitorial (Function 51) Budget
1995-96 through 1997-98
Operating Expense 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98 Percentage Change Salaries, wages, overtime, and benefits $943,552 $971,979 $1,098,547 16.4% Contracted services $680,350 $688,800 $730,600 7.4% Materials and supplies $173,365 $165,800 $231,100 33.3% Total Function 51 $1,890,502 $1,907,779 $2,139,027 13.1% FINDING
MPISD maintains more total square footage than any of the peer districts that responded to a telephone survey by the review team (Exhibit 5-12). Each maintenance staff member in MPISD maintains an average of 66,366 square feet.
Exhibit 5-12 Source: WCL Enterprises.
MPISD Maintenance Function Compared to Peer School Districts
1996-97
Mt. Pleasant Corsicana Greenville Paris Liberty Eylau Texarkana Size Students 4,444 5,046 5,299 3,878 2,706 5,298 Facility square footage 796,388 560,000 753,486 N/A 505,200 N/A Expense Staff cost $971,979 $889,612 $1,324,550 $744,680 $564,635 $1,488,364 Contract services $688,800 $1,017,027 $1,316,907 $788,800 $972,270 $1,084,844 Materials $165,800 $189,150 $192,500 $230,950 $159,718 $524,604 Total 51 $1,907,779 $2,178,039 $3,007,640 $1,805,555 $1,769,323 $3,322,517 Staff 12 10 17 8 8 23 Number of facilities 13 14 12 10 7 15 Square footage per staff member 66,366 56,000 44,323 N/A 63,150 N/A According to industry experts, the standard formula for determining the appropriate number of mechanics or technicians for a facility ranges from 40,000 square feet per skilled craftsman for old facilities to 60,000 square feet for new facilities. By the 40,000-square-feet yardstick, MPISD could justify having 19 skilled maintenance workers but only employs 12.
The Maintenance Department budget has funded major renovations of a number of facilities, including: replacement of roofs at Sims and Brice Elementary Schools and Corprew Intermediate School; replacement of metal doors at Wallace Middle School; new panic bars on the doors of all MPISD schools; and major renovation of cafeterias at Sims, Fowler, and Brice Elementary Schools. The work was completed by MPISD maintenance employees.
COMMENDATION
MPISD has maintained its facilities in a cost-effective manner.
FINDING
MPISD completed wiring its wide area computer network (WAN) in mid-1998. The WAN connects all MPISD schools and the Central Support Services Building on one network.
Up until that time, the Maintenance Department was using a manual work order system that was not organized and did not allow staff to track preventive maintenance, labor costs, or materials costs by location. The work orders had been written out on available sheets of paper and were neither tracked nor recorded.
With the implementation of the WAN, the deputy superintendent for Administration and Operations requested the Districtwide Technology Department to develop software to automate the work order system and use it on the WAN. The software was prepared, and now a work order is generated on each request, numbered, and logged into the system with a scheduled time for completion. A principal can access the system to see when a submitted work is scheduled and whether there is any delay. Each work order tracks labor hours and costs, contracted services, materials and supplies costs, and preventive maintenance by location and by piece of equipment.
COMMENDATION
MPISD used its technology capabilities to track and maintain key information on equipment and facilities.
