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Johnny Heredia expects to spend an upcoming summer digging up pipes at Chase Avenue Elementary School. As director of facilities, maintenance and operations for Cajon Valley Union School District, he’s the one called when sewage backs up into bathrooms or playgrounds. It happens often. Digging up the pipes, he acknowledges, would destroy the floors and…

Fairfax County school leaders are exploring a bold, business-style strategy to tackle a growing infrastructure problem: selling naming rights to school facilities. Facing a staggering $400 million maintenance backlog, Fairfax County Public Schools may allow companies to sponsor stadiums, gyms, and other athletic facilities — similar to naming deals in professional sports.  The goal is…

San José’s school district will shutter five elementary schools and relocate another at the end of the year, despite pleas from parents and community members to halt the closure process. The school board voted three to two late Thursday night in favor of the consolidation plan, which will close Empire Gardens, Lowell, Gardner, Canoas and…

The Southington Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously endorsed a key step in advancing a proposed $86.7 million school facilities bond, sending a positive recommendation to the Southington Town Council following a March 17 meeting. The commission reviewed a mandatory 8-24 referral for a bond ordinance that would fund projects under the town’s Elementary Facilities Plan.…

Iowa school districts now must decide whether to pay for digital building maps on their own after the state ended funding for a school safety program launched under Gov. Kim Reynolds’ 2022 School Safety Initiative.  The program, known as Critical Incident Mapping, provides detailed indoor maps to help first responders navigate schools during emergencies. TJ…

School districts across the North Country are asking for help from Albany as energy costs surge, warning that residents could see a tax hike if relief doesn’t come. LaFargeville Superintendent Travis Hoover said the district’s utility bill jumped from $12,000 in January to $26,000 in February, an increase of $14,000 in one month. “We’ve already…

An Arizona judge has ordered the state to fix its school facilities funding system, a decision that Crane School District says reinforces the state’s responsibility to adequately fund schools. The ruling, issued March 4, gives lawmakers eight months to create a constitutional funding system. It’s the result of a 2017 lawsuit brought forward by four…

In the world of institutional management, the calendar is deceptive. We talk about summer maintenance, but from an electrical perspective, the most critical work happens while the snow is still melting. The months of March and April are the best strategic window for your facility to plan for the summer. The difference between a chaotic…

Because of its aging infrastructure, the Olmsted Falls City School District started a facilities master plan effort more than two years ago that recently culminated in recommendations from a volunteer committee. The proposal comes with a roughly $87 million price tag. “The group ultimately decided to make a recommendation to do a combined condense, renovate…

The state School Building Authority has granted extensions to school construction projects taking place in 10 counties. The approval came during the SBA’s quarterly meeting in Charleston. SBA Executive Director Andy Neptune said the reasons for the extensions vary. He said some of them are linked to winter weather and supply chain issues. “Both of…