Fall 2015 UPDATE - Facilities Issue

updateINDISPENSABLE TOOL for SCHOOL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Capital Planning to Get the Most Value From Your Buildings

Community Connections

Next Generation Learning Environments

Cover Story

FACILITIES ISSUE / FALL 2015

The Business of Facilities

24 + | 20 | 30

Friday, October 16 | NIU Naperville Conference Center

Register today at www.illinoistechcon.com

Come and experience a hands-on “unconference” shaped by the stories of innovative districts from

across the state! Explore the challenges of professional development, content curation and delivery and measuring the success of your digital initiatives.

IMPLEMENT INNOVATION FOR THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION

www.iasbo.org | 3

FACILITIE S ISSUE

LOOKING FOR PAST ISSUES? Visit ISSUU.com and search for Illinois ASBO.

THE NEXT ISSUE: BUDGETINGAllocation of limited resources.

OPERATIONS ISSUE / SUMMER 2014

INDISPENSABLE TOOL for SCHOOL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

BUDGETING ISSUE / WINTER 2015

TIGHTENYOURBELT

I N S I DE Illinois Association of School Business OfficialsUPDATE Magazine / Fall 2015 / v.23 / i.01

24

Today's buildings will either enable or detract from teaching and learning well into the future. A strategic approach to capital improvement planning establishes administrators as keepers of the public trust and stewards of taxpayer dollars.

Cover Story by Bradley A. Paulsen, AIA

From Vision TO REALITY

Follow Prospect Heights SD 23’s journey to reduced energy costs through installation of geothermal systems to heat and cool their buildings.

By Luann T. Kolstad 14HEATING and COOLING Digging Deep for Energy Savings

4 | UPDATE Magazine / Fall 2015

SCHOOL BUSINESS 101Summer Facilities Projects: Preventative Maintenance, Inspections, Staffing & More. 19

PATH -TO- SUCCESS Growing Facilities Staff Potential: Tools & Knowledge for an Evolving Profession. 18

FROM-THE-FIELDFinancing Facilities in the Post-Recession Era. 11

FROM-THE-OFFICE Facility Adequacy & Equity for the Next Generation. 09

FROM-THE-PODIUMSupporting Transformation Through Collaboration. 07

PE RSPECTIVE

30

20When educational entities invite the voices of the community to help shape the role schools will play, they are creating partners in a shared vision.

By Dan Kritta, AIA, LEED AP

How thinking differently helped one district to create a Next Generation learning environment while making the most of their resources.

By Greg Monberg, AIA, CEFP, MBA, LEED AP BD+C and Charli Johnsos, AIA, REFP, MBA, LEED AP

Community Connected

From hiring to development to evaluation, ensuring quality facilities staff creates a culture of continuous improvement that benefits everyone who walks through the district’s doors.

By John Fuhrer, CPMM and Scott R. Mackall, CPMM, CPS 34

CULTURE SHIFT

www.iasbo.org | 5

ON MY LIST Community holds

the key to change.

43

R E SOU RC E S

FROM VI S ION TO R EALITY:

Resources to help make your facilities shine as

pillars in the community.

44

The Final WordScott R. Mackall, CPMM, CPSAsst. Dir./Facilities, Ops. & Trans.North Shore SD 112

As a facilities professional, Scott's primary role is to protect the investment of the largest dollar asset any school district has, its buildings. Clean, comfortable, healthy and safe buildings play a key role in the success of any school district.

46

No ShortcutsMany methods to cutting facility maintenance costs that seem good on paper are not sound practices for the physical or interior learning environment. Learn to make informed decisions with a focus on student learning.

By Dennis E. Bane

38

40

Contract complacency can expend many crucial district dollars. Staying caught up on legal trends can help you make sure your district does not succumb to these hidden costs.

By Marcus LaPointe

The Hidden Costs of Contract Complacency

34

Check out www. ia s bo.org or the latest C alenda r of Event s

included in the UPDATE mailing for full seminar listings including location and PDC sponsorship and register for professional development today.

THE

MAGAZINE

Illinois Association of School Business OfficialsNorthern Illinois University, IA-103108 Carroll AvenueDeKalb, IL 60115-2829P: (815) 753-1276 / F: (815) 516-0184 / www.iasbo.org

UPDATE Editorial Advisory Board PDC M E M BE R S

Catherine H. Chang Ancillary ServicesKristopher P. Monn Educational EnterpriseScott Gaunky Facility ManagementYasmine Dada Financial Resource ManagementEric DePorter Human Resource Management Kevin L. Dale Information ManagementJanet L. Fisher Materials & Services ManagementPatrick S. Browne Sustainability

BOARD & E XTE RNAL RE LATION S M E M BE R SJennifer J. Hermes President ElectStephen Chassee SAAC Vice Chair

AT-LARG E M E M BE R S Seth Chapman Comm. Unit Sch. Dist. 303Anton Inglese Batavia USD 101John A. Gibson Homewood SD 153 Dean M. Langdon Illinois Association of School BoardsEric Miller Glenview SD 34

STAFF M E M BE R SMichael Jacoby Executive Director (815) 753-9366, [email protected] P. Bertrand Assistant Executive Director (815) 753-9368, [email protected] Rebekah L. Weidner Staff Writer/Editor(815) 753-9270, [email protected] Curry Senior Graphic Designer(815) 753-9393, [email protected] Curry Graphic Designer(815) 753-7654, [email protected]

Illinois ASBO Board of DirectorsSusan L. Harkin PresidentJennifer J. Hermes President-ElectDavid H. Hill TreasurerNelson W. Gray Immediate Past President 2013–16 Board of Directors Dean L. Gerdes, Cathy L. Johnson, Lyndl A. Schuster2014–17 Board of Directors Barry Bolek, Dean T. Romano, Paul Starck-King2015–18 Board of DirectorsMark W. Altmayer, Julie-Ann C. Fuchs, Eric M. Miller

Illinois ASBO Board LiaisonsAudra Scharf Service Associate Advisory Committee ChairStephen Chassee Service Associate Advisory Committee Vice ChairTerrie S. Simmons ASBO International Liaison Deborah I. Vespa ISBE Board Liaison Perry Hill IASB Board LiaisonPaul McMahon Regional Superintendent LiaisonCalvin C. Jackson Legislative Liaison

Privacy Policy All materials contained within this publication are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, displayed or published without the prior written permission of the Illinois Association of School Business Officials. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.

References, authorship or information provided by parties other than that which is owned by the Illinois Association of School Business Officials are offered as a service to readers. The editorial staff of the Illinois Association of School Business Officials was not involved in their production and is not responsible for their content.

June 2014 October 2015 November 2015

S M T W T F S30 31 1 2 3 4 56 7 8 9 10 11 1213 14 15 16 17 18 1920 21 22 23 24 25 2627 28 29 30 1 2 34 5 6 7 8 9 10

September 2015 December 2015

S M T W T F S27 28 29 30 1 2 34 5 6 7 8 9 1011 12 13 14 15 16 1718 19 20 21 22 23 2425 26 27 28 29 30 311 2 3 4 5 6 7

S M T W T F S1 2 3 4 5 6 78 9 10 11 12 13 1415 16 17 18 19 20 2122 23 24 25 26 27 2829 30 1 2 3 4 56 7 8 9 10 11 12

S M T W T F S29 30 1 2 3 4 56 7 8 9 10 11 1213 14 15 16 17 18 1920 21 22 23 24 25 2627 28 29 30 31 1 23 4 5 6 7 8 9

Date Time Event Location

9/21/15 8:00am SupportCon South Normal

10/2/15 9:00am PDC Networking Meeting Naperville

10/6/15 8:30amISDLAF+ School Finance Seminar: Preparing the Tax Levy

Naperville

10/7-8/15 2:00pm Forecast5 Analytics Fall 2015 Conference Naperville


Rock Falls

10/16/15 7:30am TechCon Naperville

10/19-22/15 7:30am CPMM Facilities Certification Training & Exam TBD


East Peoria

10/23-26/15 8:00am ASBO International Annual Meeting & Expo Grapevine, TX

11/2-3/15 8:00am 2015 Midwest Facility Masters ConferenceWisconsin Dells,

WI

11/9-11/15 8:00am CPS Facilities Certification Training & Exam TBD

11/20-21/15 8:00amIASB/IASA/Illinois ASBO 83rd Joint Annual Conference

Chicago

11/20/15 7:30am Seminar on School Finance - AAC #1062 Chicago

11/20/15 7:30am Risk Management - AAC #1283 Chicago

11/20/15 7:30amLearning from Lincoln: Leadership Practices for School Success - AAC #1098

Chicago

12/4/15 7:30am SupportCon Naperville

1/20/16 8:30amISDLAF+ School Finance Seminar: Mid-Year Budget Review

East Peoria


O'Fallon


Naperville

1/29/16 9:00am PDC Networking Meeting TBD

CALE N DAR OF EVE NTS


www.iasbo.org | 7

Susan L. HarkinCHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICERCOMM. UNIT SCH. DIST. 300

FROM–TH E–PODI U M

PERSPECTIVE / Board President

SI M PLY SAYI NG

We are so fortunate to be able to lean on each other, our facility directors and Service Associates to provide the best learning environments for our students.

Supporting Transformation Through Collaboration

The UPDATE Magazine is a great example of why I believe we are privileged to be part of the very best profession and why I am so proud to be a member of Illinois ASBO. The UPDATE showcases the cooperative spirit of the Illinois ASBO membership and is one of the many Illinois ASBO resources that help us to be successful in our roles. In this issue, there are multiple articles that reflect the breadth of work that school business officials are responsible for and the support provided by members to help us be successful in our roles.

I hope you enjoy the geothermal story by Luann Kolstad. What an innovative way to address the escalating energy costs we are all facing while being conscience of our limited resources! It is exciting to hear Pat Browne’s testimonial on earning his Certified Plant Maintenance Manager certification (CPMM). I believe the active participation of our facility members continues to make us a stronger association. Lastly, I am always eager to read the articles from our Service Associate experts. Brad Paulsen’s article on capital improvement planning will be a resource I will refer to many times in my tenure as a school business official.

As you are aware, the breadth of a school business official’s responsibility is great and we are so fortunate to be able to lean on each other, our facility directors and Service Associates to provide the best learning environments for our students. I hope you find this issue of the UPDATE a valuable resource to support you in your oversight of our school facilities.

As this is my first “From the Podium” article, please know how thrilled I am to serve as your Illinois ASBO President this year. The organization has really transformed over the years and has transformed me as a school business official. I believe we are a stronger association through the collective support and involvement of our professional development committees, regional organizations, Service Associates, educational support personnel and facility directors along with school business officials. It has been exciting to see how the organization is transforming through the cooperative interaction of all of these valued members.

Learn about available leadership opportunities at: www.iasbo.tools/becomeleader

ILLINOIS A

SSOC

IAT

ION

of SCHOOL BUSINESS O

FF

ICIA

LS

with Illinois ASBO

www.iasbo.org | 9

Michael A. Jacoby, Ed.D, CAE, SFOEXECUTIVE DIRECTORILLINOIS ASBO

FROM–TH E– OFFIC E

PERSPECTIVE / Executive Director

SI M PLY SAYI NG

An entire generation of students has come and gone without any substantial investment in facilities by the State of Illinois.

Facility Adequacy and Equity for the Next Generation

In 2011, Illinois ASBO published a facilities-focused issue of UPDATE. In my remarks I referred to our fiscal situation at the time; I cited that after nearly a decade of recession the investment in facilities adequately designed for student learning and efficiency had waned. The fiscal situation has not really changed much since 2011. In fact, it may be worse today than what we were experiencing following the collapse of the housing market in 2008.

The reality is that an entire generation of students has come and gone without any substantial investment in facilities by the State of Illinois. Some districts that were promised a funding match from state grants in 2004 are still waiting for resources to materialize. Even more pressing is the need for a focus on 21st century facilities in every district. Will another generation of students pass through before updated facilities can be realized?

To fully understand the scope of the problem, consider the backlog of current needs in Illinois. The Illinois State Board of Education and the Capital Development Board are required to survey the capital needs of all school districts and report to the General Assembly every two years. The summary results of the 2014 study depicted the needs of 558 elementary, secondary and unit school districts:

• Nearly $848 million is needed to build 96 new school buildings.

• To ease overcrowding, districts are using 846 temporary classrooms (up nearly 300 classrooms since 2011).

• Over $6.5 billion is needed for overall general repair and remodeling projects.

• Of the overall general repair and remodeling needs, over $2.6 billion is needed for health/life safety work.

• Nearly $596 million is needed for 151 building additions.

• 406 additional classrooms are needed for kindergarten classes.

• 339 additional classrooms are needed for pre-kindergarten classes.

For more detailed information, check the ISBE website (www.isbe.net).

With the enormous weight surrounding facility needs in Illinois, accompanied by the lack of funding options, this UPDATE should help all districts put the right foot forward in making the very best choices with the resources available. In the end, it will be up to each reader to determine the future of educational facilities in their district as each engages with their communities. Illinois ASBO will be sure to keep state funding issues alive and ever present with the General Assembly. The children of Illinois need to be well served as facility adequacy and equity emerge as the civil rights issue for the next generation.

N ETWOR K E X PO SU R E C OM M U N ITY E X PE RTI S E FR I E N D S H I PS SUC C E S S N ETWOR K E X PO SU R E C OM M U N ITY E X PE RTI S E FR I E N D S H I PS SUC C E S S

OPPORTU N ITY PARTN E R S R EWAR D S N ETWOR K E X PO SU R E C OM M U N ITY E X PE RTI S E FR I E N D S H I PS SUC C E S S

OPPORTU N ITY PARTN E R S R EWAR D S N ETWOR K E X PO SU R E C OM M U N ITY E X PE RTI S E FR I E N D S H I PS SUC C E S S

OPPORTU N ITY PARTN E R S R EWAR D S

N ETWOR K E X PO SU R E C OM M U N ITY E X PE RTI S E FR I E N D S H I PS SUC C E S S

OPPORTU N ITY PARTN E R S R EWAR D SN ETWOR K E X PO SU R E C OM M U N ITY E X PE RTI S E FR I E N D S H I PS SUC C E S S N ETWOR K E X PO SU R E C OM M U N ITY N ETWOR K E X PO SU R E C OM M U N ITYSERVICE ASSOCIATE PARTICIPATION REWARDS PROGRAM

Learn How Service Associates Can Get Involved and Get Rewarded:

www.iasbo.tools/GAINS2015

WHAT WI LL YOU

TH I S YEAR?GAINN ETWOR K E X PO SU R E C OM M U N ITY E X PE RTI S E FR I E N D S H I PS SUC C E S S

OPPORTU N ITY PARTN E R S R EWAR D S

www.iasbo.org | 11

Audra ScharfVICE PRESIDENTPMA FINANCIAL NETWORK, INC.

FROM–TH E–FI E LD

PERSPECTIVE / SAAC Chair

SI M PLY SAYI NG

A district’s existing debt structure should be a consideration when looking to finance facility needs.

Wisdom learned from the great recession and the corresponding property devaluation prescribes that a referendum campaign, if possible, should avoid a B&I tax rate objective since it requires a district to predict its EAV. A referendum is more likely to receive voter approval if an increase in the current B&I levy can be avoided. A district has direct control over its B&I levy and can more accurately predict its path.

Accordingly, a district that has a B&I levy nearing a decrease in the next two to five years should consider discussing the need for a referendum campaign to address facilities needs to prepare for the B&I levy decrease. If financing needs are more immediate, a current bond issue’s call option may provide an opportunity to create a B&I levy decrease earlier by extending the current B&I levy at a lower annual amount.

Opportunities in the Low Rate EnvironmentThe low current interest rate environment may provide an opportunity to lower the interest rate on current bonds with a call option. However, a call option may be better utilized along with a capital facilities financing plan. A district that refunds a current bond issue for savings without considering future facility requirements may later need to restructure the refunding bonds without the benefit of a call option, thereby reducing or eliminating the savings it realized on the refunding. When presented with an opportunity to refund current bonds for savings, a business official should always consider future financing plans before recommending a refunding to their school board.

Lastly, there may be opportunities available in the municipal bond market to lower the cost of financing which include strategies to maximize bank qualification and the use of tax credit bonds (e.g. QZABs, QECBs and QSCBs). These tools could potentially lower the cost of financing which may enable a district to generate additional bond proceeds.

Financing Facilities in the Post-Recession Era

Financing facilities in the post-great recession era has been difficult due in part to escalating debt service payments, lack of matching funds from the state and the public’s aversion to property taxes and debt. For certain districts, several years may have passed since they last issued bonds for new construction. These districts may be nearing a decrease in their bond and interest (B&I) levies and/or call options for current bonds, which may provide opportunities for a district to consider a bond referendum or a non-referendum bond issue (subject to certain constraints) to finance facility needs without increasing its current B&I levy.

Article assistance provided by Robert E. Lewis III, Senior Vice President, Managing Director, PMA Securities, Inc.

CONTR I BUTOR S

John Fuhrer, CPMM

Dir. /Operations, Facilities & Trans.

North Shore SD 112

Has over 13 years in school facility leadership with 15 years in corporate facilities. John co-chairs the Illinois ASBO North Eastern Illinois Facilities Professionals Regional Organization. He earned his CPMM through the Association for Facilities Engineers (AFE) and serves as a program [email protected]

Luann T. KolstadChief School Business Official

Park Ridge Niles CMCSD 64

A past Illinois ASBO Director, Luann believes in providing an environment conducive to learning. Beyond the geothermal project at Prospect Heights, she has overseen multiple construction projects and is moving forward on a Ten Year Life Safety Survey at Park Ridge.

[email protected]

Charli Johnsos, AIA, REFP, MBA, LEED AP

Executive Director

Fanning Howey Associates, Inc.

A lifelong resident of Illinois, Charli has worked with more than 20 school districts in the Chicagoland area. Her passion is creating future-ready learning environments that give every student access to the American Dream. Connect with Charli on LinkedIn or Twitter (@CJohnsos).

[email protected]

Dan Kritta, AIA, LEED AP

Partner

Wold Architects and Engineers

Has been focused on K-12 planning and design in his 25 years with Wold. Dan has collaborated with over 20 districts across the Midwest, promoting a community-engaged approach to reach consensus on a shared educational vision.

[email protected]

Dennis E. BanePrincipal

DLR Group

Working with educational clients, Dennis is familiar with the many complex aspects of educational facility planning, programming, design and construction delivery methods. He focuses on effective use of space to accommodate the current and future educational programming goals of each learner. [email protected]

Patrick S. Browne, Jr., CPMM

Dir. /Buildings & Grounds

Batavia USD 101

Spent 13 years in commercial construction and real estate prior to his position at Batavia. Pat is a member of the Sustainability PDC and serves on the UPDATE Editorial Board. He became certified as a Plant Maintenance Manager in [email protected]

Scott R. Mackall, CPMM, CPS

Asst. Dir./Facilities, Ops. & Trans.

North Shore SD 112

Brings over 15 years of experience to this industry and several more as a sales manager in the custodial supplies equipment field. Scott has led many training programs over his career and feels fortunate to contribute to growing the skills of fellow facilities professionals.

[email protected]

Greg Monberg, AIA, CEFP, MBA, LEED AP BD+C

Dir./Design Research

Fanning Howey Associates, Inc. Has more than 20 years experience in school planning and design. Greg has presented at the Department of Defense Education Activity’s Facilities for 21st Century Learning design charrette and many national conferences. Ask him about the future of learning environments on Twitter (@GHMonberg). [email protected]

Marcus LaPointe, CPMM

Coor. /Custodial Services

Elgin SD U-46

With over 20 years in construction, Marcus is now responsible for 23 facilities with a crew of 20 in-house and 145 contracted custodians providing clean, safe and functional buildings. His experience ranges from commercial plumbing in Chicago to commercial diving in the Gulf of [email protected]

Bradley A. Paulsen, AIA

Senior Vice President, PK-12 Education

Practice Leader

Wight & Company A licensed architect, Brad has been helping districts strategically plan their capital improvement needs for almost 24 years. He has taken his passion for education to his own community as Vice President of the Board of Education at Wheaton Warrenville CUSD 200. [email protected]

Would you like to be an UPDATE Contributor?

If you have an issue you feel needs to be brought to the forefront, present your ideas to Rebekah Weidner at [email protected].

The issue themes that we will be soliciting articles for next year include:

We look forward to seeing new faces on this page as we continue to make the UPDATE an indispensable resource for school business management.

• Leadership • Innovation• Purchasing • Accounting

www.iasbo.org | 13

HEATING and COOLINGDigging Deep for Energy Savings


In early 2012, the district’s ten-year life safety plan and facilities master plan provided a pretty dismal picture of the buildings’ mechanical systems:

• Obsolete unit ventilators and controls• Boilers at the end of useful life and beyond• Air-handling units at the end of useful life and beyond• No air conditioning in three schools, except in the

offices• The heating, ventilating and air-conditioning system at

one school and offices in other buildings all reaching the end of useful life

Because of financial constraints, the district had deferred maintenance and replacement of all mechanical units and thus faced very expensive replacement costs. The cost to replace only the priority mechanical items, which represented approximately 50% of the necessary mechanical replacements, was more than $5 million — and that did not include adding air conditioning.

In 2008, the district received an estimate to air-condition all the buildings at a cost of $3.6 million. By 2012, when added to the cost of replacing only the priority mechanical items, the total exceeded $8.7 million. How could the district justify replacing only 50% of the end-of-useful-life mechanicals and adding air conditioning at that cost?

Many discussions around the district table centered on the need to air-condition the buildings. We have all suffered through large classes with no air conditioning, right? When I asked our board, “Is your home and car air-conditioned?” they answered yes. When I asked if their home and car were air-conditioned when they went to school, they answered no.

The light bulb went on! How can we expect students and staff who live in an air-conditioned world outside of school, to work and learn in a non-air-conditioned environment? We had to go back to the drawing board. Could we find a solution that included replacing all of our mechanicals and air-condition our buildings?

Geothermal heating and cooling had been tossed around in different conversations with the board, but they were always dismissed as being too expensive. However, in a discussion with the district’s architect, I learned that a school in West Aurora, Illinois, was converting to geothermal heating and cooling. The engineer on that project had successfully installed more than 80 geothermal projects in schools in other states as well as in Southern Illinois. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that his simple one-pipe solution for geothermal heating and cooling was substantially less expensive than other designs I had seen.

The estimated cost to install geothermal heating and cooling in all four schools was $6.2 million. That cost would include replacing all mechanical systems in the four buildings — systems that would require minimal maintenance for at least 20 years. Once work was completed, only the new high-efficiency water heaters installed in the buildings would use natural gas, which equates to a savings on utilities for the school district.

After many months of educating both the board and the community about how this system could work at a much lower cost than traditional heating and cooling systems, we moved forward with our project. In addition to the geothermal work, the board voted to replace ceilings and install high-efficiency lighting, occupancy sensors and flooring in the facilities.

Prospect Heights School District in Illinois serves approximately 1,550 Pre K–8 students in four buildings. Three of the schools and the administration building are located on one main campus; the fourth school is located approximately one mile from the main campus.

www.iasbo.org | 15

ARTICLE By Luann T. KolstadCHIEF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALPARK RIDGE NILES CMCSD 64

Work BeginsBeginning in February 2013, two well fields were drilled and installed: one on the main campus sized to serve a middle school, two grade schools and an administration building, totaling approximately 200,000 square feet; and one at Eisenhower Elementary School, serving approximately 38,000 square feet. The main campus well field was installed under a playing field and the one at Eisenhower was installed under an empty detention pond.

During summer 2013, MacArthur Middle School was converted to geothermal heating and cooling. The system went online in August 2013, providing much-needed air conditioning in the warm months of August and September.

Although I knew the system would save money, I was shocked when I reviewed our January 2014 natural gas bill. That January, our area of the country experienced some of the coldest weather on record. Yet MacArthur Middle School — at 110,000 square feet — used 384 therms of natural gas. My own humble home of 2,900 square feet used 254 therms of natural gas!

The only gas used at the middle school now is for water heating and kitchen appliances. All building heating is completed by geothermal heat pumps, which are capable of providing 350% more heating energy than an electric heater with the same energy input.

During summer 2014, Anne Sullivan and Betsy Ross Elementary Schools were converted to geothermal heating and cooling. Both facilities came online in August 2014, providing cooling in the late summer and readily switching over to heating in the fall. We learned a lot about our facilities and geothermal heating and cooling — knowledge that will be used as we complete Eisenhower Elementary School this summer.

Understanding Geothermal SystemsTraditional unit ventilator systems use boilers and chillers to heat and cool a building. Geothermal systems use the energy storage properties of the earth to both heat and cool a building.

At Prospect Heights, the storage and recycling of heat take place below the ground in a well field composed of thousands of feet of high-density polyethylene pipe, known as the ground loop heat exchanger. The heat exchanger located on the central campus is composed of 120, 500 foot-deep boreholes that are connected to form a single closed loop. The heat exchanger located at Eisenhower School is composed of 32 to 500 foot-deep boreholes.

Both Prospect Heights geothermal well field loops use a closed-loop system, which continuously circulates the same water that it was filled with during start-up. There is no transfer between system water and groundwater in the system; therefore, it does not negatively affect water tables in the area. That fact is important since all homes in Prospect Heights are on private wells.

The traditional unit ventilators and air handlers at our schools were replaced with geothermal heat pump units, which reject their heat to the loop or draw heat from the loop based on the heating or cooling requirement for that specific location. Our schools have been designed with a “one-pipe” loop system, which means that one classroom can call for heat, while the one right next door calls for cooling. An added benefit is that the heat pumps generate a minimal amount of noise when running.

“The system has proven to be highly efficient, while providing students and faculty with a comfortable building that will

maximize the educational environment for many years to come.”


This article originally appeared in the July/August 2015 issue of School Business Affairs and is reprinted with permission of the Association of School Business Officials International. www.asbointl.org.

COOLING: In the cooling mode, the earth acts as a heat sink enabling circulating fluid to transfer the heat rejected by the heat pump units from the building zones to the earth, where it is absorbed and stored for future heating requirements. The earth has a built-in time delay. During those times of year when the cooling requirements are highest, the earth’s temperature is still relatively cool, allowing easy absorption of excess heat into the ground. The ground temperature actually lags the outside temperature by several months. So by the time its temperature has increased, the building’s total cooling requirements have been reduced.

HEATING: In the heating mode, the earth acts as a heat source allowing the circulating fluid to extract heat from the earth and transfer it to the space where it can be used for heating. During those times of the year when the heating requirements are highest, the earth’s temperature is still relatively warm, which makes heat extraction from the ground easy. In the heating mode, the building unit’s function is reversed from that of the cooling mode. The geothermal unit absorbs heat from the ground and transfers it to the building zones that require heat. The ground temperature again lags the outside temperature. So by the time its temperature has decreased, the building’s total heating requirement has diminished. For most of the year, the building requires both cooling and heating, allowing the water temperature in the ground loop to remain relatively constant throughout the day.

HOW DOES GEOTHERMAL WORK?

Benefits of Geothermal SystemsThe district is experiencing relatively low operating and maintenance costs for the new geothermal systems. In addition, system maintenance requires no specialized training; we have only had to replace the air filters at MacArthur Middle School and that was easy because the filters are typical of those seen in home applications. I think even I could handle this!

Given our results with MacArthur Middle School and the Ross–Sullivan campus, the system has proven to be highly efficient, while providing students and faculty with a comfortable building that will maximize the educational environment for many years to come.

The journey to creating a healthy, energy-efficient learning and work environment for our students and staff has been a rewarding one. One of the best comments I heard after we finished MacArthur Middle School was from a board member. Her son came home and told her it was too cold in the air-conditioned classroom. It brought a smile to both of our faces.

As you consider how to create an environment more conducive to learning and work, think about making the facility energy efficient. Seek out the foremost experts in the field. (Geothermal projects in Illinois are overseen by the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association, the National Ground Water Association and the Illinois Department of Public Health.) Take your time to research your project and educate your board and community —it will pay dividends in the end.

www.iasbo.org | 17

ARTICLE / Geothermal Energy

BO

Growing Facilities Staff PotentialTools and Knowledge for an Evolving Profession

No longer just the domain of tradespeople, maintenance as a profession has evolved significantly over the last several decades. 50 years ago, running equipment to failure and fixing it when it broke was acceptable. 30 years ago preventative maintenance helped prolong the life of buildings and equipment, but knowing when the equipment might fail was still a guessing game. Today, predictive maintenance measures are employed to monitor the condition of equipment with the goal of eliminating unexpected equipment breakdowns.

As changes in building code requirements and technology have increased along with the complexity of the systems that make up our school buildings, engineers and highly skilled technicians have been needed to ensure that learning environments are suitable for students. Leading the charge to make certain reliable maintenance programs are developed in our districts, the maintenance manager has a tall order to fill and many hats to wear.

Through the partnership between Illinois ASBO and the Association for Facilities Engineering (AFE), Illinois maintenance managers have been able to elevate their level of professional development and remain current with the techniques and technologies in maintenance management. Two certification programs are now available to Illinois maintenance managers, Certified Plant Supervisor (CPS) and the Certified Plant Maintenance Manager (CPMM). Both programs offer an assortment of relevant trainings in the maintenance field.

In 2013, I became certified as a Plant Maintenance Manager. My course work included the following core competencies:

• Maintenance management• Preventative maintenance• Inventory and procurement• Work flow planning/scheduling• Computerized maintenance management systems• Maintenance training and work cultures• Predictive maintenance• Reliability centered maintenance• Total productive maintenance• Maintenance return on investment• Safety and health• Indoor air quality

Up until the CPS program, I considered myself a jack-of-all-trades, but master of none. Having spent the last 15 years of my career either constructing or maintaining commercial buildings, I found that “on the job” experiences still had not given me all the tools and knowledge that this certification has provided. The CPS certification has given me the resources I need and improved my understanding of how to blend the various delivery models of maintenance services to provide learning spaces that enhance the education environment for our students.

Since continuing education credits are required to maintain the certificate, my learning and growing as a maintenance leader and professional will not stop. If you are a business manager or superintendent supervising a maintenance manager, I encourage you to have that individual seek out one of these certifications. In a field that is ever changing, there is much that can be learned and applied to the maintenance of our schools.

Find out more about facilities certifications at

www.iasbo.tools/fmcertification

BO

ILLINOIS ASSOC

IAT

ION of SCHOOL BUSI

NESS O

FF

ICIA

L

S

ILLINOIS ASBO

FACILITIES

CERTIFICATION

A Path for Continual Growth

The Right Skills to Stay on Track

By Patrick S. Browne Jr., CPMMDIR./BUILDINGS & GROUNDSBATAVIA USD 101

PATH-TO -SUCCE SS / Facilities Certification

BO

www.iasbo.org | 19

S C HOOL BU S I N E S S 101

PERSPECTIVE / On the Profession

During the late spring and summertime months is when I perform most of my required inspections, whether it is bleacher, fire suppression systems or boiler inspections. All inspections that are required on a yearly basis are things I plan out in the summer, as well as all my summer construction projects. From the facilities side of things, in the summer time we always have to worry about turning over the schools and cleaning them for the next school year. Amidst all of those inspections, cleaning and summer construction, it keeps us pretty busy through August.”

BRIAN ROM I NSKI Dir./Buildings & Grounds, Burbank SD 111

“

This year, with the state money being relatively scarce and even unsure, we put together a plan just to do basic maintenance on our three buildings. One cutback this year is that we’re only going to refinish one of the three gym floors. All three probably need it, but we are only going to refinish one. We are cutting back on mowing projects, summer workers and those types of things. In the end, all of the direct facility maintenance and renewal that needs to be done will get done. There are a lot of things that would make the district a nicer place that are not getting done. We are trying to balance what we have with what we need.”

LEO JOH NSON Interim Superintendent, Oakwood CUSD 76

“

What do you do in the summer to prepare your facilities for the next school year?

S C HOOL BU S I N E S S 101

We have summer school, so we cannot do some of the major projects. We are really digging into our PMs (preventive maintenance) and trying to catch up and make sure we’re optimal and putting all our standard operating procedures together for the future, because we are facing a huge turnaround with retirees. We are going to be hiring some new staff, maintenance and custodial, so we want to have a training program set when we have this turnaround.”

C H ET BAC HULA Facility and Grounds Supervisor, Glenbrook HSD 225

“

We assess what the needs are first and try to be proactive in any maintenance and repair type issues. We had a roof repair at one of our facilities and we are trying to plan that out from a physical perspective, so that we have funding available – especially in light of the recent financial crisis that we are all going to be facing. I am in a Special Ed. Coop, so we do not levy for taxes; we rely upon our Gen. Ed. districts. Of course, that impacts them as well. Really, we just look at what we can plan out over the summer to make sure our facility is up, running well and viable for our kids to learn.”

TE RRI L . SHARPP Dir./Business & Finance, SPEED S.E.J.A. 802

“

By Patrick S. Browne Jr., CPMMDIR./BUILDINGS & GROUNDSBATAVIA USD 101

Not long ago, the typical relationship of a school with families and community members could be as limited as a daily curbside drop off by a parent and an occasional parent/teacher conference or holiday presentation. Today, a school district’s connectivity to the community is a measure of success. When educational entities invite the voices of the community to help shape the role schools will play, they are creating partners in a shared vision.

STUDENT BENEFITS• Positive effects on student

academic achievement Research has demonstrated favorable impacts on attendance, aspirations for post-secondary education and reduced dropout rates.

• Positive influence on social functioning With regard to student behavior, motivation, peer relationships and adult role models.

• Physical health benefits Through care provider connections, students and families can alleviate barriers to learning by having access to physical health and social services, often located within the school.

• Expanded learning opportunities This occurs across the entire community in a variety of settings, developing new role models, different skills and leadership qualities.

SCHOOL DISTRICT BENEFITS• School improvement buy-in

Citizens can share a powerful voice in school improvement efforts.

• More access to knowledge and resources through partnerships with local businesses, universities and foundations.

• Increase Instructional capacity Schools and partnering organizations can work closely with educators to integrate current curriculum and provide beyond-the-classroom settings for real world learning.

• Connections to local industries Student internships and entrepreneurship activities can foster connections to relevant local businesses and trades.

COMMUNITY BENEFITS• Getting a say in district priorities

As part of the educational visioning process, community members can present priorities most important to strengthening their place in the community.

• Understanding their school system Elevated involvement within the schools can affect attitudes toward education and shift parenting styles in a positive direction.

• Organizations can leverage school resources A school can become the hub of the community where the public can come together. This may include using school facilities to host other curriculum-based programs.

Community partnerships can provide reciprocal benefits for all parties involved. A successful community-connected school will promote greater student success, stronger families and healthier communities.

COMMUNITY CONNECTED

PARTNERING IN A SHARED VISION FOR YOUR SCHOOLS

A WIN-WIN-WIN PARTNERSHIP


Rural District — School Building as a Civic CenterA school district in a small rural Colorado community invited the community into the planning process for a new Pre K-12 facility for 200 children. The new school would be the largest building in town. The community priorities reflected their commitment to heritage, as well as the ambitions and well being of their small town.

• Citizens approached the new facility as a civic center capable of accommodating multiple events such as weddings, sporting events and community activities.

• Cultural influences drove priorities regarding building aesthetics and roof systems.

• The community placed an emphasis on distance learning, creating interactive video labs that allowed access to a collaborative pool of educators and expanded curriculum choices beyond the district borders.

• Because of the exposed rural environment, the citizens also saw an opportunity to create a community-wide storm shelter to resist inclement weather.

Suburban District — Bringing Family Perspectives into the ProcessIn a growing Illinois suburb northwest of Chicago, district leadership recognized the need to clearly define a comprehensive master plan that accommodated student growth, especially at the high school. They conducted collaborative public forums to gather suburban family perspectives, which centered on students and strongly influenced the transformation including:

• Creating a recognizable identity along with bolstering school pride and spirit.

• Reorganization of the sprawling high school into understandable, student-friendly components.

• Promoting synergies between the school and the local library and park district.

• Reconfiguring the traffic flows to separate buses, students, staff and to remedy parent and community safety concerns.

Urban District — Meeting Neighborhood NeedsA large urban school district in Minnesota recently launched a community outreach process to discover, school by school, what was important to the parents and families of the community.

In a previous diversification initiative, students had been shifted from neighborhood schools across the district to blend racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Common themes of reconnecting at a neighborhood school level guided the strategic discussion.

• Parents desired to bring learning closer to home and wanted choices available to send their children to neighborhood schools. They felt this would reconnect families to the local school communities.

• An emphasis was placed on creating parity between school buildings to deter school selections based on inequitable facility conditions.

• Partnerships were forged under a community services model, which placed social, dental and medical services within the schools for economically disadvantaged families.

A community-connected school will mean something different to every community. Cultural background, racial diversity, socioeconomics, location and size are a few of the differentiators that make each community unique. Each community contemplates unique opportunities and challenges when pursuing connections to their school system.

Only the community served can define what connection means. Every community will collectively set unique expectations on their educational centers. Can a school be all things to all members of a community? The answer to that question begins with communication and participation in an open, inclusive process.

ALL THINGS TO ALL COMMUNITIES

www.iasbo.org | 21

By Dan Kritta, AIA, LEED APPARTNERWOLD ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS

ARTICLE

1. DESIGN THE PROCESS TO ALIGN WITH THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS. With every community being unique, offering forums of different scales allows families and community members to express themselves in settings that fit their comfort zone. Some will appreciate the high school auditorium venue to speak their minds; others will find the coffee klatch at a local café less intimidating. The layering and roles in an engagement process should also be structured to fit the community involved. One approach does not apply to all.

2. CREATE A VISION WITH AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO GUIDE THE BROADER PLANNING DISCUSSIONS. Before the doors open for community connections, an advisory committee, or core planning group, should be formed to create a vision framework. District leaders and community stakeholders serve as the core of this advisory committee. Goals include is steering engagement sessions with the community-at-large, ensuring the district’s mission is well-defined and identifying opportunities for community connections. This committee should reach out to other experts such as municipal leaders, business owners, realtors and other support program representatives to layer local context onto the visioning process.

3. ESTABLISH GUIDING PRINCIPLES AT THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE LEVEL. Guiding principles provide purpose and direction as a baseline for conversations with a larger audience. At a minimum, guiding principles should present intentions with regard to equity, health and safety deficiencies, outdated building systems, learning initiatives, partnership possibilities and extended opportunities to the entire community. They serve as the criteria to reach a single best direction for the community and as the filter to assess potential solutions.

4. START WITH THE FACTS! Facts are difficult to dispute. Providing a foundation of reality establishes common ground at the onset of discussion and minimizes the opportunity for misinterpretation. A fact-based process will be community specific but typically includes facility challenges, enrollment, building usage, grade configurations and attendance boundaries.

Enrollment Trends Relative to Building CapacityThoroughly documenting utilization will inform families and community members how each building is being used and how often. When community conversations turn to possible building closures, this data is critical. Reality can subdue some personal feelings responding to a neighborhood school being “mothballed,” razed or sold.

Adequacy of Learning EnvironmentsNext-generation learning requires nimble and diverse environments to engage today and tomorrow’s student. Comparing current spaces where children learn to student-centric, program responsive settings allows families and community members to recognize where alignment falls short in reaching the district’s academic mission. What will also surface are the gaps in equity from space to space and school to school.

Financial Abilities and PoliticsTo complete the knowledge base shared with a community task force, accurate financial capacity is key. An overview of district assets and expenditures helps convey annual budgeting. Status of debt service, review of other borrowing options and current funding reforms will allow your stakeholders to discuss sound fiscal strategies.

RULES OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT


Discussion around balancing asset investments between facilities can be emotionally charged. By presenting objective details, you can diffuse individual perceptions of “haves” and “have nots” and prevent stakeholders from choosing sides.

When an aging school brings heritage and nostalgia to the community, there will likely be momentum to preserve and transform in lieu of forget and replace. Facts can help clear the way when emotional attachments to a neighborhood school cloud the reality of a building’s obsolescence. This includes analyzing the costs and potential shortcomings associated with a full-fledged renovation program.

When debating this lively topic in a community forum, the discussion should center on how well a revitalized school facility aligns with the established guiding principles and at what cost meaningful transformation will come. There are general rules, which suggest, “When the cost of renovating an older school exceeds 60 percent of the cost of a new school, then a school district should build a new school.”

The 60 percent threshold loses credibility if all new construction costs are not considered. Land acquisition, utility line extensions, transportation and road infrastructure can be exhaustive costs that must be factored in. The availability of land for new construction and the feasibility of undertaking an extensive, phased renovation without impacting the educational mission of the school should also be considered.

Balancing cost and compromises will be the test for district leadership, families and community members to reach consensus on how to move forward.

Comprehensively assessing conditions and current shortcomings is a large undertaking. The partnering of architects and engineers with district facility leaders is imperative to understand challenges that cannot be seen. A facility assessment will capture the physical status of key aspects of each building. Categories will include:

Findings should be compiled into a user-friendly tool, including actions necessary to address deficiencies and projected costs. This document will serve as a baseline for your community stakeholders. Please note that “fact books” are most beneficial when scripted in layperson’s terms, as technical language appears covert and can be intimidating.

• SITE AND SURROUNDINGS• EXTERIOR ENVELOPE• INTERIOR COMPONENTS• ACCESSIBILITY COMPLIANCE

• LIFE SAFETY/CODE DEFICIENCIES• ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS• MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS• EXPANSION POTENTIAL

FAC I L I T Y CONDITIONS & DEFICIENCIES

TO CONSTRUCT OR NOT TO CONSTRUCT?ENGAGING THE DEBATE

www.iasbo.org | 23

From Vision to RealityCapital Planning to Get the Most Value From Your Buildings

Three Drivers of Facility Improvement NeedsTo develop an effective, comprehensive capital improvement plan, the school district needs to understand the conditions of its buildings and the situation in the community. There are three primary drivers that will largely define needs and shape proposed solutions.

1. Growing operations and maintenance need. As facilities “grow up,” there are building systems that need regular maintenance and upkeep. Eventually, systems will need complete replacement to extend the useful life of the school and to provide a supportive environment for teaching and learning. Additionally, the growing awareness for environmental stewardship — or sustainable responsibility — has a significant place in the minds of many taxpayers. As facilities age, there is an opportunity to implement building enhancements that increase energy and operational efficiency.

2. Evolution of educational programs and space alignment needs. There is no doubt that schools constructed in the 20th century were planned for a different set of educational parameters and outcomes. The methods of instruction and learning were aligned with the preparation of students for a different workforce,

economy and career possibilities. The skills to be developed and nurtured in a 21st century student are vastly different than prior generations of students. Educational programs must change along with generations. The 3 “R”s have become the 4 “C”s — Communication, Collaboration, Creativity and Critical Thinking. Buildings and individual learning spaces, must adapt to support this new reality.

3. Changing student enrollment and demographic profiles. Space deficiencies and the lack of the right type of space, are major contributors to a list of required building improvement needs. The growth of students with special needs and English learners has created a need for dedicated space for individual and small group instruction that was not contemplated at the time most schools were originally constructed. Even the recent economic improvement has re-opened the door to new home development in some communities. As baby boomers set to retire, many are now in a position to capture their home value that has been (mostly) restored and move to their preferred “retirement destination.” This opens the doors for new families to move into a community with new students in tow.

chool buildings are often the single largest and, arguably, the most important collection of physical assets within a community. They are the one constant that will impact every student for the next 50-60 years. Buildings are not neutral players — they will either enable or detract from the process (and art) of teaching and learning well into the future. Most real estate professionals will tell you that the quality of the school district and the quality of the school buildings plays a significant role in preserving and raising home values.

Each facility brings with it a significant initial investment to develop the site and construct the building. This is followed by annual operating expenses and utility costs to power, light, heat and cool the facility for both academic purposes and community events. After a short period of time, regular maintenance investment is required, followed by replacement of building systems (e.g., roofing, mechanical system equipment, etc.) and then eventual remodeling or renovation to align with changes in curricular programs or instructional techniques.

Taken in the aggregate, the overall investment in a school building will far exceed the initial construction cost. The burden on the taxpayers is a driving force that elevates discussions surrounding capital improvement needs to the surface — and to the front page of the newspaper. Taking a strategic approach to developing capital improvement plans is an important role of the school board and administration as keepers of the public trust and stewards of taxpayer dollars.

www.iasbo.org | 25

ARTICLE By Bradley A. Paulsen, AIASENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, PK-12 EDUCATION PRACTICE LEADERWIGHT & COMPANY

Creating a Vision and Quantifying NeedsWith a clear understanding of what is driving the need for building improvement planning, the next steps are to define (or visualize) a deeper understanding of how your school buildings need to adapt, collect data and assess your buildings and sites. Most districts are likely to engage external consultants to assist in the facility assessment process. These are most likely to be architects, educational planners, engineers or specialty consultants (e.g., roofing experts, technology “visionaries,” etc.). Each is likely to ask, “What is your vision?”

The first step should be to develop and articulate your district’s vision. In order to define what you want your consultants to look at, they will most likely need to better understand key issues that the district is facing. Answers to these questions will better shape how your buildings should be assessed:

• How are your buildings holding back your instructional practices?

• What programs and services do you anticipate incorporating into your curriculum in the future?

• What have you heard from your stakeholders (community, teachers and students) about the condition of the learning environment?

• What is your vision for 21st century teaching and learning?

• What does your operational history tell you about efficiency of your space’s use and energy consumption?

Taking a “Binocular” ApproachAs you begin designing your facility assessment approach, it is good to think about looking through a pair of binoculars. As if you were looking at a distant landscape or sporting event, it is critical to look through both lenses to bring a full picture of your building needs into focus.

The 3 “R”s have become the 4 “C ”s Communication, Collaboration, Creativity and Critical Thinking. Buildings and individual learning spaces must adapt to support this new reality.

1Lens One Physical Conditions

This lens assesses the current condition and anticipated life expectancy of the facility’s infrastructure and systems. It also assesses general needs for repair or replacement of the various systems and infrastructure to ensure that the district can continue to provide a comfortable, safe and efficient environment for teaching and learning. Key investigations could include areas such as:

• Building enclosure systems (e.g., roofing, windows)• Interior finishes (e.g., flooring and wall finishes)• Mechanical and electrical systems (e.g., boilers,

ventilation equipment and plumbing fixtures)• Site components (e.g., hard surfaces and athletic fields)

or other areas such as accessibility, environmental or furniture conditions

An experienced consultant will be able to provide the district with a detailed list (menu) of areas and building elements that could be considered for assessment. Balancing condition and priorities is a critical consideration. As the buildings and sites are assessed, each component will be looked at for the timing of the need:

• Critical condition elements might require work in the next one to three years.

• Medium condition items/systems should have potential investment planned for in approximately four to seven years.

• Longer-term components will require facility staff to keep their eyes on the condition and operation for potential future needs.

In addition, categorizing the findings in areas such as safety, learning environment characteristics or building enclosure may assist the board of education in categorizing work priorities.


After all findings and observations are gathered, it is important to share this information with the board of education prior to launching into the process of problem-solving and coming up with specific building or district-level solutions. This is an important milestone to ensure that everyone shares a common vision and that everyone is on the same page regarding building needs. This is also an opportune time to address any communication barriers or red flags before embarking on plan development and community engagement.

Developing a Plan & Engaging the Community With the data collection, assessment findings and a clear understanding of building needs behind you, it is time to launch into the exploration of potential building-level solutions and the development of a master facility plan. This is the point where the science of assessment merges with the art of planning. Starting on a building level basis, individual school and site scenarios can be explored and tested with a district-level committee.

Depending on the assessment findings and educational program directions, the range of solutions can vary widely. This is where your architect or planner can utilize creative problem solving to reveal possibilities that may not have been previously contemplated. For example, to accommodate space needs, it is becoming more common to explore grade-level adjustments across a district. Rather than building additions or making significant renovations at multiple schools it may be more cost efficient to shift a grade-level to another school to free up space for targeted improvements or other space improvement needs.

As building level solutions are explored and a district-wide approach is coming into focus, it is important to consider the anticipated outcome of the master facility plan. Does the district have the funding capability to implement the improvements in a single comprehensive program or will the district prefer to develop a plan that can be implemented in a series of phases that might span many years? Often, this question is best explored through a process of community engagement to explore priorities, expectations, funding considerations and the community’s appetite for change.

2Lens Two Educational Adequacy (or Alignment)

This includes how well the building supports the way your teachers are teaching now, where the buildings might hold teachers back and where future curriculum areas may require adjustments. This is generally the area that is the most difficult for teachers to articulate and the most difficult need for community members to understand. How often have we heard the phrase “If it was good enough for me…” to deflect a discussion about school building needs?

In today’s schools, and in modern (21st century) education, there are a host of pressures that impact how schools are effectively used:

• The growing recognition of the importance of early childhood education and all-day kindergarten often creates space pressures.

• The evolution of the role technology plays in learning continues to evolve. Twenty years ago, the approach was to create “places to go” to use technology. Today, the need has shifted to access anywhere, all the time with “a device in your hand.” This has changed how and where learning activities take place.

• The development of the next generation science standards and the movement towards project-based learning and maker spaces is having an impact on the way students collaborate, problem solve and engage as leaders of their own learning.

Additionally, there is a growing body of research supporting the theory (or belief) that the learning environment has a significant impact on student achievement and health. Measurements of a learning space’s acoustical qualities, temperature/humidity levels, carbon dioxide levels and lighting qualities are critical data elements to collect and consider. Other key considerations include capacity analysis and space, future enrollment trends, class size parameters, current and planned educational programs and cross-district facility equity issues.

www.iasbo.org | 27

ARTICLE / Capital Planning

A variety of methods can be utilized to implement a community engagement process — community open houses, private sessions with targeted community groups, online surveys and even new web-based tools are all approaches at a district’s disposal. Regardless of the path chosen to generate input and build support, it is important to let the process develop. As the old adage goes, patience is a virtue. A forced process that comes off as pre-determined or heavy-handed from the district down to the community has a reduced chance of earning broad community support. Let the solution develop from the community’s voice and the chances of success and the ability to implement the plan will be greatly enhanced.

A good approach is to create a community advisory committee. Made up of a broad spectrum of community participants including administrators, teachers, parents, students, local business leaders and prominent community leaders, an advisory committee allows for the information

garnered through the community engagement process to be evaluated and balanced so that it shapes the ultimate approach based on the voice of the community.

Putting a Bow on the Master PlanBefore seeking formal acceptance of the master facility plan, a helpful strategy is for the community advisory committee to make a final recommendation to the board of education for consideration and discussion. Often, throughout the planning process, the potential financial need may be preliminarily estimated for different implementation scenarios. Once these numbers are on the table, expectations have been set. It is important to reinforce what the numbers mean and provide pertinent information while the various funding/financing options are discussed. Recognizing and reinforcing that at this stage of the process the numbers represent “budget parameters” and not “final costs” is a critical common message for district leaders to reinforce.

Let the solution develop from the community’s voice and the chances of success and the ability to implement the plan will be greatly enhanced .

The Mighty Dollar A BIG difference between budget, estimate, bid & costAt each stage of a project, the budget language means something different. Establishing a common language and understanding with your board of education and community will assist in managing expectations and controlling perception risk at later stages of a project. Using proper language can keep you off the front page.

In the Planning stage

Refer to costs as the Budget

In the Design stage

Refer to costs as Estimates

In the Bid stage

Refer to costs as Bids

In the Closeout stage

Refer to the total as Cost


Embarking on a comprehensive facility master plan process underscores the critical role of the board of education to protect prior taxpayer investment in one the most important features of a community — the long-term strength of the school district’s largest asset. A thoughtful and well-designed process of visioning, assessment, planning and community engagement will lead to a well-developed plan and a greater likelihood of community support. With community support and implementation of a capital improvement program, students will be better positioned with the skills, knowledge and character traits for success in the quickly evolving 21st century. There may be no better opportunity to provide students with a more rewarding and fulfilling life!

Bringing Adequacy to the ForefrontIt is not uncommon for schools to feel that “educational adequacy” is a less important area to be studied. It is easy to look back on school buildings and see the school we went to, or feel that our students are already performing well. It is safe to feel things are just fine and just “kick the can down the road” for others to pick up. However, it is important to not let current success blind one to the skills and abilities required in tomorrow’s students, workers and leaders. School buildings support more than just student performance; they support and enhance the ability of teachers to work on skills and techniques in collaboration, research and the use of technology to communicate. These skills are not tested and scored. They are nurtured, refined and further developed and school facilities will continue to have an impact on students at all levels of education.

From Vision to REALITY

www.iasbo.org | 29

ARTICLE / Capital Planning

How thinking differently helped one district to create a next generation learning environment while making the most of their resources.


The true applications of Deerfield Public School District 109's approach to its new science labs lies beneath the surface details. Like all school districts, Deerfield 109 is challenged with making the most of limited resources. With that in mind, the process used to create the Next Generation Science Labs represents a different way of thinking about planning, designing and constructing learning environments — one that maximizes educational value as its number one goal.

Grading on a (Value Maximization) CurveFor years, on time and on budget has been the watchword of school construction and rightfully so. With limited resources, districts must put every dollar to its best use. Yet the best use of every dollar comes with many choices. The right decisions result in higher quality and more program area. The wrong decisions result in a permanent loss of both.

The range of options available to school districts is best described by a tool economists have used for years: the Indifference Curve. Every point on the curve represents a combination of two goods consumed by an individual — apples and oranges, for example. As you move along the curve, the combination of goods consumed changes (10 apples vs. 20 oranges or 20 apples vs. 10 oranges), but the level of value is constant.

In the world of K-12 school facilities, the two goods being consumed are quality (dollars per square foot) and program area (square feet per student). On a fixed budget, you can increase the quality of a building or you can increase the size of a building. You cannot do both without increasing the overall budget. So how does a school district find its place on the Value Maximization Curve in a manner that increases the value to its students and teachers?

This was the question facing Deerfield 109 as its administrators planned for their new science labs. The labs are meant to specifically support instruction in Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which will be part of the state’s mandatory testing beginning in the 2016-2017 school year. For Deerfield, the importance of the Standards led to an emphasis on quality over program.

Deerfield’s labs support 100 students per period in 5,040 square feet, with total construction costs of $2,676,494. The amount of square feet per student is low, while the cost per square foot is high: $368.66. This reflects the specialized nature of the science equipment included and a strong emphasis on providing state-of-the-art instructional tools.

Science Labs at Shepard Middle School in Deerfield, IL. certainly

look like the future of K-12 schools. A host of flat screens adorn the walls. Mobile furniture allows students to arrange

and rearrange their work stations. Even the exterior has a modern look, boasting solar panels and wind turbines.

1000

$0

$100

$200

$300

$400

$500

200 300 400 500

PROGRAMSquare Feet per Student

VALUE MAXIMIZATION CURVEMiddle Schools MN, WI, IL - Value Maximization Curve - 2015

BASED UPON REGIONAL MEDIAN COSTDATA FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION *

RISK AVERSION SHIFTSTHE CURVE TO THE LEFT

LOSS INQUALITY

LOSS INPROGRAM

average dollars per student curve

risk curve

Value Maximization Curve — To maximize future value, districts must evaluate trade-offs between building quality and program area. Non-strategic cost-cutting leads to permanent losses in one or both areas.

ARTICLE By Greg Monberg, AIA, CEFP, MBA, LEED AP BD+CDIRECTOR OF DESIGN RESEARCHFANNING HOWEY

Charli Johnsos, AIA, REFP, MBA, LEED APILLINOIS EXECUTIVE DIRECTORFANNING HOWEY

Because of the planned high cost per square foot, maximizing the value to Deerfield 109 meant that the design team had to work creatively within a small space. Rather than demolishing the existing labs and building a new, larger space, designers added just enough new space to allow for a complete interior reconfiguration. As a result, The district turned four traditional science labs into 16 Next Generation spaces: four LearnLabs, four science labs, four collaboration stations and four outdoor labs.

For Deerfield 109, the higher quality of space is necessary to achieve their educational goals. “Every square centimeter of this space is dedicated to teaching science to our next generation,” says Superintendent Dr. Michael Lubelfeld. “Our staff members have been in amazement for over five months and are still finding new capabilities in these labs.”

Risk Averse or Value Seeking? A business manager’s worst nightmare is a bad bid day. When a school project comes in over budget, a “value engineering” exercise occurs. The use of quotes is intentional, because, too often, there is nothing value-added about the process. Elements are cut to get down to the budget, but what is the cost to the learning environment?

The Value Maximization Curve (p. 31) shows the danger of non-strategic cost cutting. To reduce costs, a district must give up either quality or program. During this process, it is important to understand the tradeoffs. Downgrading from a high-efficiency boiler to a cheaper, lower-efficiency boiler will reduce the initial budget deficit. It will also increase operating costs down the road. Eliminating instructional tools such as educational dashboards will also lower costs, but may impact the future academic performance of students.

The point is not to accept budget overruns. However, school districts and their design and construction partners must address budget reconciliation with the same emphasis on value that is present during planning, design and construction. Once quality or program is lost, it is gone forever. While adhering to budgets, districts must seek value rather than avoid risk.

Easter Eggs & EducationDeerfield 109’s Next Generation Science Labs serve as a perfect example of the benefits of value seeking. The labs function through the incorporation of a series of Easter eggs: hidden design elements that reveal themselves and reward students through the learning process. The Easter eggs are specifically tied to the Crosscutting Concepts outlined in the Next Generation Science Standards.

• Patterns: Wall and flooring graphics highlight naturally-occurring patterns such as the Fibonacci Sequence.

• Cause and Effect: Graph-paper patterns on flooring allow students to conduct experiments related to momentum.

• Scale, Proportion and Quantity: Custom wall graphics highlight naturally-occurring patterns and rhythms.

• System and System Models: Energy dashboards and separately-metered building systems allow students to track energy usage within the science wing.

• Energy and Matter: On-site solar panels and wind turbines introduce students to renewable energy systems.

• Structure and Function: Exposed ceilings showcase the form and connections of the built environment.

• Stability and Change: A meridian line floor graphic and a built-in oculus allow students to track the analemma of the sun.

Other Easter eggs include outdoor nest boxes with integrated cameras to allow students to observe a local bluebird species without damaging their habitat and exterior courtyards with planting beds and rain barrels. In all, the Shepard labs have 24 different Easter eggs — a clear choice for value over permanent losses in educational opportunities.

Each of the Easter eggs would have been an easy candidate for removal during a value engineering exercise.

Deerfield 109 chose to create prototype science labs

at Shepard Middle School as part of a multi-phased

approach to implementing Next Generation Science labs district-wide. The prototyping process

allowed the district to test the labs and make changes before spending money on additional facilities.

This approach provides additional value by making sure that future labs align perfectly with the

district’s curriculum and approach to education.


ARTICLE / Next Generation Learning Environments

However, doing so would impact education in a direct way. For this reason, Deerfield 109 chose to include each element in their new labs.

The investment in quality has paid great dividends. During the dedication of the Next Generation Science Labs, one board member went from room to room, letting out exclamations of delight upon finding each new Easter egg. After a year in the labs, teachers have provided rave reviews, with one science instructor commenting that, “These labs have made our students bigger dreamers,” and another saying, “The possibilities are endless. I’m really excited for the things we can do in the future.”

Students, in their typical manner, have been more succinct with their praise, using words like “awesome,” “amazing,” “cool” and “wow!”

But while the Next Generation Science Labs have earned recognition for Deerfield 109, including an April 2015 visit by Governor Rauner, the real value is shown by how the facilities enhance education.

“We wanted to create labs that would meet our current needs through the adoption of the NGSS, but would also be forward thinking and address needs we may see in the future,” said Dr. Brian Bullis, a district administrator involved in the development of the labs. “We want these labs to be something that will impact students for decades.”

A Future Built on Value Deerfield 109 began their project with the goal of changing teaching and learning in the district. Achieving this goal — and, in fact, any similar goal — requires a holistic approach focused on improving the quality of education.

As our school districts seek to stretch every dollar in the future, value will be the watchword. As you align your built environment with your budget, it is important to understand the trade-offs you are making. It is easy to cut costs now. It is impossible to add quality or program later. For schools in the future, nothing will be wasted. Our resources are too scarce and our students’ futures are too important to accept anything less.

Science Lab Transformation — By creatively working within a smaller footprint, Deerfield 109 was still able to turn four traditional labs into 16 Next Generation Science spaces.

www.iasbo.org | 33

To get the maximum facilities return on investment, every district should make it their goal to create a work culture of continuous improvement. For most districts, implementing quality staffing and development practices constitutes a culture shift from a reactive to a proactive mode. This involves great communication and training at all levels of leadership throughout the district.

Properly developing and implementing a program that ensures quality staff also takes time. It begins with a thorough thought process and district level involvement to understand the impact and long-term costs of the district’s second largest line item, operations and maintenance.

A Necessary Shift >>>With labor being 70 to 90 percent of the cost to maintain facilities, the importance of a well-developed training program, with an evaluation process to ensure the program is meeting your facility demands, cannot be understated.

The average maintenance department operates in the 30 to 50 percent range of “wrench time” efficiency. Yet, the need to have each individual perform at the highest level possible is critical. According to the Association for Facilities Engineering (AFE) training materials, a maintenance department’s goal is 60 percent efficiency of actual maintenance/cleaning time.

A successful preventative maintenance program can help increase your wrench time to meet the 60 percent goal. The path to reaching this goal is a comprehensive training program with an evaluation tool to ensure the system is working. Properly maintaining your facilities can extend the life cycle up to 40 percent. What a positive effect for your community and facilities!

Implementing a successful training program is often overlooked due to constraints on time, money and qualified staff to perform the training. Other key challenges include:

1. Understanding where you are in terms of knowing the demands on your buildings and how current processes are working.

2. Developing training and hiring objectives directly applicable to the needs of your facility and its occupants.

3. Creating training materials.4. Engaging the bidding process for different products

and procedures based on a low bid each year.5. Evaluating the benefit of the program.6. Establishing policies to handle the “I do not care to

learn” employee.

Once a process used for training and staff development is developed, it can easily apply to many other equipment and building system evaluations such as windows/doors, roofs, HVAC and more.

www.iasbo.org | 35

ARTICLE By John Fuhrer, CPMMDIR./OPERATIONS, FACILITIES & TRANS.NORTH SHORE SD 112

Scott R. Mackall, CPMM, CPSASST. DIR./FACILITIES, OPS. & TRANS.NORTH SHORE SD 112

Five Phases of Successful Facilities Training >>>Modified from the AFE Certified Plant Maintenance Manager (CPMM) training program

1. Needs Analysis or AssessmentYou can never reach your destination until a starting

point has been determined. This analysis and assessment should identify the strains put on the facilities both from a wear and tear perceptive and a cost to operate the building. Once you have established this information you can move to step two.

2. Program DesignNow that the building usage is understood and

you have identified the challenges, this will guide you in your staffing decisions. For example, the building has identified the challenge of not meeting the cleaning standards the occupants are expecting. Three solutions may present themselves: understaffed, under trained staff or a combination of the two. The management sets the expectations of the facility’s condition and this must be transferred to the building’s base work force in the form of proper staffing and training.

3. Program DevelopmentThis is where the fun begins. Upper management

can set the expectation and staff can provide the details of the program. Who better to create the program than the

people living the challenge everyday? One-to-one time with your staff could provide an added benefit to this process. Understanding them and seeing first hand the dedication or lack of dedication can prove a valuable tool.

4 . Program ImplementationOnce the training and evaluation tool has been

developed, you will not only see an improvement in your facilities, you will have a consistent tool to evaluate your staff. In most cases the “cream” will rise to the top, helping you move forward with solid decisions in future hiring and placement options.

Our competitors (outsourcing services) are doing this everyday and are selling our upper management on their programs to ensure our facilities will be in “top notch” shape at all times due to their training programs and hiring practices.

5. Evaluation and MonitoringThis piece of the system is by far the most important.

Once you begin the program your employees will work harder while having a better attitude. Employees thrive in an environment that provides direction, expectations, consequences and rewards. This working environment can also help to retain your staff; they will feel comfortable and secure in the work place.

Complicating Things: The Bidding ProcessThe current bidding process can put your training program into a tailspin with the possibility of new products each year for cleaning and maintenance. When evaluating new products, be sure to keep in mind how much more efficient it would be to maintain only one type of vacuum, lawn mower or cleaning materials. The ease and availability of parts and training for one type of equipment per task will contribute to the bottom line over time. Thorough training hours, parts/inventory maintenance and tracking will all lead to a better product for the building occupants.


None of these concepts come without significant work and investment of time, however the return on investment for your community is overwhelming. You may be thinking, “What if we train our people and they leave?” This leads to the natural second question, “What happens if we don’t train them and they stay?”

Generational Impact >>>There are many reasons to complete a successful program to hire, train and retain a staff that will contribute to extended the life of your facilities. Investing in the individuals who work within the second largest school budget line item has generational impact for the building and more specifically the components of a building, to maximize the life-cycle cost for a given facility.

Simply put, school districts owe it to their communities and staff to provide the best learning environment for the best return on investment through the best training and hiring practices they can develop.

Where it Begins: Hiring Practices

To ensure that you bring quality staff into your facilities, the first step is to create a job description that meets the expectations of the department. This job description will become the basis for the evaluation and training program and should guide the employee to properly maintaining the facility.

Are you starting to see how the system comes together? All documentation for each employee must be driven to meet the end result: a well-maintained, clean, safe and healthy environment for all to thrive. This ultimately extends the life cycle of the facility and its internal workings.

ARTICLE / Facilities Training Programs

Steps to Success >>> How do you keep the program going?

•Create a continuous improvement culture.

•Focus on improving customer service through continuous and incremental improvement to processes.

•Communicate the importance of the process at all levels within the district.

•Train and educate your staff through a development program.

•Reinforce ongoing commitment from leadership.

www.iasbo.org | 37

THE HIDDENCONTRACTCOMPLACENCY

COSTS OF

Contracts are extremely time-consuming to digest and one misinterpretation could cost dearly. Many common problems that expend crucial district dollars stem from contract complacency. This manifests itself in many forms related to both labor and commercial contracts.

“We’ll Fix It Later” Syndrome – More often than not, when there is a long-standing labor contract in place, contract maintenance issues are overlooked because of the length of the contract and the feeling that you “have plenty of time to fix it later.” Plus, amending a contract can be an extremely lengthy process. It is much easier to say, “we will just allow this once.” Unfortunately, “this once” becomes standard practice.

Failure to Keep Up – Another difficult function of anybody who administers contracts is keeping up with what is happening in the world. It is not enough to have a great relationship with the union and the administration. As a contract administrator it is wise to also keep in constant contact with your human resource department, who is most likely up to date on the unemployment laws.

For example, you may think that the administration has a good relationship with an association and the progressive discipline section is fair with a documented verbal and written reprimand, five-day suspension, ten-day suspension, then termination. Although it may sound reasonable and fair, in some states this might lead to your organization paying high unemployment costs because you have suspended someone.

In such states, unemployment law states that if someone is “not working” (not necessarily “unemployed”) for more than seven days they may be entitled to unemployment benefits. Just one change in the law from “unemployed” to “not working” could mean a person who is suspended for seven days or more could claim unemployment benefits while suspended. Depending on the size and activity of the organization, this could potentially lead to high payments to the Unemployment Bureau.

If you think that your employees wouldn’t do that, think again. Engaged contract administrators must be in constant dialogue with peers about new or changing laws and asking themselves “How will this affect the current contracts?” Otherwise, you might find yourself dealing with an unemployment hearing.

Not Reading the Fine Print – One problem that can occur in long standing contracts that have not been updated, is the contractor/supplier sneaking large fees into the small print at the bottom of the contract. Time is precious, small print is expensive and contractors know that. Check your contracts for large percentage increases or multiple increases throughout the years. If no one is watching the bill, than before you know it the original contract price could have increased by ten or twenty percent. Depending on the size of the organization, that cost could be hundreds or even millions of dollars.

Unclear Situations – Contracts that are very broad in nature or ones that cover large areas can fail to clearly outline what happens at certain location sites or fail to detail very critical situations. This failure can create back room deals being made and contract liabilities that can cripple organizations. It creates an environment that is very difficult to defend in court and can bring down company morale, not to mention give the public a negative perception of is really happening.

In short, having competent people managing the contracts is vital to the survival of any organization. Staying caught up on current legal trends and motivated with professional development can be pivotal to making sure your district does not succumb to the hidden costs of contract complacency.

If you find your staff writing multiple MOUs (Memorandums of Understanding), it might be time to address the clarity & functionality of the labor contract.

www.iasbo.org | 39

ARTICLE By Marcus LaPointeCOOR./CUSTODIAL SERVICESELGIN SD U-46

NO SHORTCUTSThe Impact of Properly Maintained Facilities on Student Learning

Many view buildings as mere shelter, meant to keep inhabitants “warm, safe and dry.” School buildings are definitely “safe” — the state has a process for that. Yet, “warm and dry” is questionable and left to each district to determine to what extent. This begs the following questions: What if schools did more than just keep students and educators warm, safe and dry? What if school buildings could really impact student achievement?

There are all kinds of studies that explain how facilities impact student achievement. Many, if not all, are called into question because there are many variables that cannot be measured objectively. The role of a quality indoor learning environment gained wide exposure when the economy took a turn for the worse. Operations and maintenance programs needed to get lean. Consequently, many districts focused on saving energy as one of their strategies to help account for the poor economy.

At first glance, buildings appeared to be operating very efficiently — too efficiently given the building age and type of building systems. After conducting a blended assessment of existing conditions, educational adequacy and building performance in school districts across Illinois, it became evident that many “shortcuts” that seemed good on paper, began to negatively alter the physical and indoor learning environment.

Over the last several years this has developed into a recurring trend where the pressure to save energy has caused building systems not to be run as designed, resulting in learning environments that are not conducive to academic performance.


CO2 BuildupBuilding systems were not being operated as designed and/or were physically altered to avoid utility costs of preconditioning or tempering outside air before mixing with existing air.

For example, exterior fresh air intake louvers were disconnected or blocked with cardboard or return air grills were shut or blocked. This in turn interrupted proper flow of air and insertion of fresh air (oxygen) into the air stream. Learning environments that are not properly ventilated build up CO2.

Impact: High CO2 levels impact neurology and cause drowsiness, headaches and other symptoms that distract the brain from learning. This is particularly disconcerting for younger students, as a kindergarten student breathes twice as fast as a high school senior.

Improper Lighting LevelsLighting retrofits were typically done on a one-for-one-basis. This approach didn’t account for the increase in output of modern fixtures and was causing spaces to be too bright, thus burning more energy than necessary.

Impact: Over-lit spaces can cause the brain to go into defense mode and hinder learning.

Premature AgingThe building was aging prematurely because moisture was being trapped inside. Systems were being prematurely shut down in the evening and/or starting late in the morning to shrink the window of operations and save on utility costs. This caused moisture, in the form of humidity, to be trapped in the building and left to find its own way out instead of being mechanically ventilated.

Impact: Over extended periods of time, exterior facades can begin to show a multitude of failures including chalky residue, failing mortar, brick spalling, etc. Condensation forms inside the building when the dew point is reached, causing ceiling panels to physically break down and the interior to smell like a locker room.

Poor AcousticsHard, sterile, but cleanable surfaces caused rooms to be very lively or loud. Additionally, mechanical systems, particularly the presence of unit ventilators, were heavily contributing to the noise problem.

Impact: This is particularly significant for younger students. The younger the person, the more of a conversation they need to hear. When they reach a point somewhere around the fourth grade the brain has learned to “fill in the blanks.”

Thermal DiscomfortThe team looked at thermal comfort and how often rooms were above 78.5 degrees. Districts often use “thermal comfort” to justify air conditioning, however, air conditioning is also very important to helping control humidity.

Thermal comfort is very subjective, so more research was needed to better understand how users felt about their surroundings. This included:

• A survey that was able to convert feelings and opinions into objective quantifiable criteria.

• Creating a 3-D model of each building and site in place.

• Running scenarios to understand the thermal heat gain of each space to discover how many hours of each day and during an entire year temperatures went above 78.5 degrees.

• Using prevailing winds, running the same model with the windows open.

Impact: Thermal comfort impacts learning the most, causing the brain to go into defense mode.

IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEMS

Continuously focusing on the student, the first task is to always analyze the environment in which students learn. This entails scientifically and objectively mining data in a multitude of spaces throughout a single building. This should be done in concert with operations and maintenance staff so that they can begin to think differently about the critical role they play in student achievement.

www.iasbo.org | 41

ARTICLE By Dennis E. BanePRINCIPALDLR GROUP

In the process of becoming more environmentally sound, the district utilized a dashboard to keep them updated on key factors. They bought measuring devices to monitor issues they could not see. They also changed their policies to reflect these key indicators.

NO SHORTCUTS

Making informed decisions with the right mindset creates a culture where expenditures on facilities are viewed as long-term investments versus short-term expenses. This will lead to learning environments that support brain function as well as learning in the 21st century.

1. Helping stakeholders think differently about buildings. Everyone in the decision-making hierarchy, from building occupants to the school board, needs to understand how the smallest improvement can impact learning. This mindset can minimize differed maintenance items that will eventually grow into bigger, more expensive fixes. Greater emphasis during the budget cycles on operations, maintenance and capital improvement is part of this communication process.

2. A complete audit of all alterations made over the years to building systems. Once how the building was originally designed to function is understood, districts can conduct a retro-commissioning exercise. This “tunes up” the building and should be done every five years. It puts the systems back in operating order for the long-term and identifies the right way to save operational dollars without compromising longevity of the physical built environment and student achievement.

3. Transformation from reactive to proactive planning. This means understanding current conditions while forecasting life expectancy of building systems and components that need to be fixed, upgraded or replaced in the next ten years. Well beyond a typical H/LS report, it should include everything from the center of the street to the center of the building.

• Anticipated annual expenditures need to be leveled off to avoid extreme peaks and aid budgeting efforts.

• Monies not used at predetermined times should be escrowed for when they are eventually needed.

• Expenditures should include solutions that meet future codes, regulations, guidelines and best practices conducive of an ideal supportive learning environment.

PUTTING THE DATA TO WORK

With all this data, the team was able to analyze the educational adequacy of existing spaces and begin to troubleshoot solutions. Planning and budgeting became critical to implementing the right solutions with the most impact on a student’s ability to learn. The fix included three steps.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY

ASHRAE Standard 62.1 - 2010 : Logged Data

ACOUSTIC COMFORT

ANSI S12.60 – Field Measurements ENERGY CONSUMPTION ASHRAE 90.1 / 189.1 Minimum Code / High Performance

THERMAL COMFORT

ASHRAE 55 : Occupant Thermal Environment Survey

VISUAL COMFORT

ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 - 2010: Data Logging ASHRAE Standard 62.1 - 2010: Logged Data

ANSI S12.60 - Field Measurements

ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 - 2010: Data logging

ASHRAE 90.1/189.1 Minimum Code/High Performance

ASHRAE 55: Occupant Thermal Environment Survey


www.iasbo.org | 43

R E S OU RC E S

Community Holds the Key to Change

On My ListSchools Cannot Do it Alone: Building Public Support for

America’s Public SchoolsBy Jamie Vollmer

Overview: The main issue is not

the people; it is the system. At least that is the conclusion Jamie Vollmer came to from

witnessing firsthand what goes on inside schools across the nation.

In Schools Cannot Do It Alone, he argues that legislators, business

leaders and media pundits have got it wrong — leading to wasted dollars devoted to failing reforms.

The path to real and lasting change starts with a conversation with

the community.

Jamie Vollmer, an Iowan ice cream mogul, came to his first education committee meeting with a lot of enthusiasm but little knowledge about how schools really work. He blamed people for the “failing educational system,” namely unionized teachers and overpaid administrators.

Vollmer soon left his business and embarked on an education crusade. He advocated that schools could perform better if they would only adopt his “business model” of more rigorous accountability methods, raised standards, rewards and punishments. Sound familiar?

Uncovering the Real IssueThe more Jamie visited schools and learned from the people within, the more he realized that the model he was proposing was addressing the wrong problem.

His extensive research, chronicled in Schools Cannot Do It Alone, helped Jamie understand that schools were not indeed failing as he supposed. They were in fact succeeding in what they were designed to do. The problem is, “they were designed to serve a society that no longer exists.”

A Systematic FailureAccording to Vollmer, schools were originally designed to meet the needs of an industrial, two-tiered society. The goal at that time was to get the correct balance of “laborers” and “learners” that society needed out of the system.

Today, we have reached the “knowledge age,” where good education is a basic requirement for everyone’s success. Schools are now tasked with reaching the creative potential of every child from every background. Yet, they are expected to achieve this within the time-bound period of the school day.

Change Through CommunityAddressing the real problem requires what Vollmer refers to as “The Great Conversation” — a positive, ongoing dialogue between educators and the communities they serve. Unlike most businesses, school districts can only achieve major change through the understanding, trust and support of the community.

The good news is that having this conversation is neither complex nor costly! However, if you are embarking on your own crusade, you will probably want to pay close attention to the pointers and pitfalls outlined in this helpful read.

School districts can only achieve major change through the understanding, trust

and support of the community.


From Vision to Reality Resources to help plan the future of your facilities

Geothermal Alliance of Illinois Dig deeper into how geothermal works and what the potential cost savings could be in your district. Enter your district data to conduct a personalized heating cost analysis!www.gaoi.org

International Ground Source Heat Pump AssociationLearn from companies, professionals and users dedicated to the use of

geothermal (ground source) heating and cooling technology. Be sure to download their resource, Making the Grade: Geothermal Heat Pumps in Schools.

www.igshpa.okstate.edu

Take advantage of these workbooks and action guides as you plan out your community engagement strategy!

Education and Community Building: Connecting Two Worlds This report from the Institute of Educational Leadership discusses strategies that work

and suggests “rules of engagement” to guide school/community interactions.www.iasbo.tools/commconnection

Building Community Schools: A Guide for ActionThis workbook from The Children’s Aid Society National Center for Community Schools includes ideas for building systematic community school initiatives, including plenty of case studies to learn from!www.iasbo.tools/commactionguide

Community and Family Engagement: Principals Share What WorksThis paper written by Principals for the Coalition for Community Schools includes

six keys to community engagement and guidelines for engaging families, staff, partners and the public.

www.iasbo.tools/commprincipals

This report from the National Trust for Historic Preservation makes a case for renovating old schools instead of razing them, with resources for schools facing this dilemma. www.iasbo.tools/oldschoolbuildings

GEOTHERMAL

Get Community Connected for Better Outcomes pg. 20-23

Explore the Cost Savings of Geothermal pg. 14-17

Old School Buildings: Prehistoric or Worth Preserving?

www.iasbo.org | 45

RE SOURCE S

Illinois ASBO members can find all of these resources on the peer2peer Network online community under UPDATE Resources.

Build a Next Generation Facility pg. 30-33

Looking to follow in the example of Deerfield Public School District 109 in building next generation science labs? Utilize these resources to familiarize yourself with Next Generation Science Standards.

• Learn more about the development of Next Generation Science Standards at: www.nextgenerationscience.org

• Download a detailed guide to the standards including math and science education, K-12 education and assessment standards at: www.iasbo.tools/nextgenscience

Conduct a Checkup of Your Learning Environments pg. 40-42

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) ASHRAE publishes standards for ventilation and indoor air quality, energy, high performance green buildings and more to guide the design and maintenance of indoor environments. Download their Advanced Energy Design Guide for K-12 School Buildings! www.iasbo.tools/ashraestandards

U.S. Department of Energy Building Energy Codes ProgramEnergy codes assure savings through efficient building design, technologies and construction practices. Understand the cost savings, get technical assistance and access compliance checklists and training tools for complying with energy codes.www.energycodes.gov

As a facilities professional, my primary role is to protect the investment...of the largest dollar asset any school district has, its buildings. Facilities personnel provide outstanding customer service to our clients, community, parents, students and staff. We ensure that the learning environment is conducive to teaching and learning.

Clean, comfortable, healthy and safe buildings play a key role...in the success of any school district. Imagine working and learning in an environment with buckets in the classroom when it is raining, too cold to concentrate in the winter and too hot in the summer. Retention of staff plays a vital role in the success of any district. Would you want to continue working in those conditions?

Illinois ASBO’S commitment to facility professionals...is hands down the biggest innovation that will most impact Illinois school facilities in the near future. We are all facing similar challenges. With the commitment

from Illinois ASBO to invest in new CPMM/CPS training programs and enhance the designation program along with regional groups, we now have solid tools at our disposal to address those challenges and come out of the other side on top.

Two things facility personnel need from their school business officials...are professional development budgets and days in our compensation agreements. This support from our districts would bolster our commitment back to them. As mentioned above, the commitment to the facility profession provided by

Illinois ASBO is only a benefit when the knowledge is gained. Maintaining facilities needs to be a team effort. We want to be prepared for the challenges ahead!

SPEAKING OUT ABOUT FACILITIESSCOTT R. MACKALL, CPMM, CPSAsst. Dir./Facilities, Ops. & Trans.North Shore SD [email protected]

PHOTO CREDIT: JENNIFER HAGEMEYER

TH E FI NAL WOR D

Career Development and Educational Training for those responsible for Facilities, Operations, Safety, Risk Management and School Finance.

REGISTER NOW! November 2-3, 2015Kalahari Resort & Conference Center

Wisconsin Dells, WI

Connect with vendors who specialize in flooring, architecture, grounds equipment, maintenance, cleaning, building envelope, energy, sustainability, technology infrastructure, cost containment, security and more, all in one place.

Network with facilities, operations, safety, risk management and school finance professionals.

Credit offered for Wisconsin ASBO Facility Manager Core (Module 2) and Continuing Education Certifications and Illinois ASBO Facility Manager Certification

Certification approval requested for CPMM & CPS. Earn graduate credit through Viterbo University.

For Attendee Registration, Exhibitor Registration and Sponsorship

WASBO.com/FacilityMasters Questions? Call 608.249.8588.

WISCONSIN

Hosted By In Participation With

Stand Up and Stick Out in a Crowded

Market: Because Nobody Notices Normal

It’s not about being better that defines you — it’s about

being different. In a crazy crowded world of noise and

confusion, you had better find a way to stand up and

stick out among the competition. Join Kelly Swanson

as she takes you on a hilarious and powerfully moving

journey to a happier ever after by helping you find out

what makes you unique, and helping you jump outside

your comfort zone. Kelly Swanson

Network

Connect

Professional Development

Exhibits

Certification

General Sessions:• Kelly Swanson• Idea Exchange: Sharing Challenges & Solutions

Learn from Peers & Industry Experts on:• Leadership• Learning Environment• Safety, Security & Risk Management• Technology, Social Media & Communication• Pool Management• Maintenance and Operations• Auxiliary Services

Normal isn’t good enough any more — you need to bring innovation, efficiency and leadership to your work in your school district. Attend this conference to get the nuts and bolts of best practices through learning and networking while enhancing your leadership skills. Become a facility master.

Limited attendee

scholarships are available.

ILLINOIS A

SSOC

IAT

ION

of SCHOOL BUSINESS O

FF

ICIA

LS

ILLINOIS ASBO

FACILITIES

CERTIFICATION

Illinois ASBO offers two facilities certifications that are among the fastest growing and most esteemed of their kind. Send your facilities staff to elevate the level of professional development in your district!

For more information visit: www.iasbo.tools/fmcertification

Certified Plant Supervisor (CPS)

November 9-11, 2015Applications due October 16

Certified Plant Maintenance Manager

(CPMM) October 19-22, 2015

Applications due September 25

Bring a Recognized Facilities Credential into Your District

PARTICIPATE IN UPCOMING

COHORTS!

Documents

Fall 2015 UPDATE - Facilities Issue