I.  School Buildings Maintenance Planning    
 
The purpose of the School Maintenance Guidelines is to achieve a clean, orderly, safe, cost-effective, and instructionally supportive School complex that enhances education.    Effective school maintenance protects capital investment, ensures the health and safety of our children, and supports educational performance.  
 
Buildings Maintenance Matters:  School buildings age and as they do, there is a continuing challenge to maintain school buildings at a level that enables teachers to meet the needs of their students.  The task of caring for old school buildings, some of which are historically or architecturally significant, at a level that supports contemporary instructional practices is considerable.  
 
Buildings issues occur at all educational levels. Older buildings display more frequently age-related issues such as inefficient energy systems that can lead to the uncomfortable indoor climate and high utility bills. 
 
What causes buildings problems? Environmental conditions and a lack of maintenance contribute to building deterioration. Often the lack of maintenance is related to staffing levels, training, and management practices. 
 
Routine as well as unexpected maintenance demands are bound to happen; every Parish School with the assistance of the Parish Planning and Building Committee (PPBC) must proactively develop and implement plans for dealing with these inevitabilities. The School working with the PPBC must plan to meet the challenges of effective buildings maintenance. The consequences of good school maintenance, affect teaching and learning, student and staff health, day-to-day building operations, and the long-range fiscal outlook of the Parish School. 
 
A sound buildings maintenance plan serves as evidence that school buildings are, and will be, cared for appropriately. On the other hand, negligent buildings maintenance planning will cause real problems. Large capital investment can be squandered when buildings and equipment deteriorate or warranties become useless. Failing to maintain school buildings adequately also discourages future public investment in the education system. 
 
School building maintenance is concerned about resource management and providing a clean and safe learning environment for children. It is also about creating a physical setting that is appropriate and adequate for learning. A classroom with broken windows doesn’t foster effective student learning. However, neither does an apparently state-of-the-art classroom that is plagued with uncontrollable swings in indoor temperature, which can negatively affect student and instructor alertness, attendance, and even health. 
 
School building maintenance affects the physical, educational, and financial foundation of the Parish and School and should, therefore, be a focus of both its day-to-day operations and long-range management priorities.  
 
These School Maintenance Guidelines attempt to provide best practice concepts along with the guidance of the PPBC that can be undertaken to develop a plan that meets the unique needs of the Parish School.