Hard to believe, but it's been a decade since MSBO first published the Facilities Benchmarking Survey. It is very interesting to see the changes that have occurred in school facilities operations since the first report. If anyone is wondering whether or not we have reduced costs in the operational area, they need look no further than this report.
Check out the year-to-year comparisons comparing the medians over time. You’ll notice changes like the Instructional Square Footage (ISF) Per Custodian has increased over 27%, ISF per Skilled Trades increased over 37% and ISF per Supervisory FTE increased over 43%. Additionally, the percentage of Maintenance Expenditures as a percent of Total District Expenditures decreased 8.5%.
More than a billion dollars is spent annually by Michigan schools in the area of facilities maintenance and cleaning, and MSBO has consistently provided information to its members so that decisions can be made about the allocations of those dollars on an informed, data-driven basis.
It should be understood that the information contained in this report is strictly quantitative, and does not address the quality of maintenance and custodial work in schools. These numbers represent a starting point, with measurements common to all districts. As you interpret the data presented, you should focus on the numbers and look for ways to improve on your own numbers, while maintaining or improving the quality of your work.
This report is provided for your benefit. It is displayed both regionally and by district size. You can access the full report on the MSBO website at http://www.msbo.org/services/facilities/2010/FacBench-Rpt.pdf
The credibility of this report is dependent on enough districts participating. Please ensure your district takes part in future surveys to ensure this report remains a viable resource.