Public School Hardware
The close of the school year always marks a busy time for school facilities and grounds personnel as they schedule routine maintenance and overhauls for systems and equipment. The list of items needing repairs easily fills up the entire summer, leaving little time for new projects. The perennial challenge is how to reengineer and reconfigure school facilities and infrastructure in ways that will accommodate the higher standards being thrust upon students and teachers. We cannot expect higher academic achievement if we don't address the worsening state of school hardware. The age and declining functionality of classrooms and buildings equate to very costly maintenance and upgrades that cannot continue to be ignored. Administrators and staff need to be vigilant and strategic in their decisions about which repairs bear the greatest impact on student learning. The procurement of in-kind and pro bono products and services can alleviate some of the financial burden of large scale facilities and equipment overhauls. Whatever decisions are made, the goal ought to be to make sure that the adults do their part during the summer months, so that once the students return, all systems are functioning at the highest level to accommodate the teaching and learning activities.
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