What You Need to Know��

• District leaders opted to permanently close Harris-Lake Park Elementary in Lake Park, Iowa,��in January��after a ruptured steam line caused water, electrical and fire system damage.��

• Students in preschool through fifth grade were shifted to temporary classrooms, including a local church and the district’s high school.��

• The disruption accelerated the district’s timeline to open its nearly completed��56,000-square-foot��replacement elementary facility, which welcomed��students Feb. 17.����

• Administrators say the new addition to the existing middle/high school building is designed for more flexible learning and keeps the campus together K-12.����

Learn��More��

LAKE PARK, Iowa — After a boiler-related steam leak forced an evacuation and damaged key systems, the Harris-Lake Park Community School District has permanently closed its former elementary building and moved students into a new facility weeks earlier than planned.��The district opened its new elementary school Tuesday, Feb. 17, completing a rapid transition that began with emergency relocations for the district’s youngest learners.��

Custodial staff spotted a steam leak in the elementary building��in early January,��prompting an evacuation of the school, which served 167 students in preschool through fifth grade, according to KTIV.����

“It was causing not only some interior water damage, but the steam was putting an incredible amount of moisture into the air,” Superintendent Mike Thompson said, according to��.��

District officials said the partially ruptured steam line also created safety concerns and led to water,��electrical��and fire system damage. Service Master was brought in to address water and steam impacts, along with electrical damage and fire system repairs, KTIV reported.����

Classes for elementary students were canceled for two days as leaders��finalized��temporary classroom arrangements. Preschool, transitional kindergarten and kindergarten classes were moved to Lake Park Presbyterian Church, while first through fifth grade students were��relocated��to Harris-Lake Park High School. Students in grades six through 12 remained at the high school, according to KTIV.����

The district had already been constructing a new elementary school,��designed by��FEH Design,��with a move originally planned after spring break. Following the boiler failure, leaders accelerated the timeline to a mid-February opening.����

On Feb. 16, the district hosted a media tour of the new elementary addition connected to the existing middle and high school building. Elementary principal Rebecca Matthiesen said staff adapted quickly to the midyear disruption.��

“It’s actually been better than we thought,” Matthiesen said, according to��.����

District leaders highlighted design features intended to support flexible instruction, including varied classroom layouts. Thompson also pointed to campus improvements that keep students and amenities in one place.����

“One of the things you’ll notice when you walk down the hallways is just the open design,” Thompson said, according to��.����

With the elementary now co-located on the K-12 campus, Thompson said the district expects more opportunities for cross-grade programming and student collaboration.����

The project team also includes KCL Engineering, Beck��Engineering��and Hoogendoorn Construction.��

This article is based on reporting originally published by KTIV on Jan. 5, 2026, and Feb. 16, 2026.

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In today’s world, being environmentally conscious and incorporating green initiatives when remodeling is a high priority for many schools. It not only benefits building operators, faculty and students, but also the planet. Knowing this, schools can incorporate professionally installed window film as an economical means to advance their green initiatives.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), between 25 to 35 percent of wasted building energy is blamed on inefficient windows, and many older buildings still have less efficient single pane glass windows. With professionally installed energy control window film, a building’s windows can allow in less than 25 percent of solar energy, versus allowing in 90 percent without the film. Once installed, window film may offer year-round savings of about 5 to 10 percent of the total energy bill — for cooling alone the savings may reach 30 percent.

The uneven glare coming in through older windows can cause hot spots and damage from UV exposure. Instead of having to replace structurally sound windows, a simple, yet cost-effective solution is to apply a thin layer of window film, which will help regulate the temperatures within the building, minimize cooling costs and make the environment more comfortable for students and staff.

By retrofitting existing windows, building operators can save on the cost of replacing windows that are structurally sound and upgrade to today’s energy and safety standards. Roughly 258 million tons of municipal solid waste is generated each year. By installing window film on older inefficient windows, instead of discarding them, the amount of landfill waste can also be reduced.

Window film is rated by the NFRC (National Fenestration Rating Council), as are new windows and doors, so schools can be sure of the benefits. The window film industry has grown tremendously in recent decades, and developments like nanotechnology and advanced coatings have taken the benefits to new heights. The most common types of window film are solar control film, spectrally selective film, decorative film, safety/security film and low‐e film.

Window film is a sheet of one or more layers of polyester substrate, each of which has been scientifically coated with microscopically thin layers of metals and chemicals and laminated together. A scratch-resistant coating is then applied on one side; a mounting adhesive layer and a protective release liner is applied on the other side. When the release liner is removed, that side of the film with the adhesive is professionally applied to the interior surface of the glass. Window film is available in a range of shades from visually clear to darker shades of grey and bronze and works with any size or shape window. Introduced over 40 years ago, window film has now been engineered using today’s advanced technology to deliver energy savings similar to those found in low-e windows, yet at a fraction of what replacement windows cost. It’s important that a professional install it to ensure a proper fit in order for the product to perform to its best ability and live up to or beyond its warranty.

By offering seven times the energy savings per dollar spent when compared with full window replacement, window film is an eco-friendly option that is affordable while still making the needed improvement to a commercial building’s windows.

The benefits of professionally installed window film extend beyond a school’s walls as well. It blocks 99 percent of UV rays, reducing the risk of skin cancer, and also reduces glare and fading of floors and interior furnishings, making it a wise investment to enlist a professional installer in school building remodeling projects.

Darrell Smith is the executive director of the International Window Film Association (IWFA).

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Deferred maintenance is a challenge plaguing many colleges and universities around the country. As funding tightens, the facilities department is typically among the first required to make do with less funding. This is in part because the facilities department needs are often less visible than the competing needs of faculty salaries and financial aid. However, putting off necessary maintenance today ultimately leads to more severe — and more expensive — problems tomorrow that could impact a facility’s ability to effectively compete.

A maintenance backlog can seem overwhelming when approached as a whole, particularly if the maintenance has been deferred for some time. But when facilities managers categorize their projects, they can create a prioritization system that helps them to balance the various needs, and budgets, of different projects. You can prioritize projects by putting each into one of three categories that indicates the level of damage caused by deferred maintenance. This system also benefits facilities managers who must make an easily digestible case to those financial stakeholders who will make the ultimate decision about whether or not to invest in maintenance projects.

Shifting from New to Existing Facilities

Until recently, many higher-education institutions have focused their attention primarily on adding new facilities to their campuses. These institutions have viewed adding buildings designed to meet the latest expectations as the most visible way to attract leading faculty and the brightest students. However, this investment often comes at the expense of existing buildings. This can be especially problematic when the school leadership doesn’t take into account the long-term maintenance investment that will be necessary to support their new facilities, on top of existing maintenance needs.

There are two types of costs associated with maintenance, both of which must be considered.

• Keep-up costs: Describes the ongoing annual investments necessary to keep buildings performing properly and able to perform during their full useful life.

• Catch-up costs: Describes those charges that come as a result of the accumulation of repair projects that have been deferred as well as any modernization improvements necessary for the facility to perform competitively.

When new construction is prioritized over maintenance for improvements to existing buildings, catch-up costs often grow unwieldy. At some point, however, these costs must be addressed in order to prevent a significant breakdown.

The alternative is to wait until systems suffer a catastrophic failure, at which point the expense and frequency of emergency repair costs will grow far beyond the budget you can plan for today.

Classifying your projects according to these costs will help in your prioritization of capital investments. But there are other factors you can use to prioritize the greatest need for maintenance attention.

3 Criteria for Evaluations

Not all buildings or building needs are equal. And this is a good thing, as presenting financial decision-makers with an overwhelming list of project needs, rather than a clearly prioritized list of items to address over time, is a surefire way to cut short the funding conversation. Consider the following three factors to help evaluate your projects and determine how quickly their needs must be addressed:

1. Condition: The degree of impact the deferred maintenance has had on the overall performance of a facility will of course be the most pressing concern. Some facilities will show immediate need for refurbishment, while others may be able to continue operating for several more years with only moderate upkeep. Others may be ready for tear down to make way for new construction. An assessment should include details about how well the building is performing and list its most immediate and long-term needs.

2. Function:��Those buildings that play the greatest role in helping an institution achieve its overarching mission should take a lead on the list of facilities in need of maintenance. Consider whether or not a proposed project supports the institution’s goals and/or improves its financial performance. If the answer is yes, then this is a high-priority project.

3. Impact of Improvements: Will proposed improvements be visible to staff or students? Will they present savings that in some way reduce spending? Maintenance improvements that are likely to leave a tangible impact should lead on your priority list.

By determining which projects meet one or more of the criteria above, facility managers can begin to put in place a plan that will, over time, demonstrate a clear path to campus improvement.

To read the entire article, check out the July/August issue of .

Jay Pearlman is associate vice president, marketing, at Guilford, Conn.-based Sightlines, an expert on facility planning.

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Educational institutions need to stay in top-notch condition all year long. Those in charge of maintaining a school’s equipment, assets and amenities need to ensure that everything is in order and functional at all times — while keeping a watchful eye on the maintenance budget. When managing an educational institution that houses hundreds of infrastructure assets, getting things done efficiently on a daily basis requires an effective maintenance system.

Here are six ways that schools can capitalize on the features and functionalities of a fully loaded computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) to keep campuses in good condition and keep assets in order while lowering maintenance costs and saving time.

Improve Accountability

It takes a full-time maintenance staff to manage a large school that is well-equipped with several assets and equipment such as lighting, lab equipment, HVAC units, dining halls, landscapes, roofing, classrooms, plumbing fixtures and handicap access. Computerized maintenance management systems ensure complete accountability from start to finish. With CMMS, the maintenance crew can prioritize tasks and automate the work orders accordingly. Its central database offers easy access to routine maintenance schedules enabling timely generation of work orders and faster completion of maintenance tasks.

Keep Asset Up & Operational

Schools run efficiently only when everything is in order, whether it is the HVAC unit, water supply, lab equipment or campus transportation. A dysfunctional air-conditioning unit, a dirty bathroom and damaged fixtures all need on-demand repairs and replacements. CMMS makes it possible to respond to emergencies in a timely manner by enabling maintenance managers to generate work orders in real time, assign tasks on-the-go and monitor the status of work from any location. This ensures faster troubleshooting and keeps operations running without any major disruption.

Boost Productivity

Asset-management software keeps a constant track of data, enabling facility managers to schedule PM tasks, send notifications, share important information and monitor work progress. It ensures optimum utilization of available assets and keeps maintenance crews occupied at all times. With CMMS, facility managers can easily track time taken for completion of work orders and also know which technicians fixed which equipment.

Track Inventory

Schools need to maintain multiple facilities such as sports arenas, classrooms, labs, parking lots, playgrounds, residence halls, roofing, dining halls and libraries. Tons of items are used in these facilities from light bulbs to air filters to computers. CMMS makes it easy to track the use of equipment and assets, making it easier to see when inventory will be running out on certain parts. It also notifies users when a certain part of the building is using more parts as compared to the others and generates purchase orders for replacements parts. This helps save time while preventing delays in fixing unexpected equipment failures.

Extend the Life of Vital Equipment

A CMMS automates all and routine inspections, enabling technicians to replace worn out and dysfunctional components on time. This not only prevents small problems from inviting major breakdowns, but it also enhances the service life of machines and equipment. A computerized maintenance management system ensures timely inspections, periodic maintenance and regular replacements, which mean fewer breakdowns, lower repair costs and less downtime. CMMS users can save a lot of money in the long run while increasing the work efficiency of vital infrastructure equipment.

Ensure Compliance

Schools are responsible for a lot of things apart from educating students, including keeping the campus safe, managing inventory and ensuring compliance with government regulations. CMMS keeps a constant check on everything to eliminate every health and safety risk that can damage a reputation. It also ensures that no resources are wasted, every issue is fixed on time and operations run smoothly.

A helps accomplish the main objectives of facility maintenance — maximizing ROI, reducing repair costs, saving time and accomplishing more with fewer resources. It ensures efficient management of assets and empowers a school to develop a brand reputation that supersedes the distinction of the institution. When reputation is enhanced, parents are more willing to invest their child’s future in your educational institute.

works for NEXGEN��Asset Management as the company’s marketing manager.

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While there may not be much a facilities manager doesn’t know about the buildings on an institution’s campus, knowledge of the college or university budget is generally an altogether different matter. Yet when many facilities managers approach campus executives and board members with requests for added funding, they expect those financial and administrative decision makers to immediately understand why facilities funding must come before other requests.

It’s no wonder that backlogs across many higher education campuses are growing as maintenance is deferred. To successfully secure funding for improvements, facilities managers are best served by taking a closer look at how they communicate requests. By speaking the right language, facilities managers may offer more convincing arguments — and see funding requests granted more often.

Defining the Shared Problem

Too often, facilities managers describe funding needs by explaining (sometimes in exhaustive technical detail) the nature of a problem. That’s often the first communication breakdown.

A college president or university board of trustees is most concerned about the impact a problem will have on the campus and the university’s overall mission. Instead of highlighting the problem itself, facility managers may want to convey the consequences that could be felt if the problem isn’t solved. Campus executives and board members need enough information about facilities requests to evaluate and fund them. Information shared with these professionals should convey the risks of failing to act as well as the positive results of completing a project.

Improving Communication Channels

The following three steps can help facility managers to more effectively communicate facility needs and concerns:

1. Define a clear set of priorities that can help executives understand the relative urgency of each project.��Begin by assessing needs. These are key takeaways which can provide financial and administrative decision makers with the facts they need to objectively consider the situation. Categories might include repairs, maintenance needs and improvement costs.
2. Challenge every technical term. An insider’s knowledge doesn’t impress anyone, and it certainly doesn’t make an argument more convincing — just as switching to a broader discussion in layman’s terms doesn’t mean an audience isn’t shrewdly considering the solutions to the stated problems. Step back from overuse of jargon and ask if there is a layman’s term that might work instead. If not, will someone with limited facilities background understand the term? If not, provide a brief definition.��Data, in particular, can help in these conversations as it shows definitively the nature of a problem or how a facility compares to peers — and how a solution can provide a competitive edge.
3. Discuss facilities needs in the context of the institution’s mission. Pinpoint the areas that most concern decision makers when it comes to campus improvements. Outline needs in terms of how a repair or other investment would impact the institution’s ability to perform its mission. How exactly does the institution benefit from an investment into the maintenance backlog? If the answer seems obvious, remember that it might only be obvious to those entrenched in these problems day-in and day-out. Help executives understand how a project will deliver a return on the money they invest.

Stop the Confusion

By communicating problems through a shared financial vocabulary, facility managers can ultimately eliminate confusion that could hinder the urgency of . Developing a shared vocabulary can be a challenge. But it can also be a strong first start toward gaining an ally among university decision makers.

Peter Reeves is an associate director of member services at and currently is responsible for service delivery of the operations teams in the Pennsylvania and Oregon offices.��

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Winter can be a difficult time of year for school populations. Subfreezing temperatures, snow and ice, and extended periods of darkness all challenge students, teachers and staff alike. School facility managers play a critical role, because their efforts are essential to keeping maintenance costs under control and maintaining a high level of safety and morale for everyone in the school all winter long.

Here are some top maintenance tips to keep your school safe and welcoming this winter:

Create a Slip-Prevention Plan

If your school is in a cold climate, dealing with icy conditions is critical. However, even southern states get snow and freezing weather from time to time. Especially if icy weather is not the norm in your area, you’ll want to think ahead and prepare for the worst. Some things to consider include:

• Snow removal: Be sure to have a plan in place for how to deal with snow. What equipment will you use, and where will you put snow removed from sidewalks and parking lots? If you expect heavy snow, mark the edges of your property with light-reflective poles so plow drivers know their boundaries. Also, plan to remove any accumulated snow promptly to prevent accidents.
• De-icers: Chemical de-icers are virtually essential in slippery conditions. Rock salt is the most cost-effective, but it can harm landscape plantings, damage concrete and create a mess when it is tracked inside. Alternatives are available, but you will need to research cost effectiveness. Regardless of what you use, have a plan in place for storage, and be sure to use as directed to prevent waste.
• Entry mats: Snow, slush and salt wreak havoc on floors and can create dangerous, slippery conditions. Entry mats can significantly reduce mess and accidents. Use both exterior and interior mats at every entrance, sized to encourage three full paces on the mat before and after the threshold.
• Roofs and awnings: Check roofs and eaves for snow load and ice buildup, and take steps to prevent hazardous conditions and a potential roof collapse. Falling icicles in particular can be hazardous to passersby — and they also indicate energy loss in a building.

Maintain for Energy Efficiency

The greater the difference between inside and outside temperatures, the better the potential for energy savings. Here are some strategies to consider:

• Air seal and weatherize your building: Do this before cold weather arrives to reduce heat loss and improve occupant comfort.
• Use : Adjusting set points to 68 degrees during occupied hours, and 7 to 10 degrees lower when the building is unoccupied will save you approximately 1 percent on your heating bill per degree per 8-hour period.
• Maintain the HVAC system properly: Before cold weather hits, inspect and service your entire HVAC system, including changing air filters.
• Inspect water pipes: Install insulation on any un-insulated hot water pipes to save energy. Cold water pipes should be protected from potential freezing conditions.

Focus on Visibility

During the winter, students often arrive at and/or leave school in the dark. The following tips will help keep everyone safe at these times:

• Inspect and replace: Inspect outdoor lighting and replace failing bulbs and/or fixtures. Add additional outdoor lighting if necessary.
• Trim overgrown shrubbery: This discourages lurkers and enables clear visibility for drivers. This can be done any time during the dormant season.
• Mark snow-covered crosswalks: Do this with signs —��or use crossing guards.
• Practice outdoor safety: Encourage students to wear reflective outdoor clothing. Also educate them on safe conduct through parking lots and when crossing streets after dark.

Prevention is a huge part of winter school maintenance. This is true not only when school is in session, but during breaks as well. It’s a good idea to schedule daily walk-throughs during school breaks to make sure the heat remains on; refrigerators, freezers and other equipment are still working; and to keep an eye out for frozen pipes and other pending crisis situations.

In session or not, forethought will go a long way toward keeping your school facility safe, energy-efficient and welcoming throughout the winter and beyond.

Steve Fountaine is owner of , which serves the Washington, D.C., southern Maryland and northern Virginia areas.

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