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I'm sure like most of you, while we love to see the change of seasons, will welcome spring after this past winter! It's been quite a while since we've moved the kind of quantities of snow and slush or applied as much salt and grit as we did this past winter. A big THANK YOU to our grounds and maintenance crew for all the sleepless nights!
This time of year we are busy planning for summer cleaning and projects. Our department consists of 21 full time staff, covering six buildings and grounds. Summer work includes preparing all of the buildings and classrooms for fall with a thorough cleaning, helping with a variety of in-house projects, furniture and equipment moves, keeping our grounds clean and maintained and making sure spaces are ready each day for summer programming.
Some examples of in-house projects are paint touch ups in classrooms and hallways, inspecting and fixing exterior caulk joints around the buildings, performing plumbing maintenance, and evaluating all our mechanical systems during their preventative maintenance schedule to plan for future replacements. All this and more is done to attempt to minimize breakdowns and failures, plan for future replacement needs and ensure our students have a safe and comfortable learning environment.
A large part of our summer work can include projects such as roof replacements, carpet replacements, updating classroom doors, updating electrical and lighting controls, repairing parking lots and updating ball field surfaces. These projects are typically contracted out after the school board approves the bids submitted. Once the board approves the projects for the summer, our department will coordinate with contractors to ensure those projects are completed within their timelines.
Another aspect of facility work is ensuring all life and safety equipment are in good working condition. Over the summer we have our fire systems tested, buildings are inspected for compliance with chemical storage requirements and outside contractors complete visual inspections of the buildings for compliance and safety. We work closely with our local Fire Department, Police Department and state inspectors to ensure we are in compliance and our buildings are inviting and safe for staff and students.
While our department looks forward to summer and giving the buildings a "reset" its also by far our busiest time of the year. We look forward to a productive summer and welcoming everyone back this fall – Go Eagles!
-- Pat Lang is director of facilities at New Ulm Public Schools