Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the inaugural members of the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse External Advisory Board, a group of school safety experts and education leaders that will provide advice and recommendations on practical ways to enhance K-12 school safety and security. The board will advise the DHS secretary through the Cybersecurity […]
The U.S. Department of Education revealed the 2024 Green Ribbon Schools, District Sustainability Awardees, and Postsecondary Sustainability Awardees. The announcement came as the White House hosted the first-ever Summit for Sustainable and Healthy K-12 School Buildings and Grounds. Across the country, 41 schools, 10 districts, three postsecondary institutions, and one early learning center are being […]
Pennsylvania officials have announced a total of $175 million will be available through two grant programs to help schools make facility upgrades and environmental repairs. Recognizing that students cannot learn, grow, and thrive without access to safe and healthy school facilities, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) announced $75 million in funding through the Public […]
Diversity, equality, and representation are essential across all industries, including facilities management. In honor of Black History Month, Erna Perkins-Jones shares her FM success story, discusses what the annual observance means to her, and offers advice for future facility leaders, no matter their skin color. Perkins-Jones is the director of facilities at Johnson C. Smith […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected nine applicants throughout the West to receive nearly $11 million in funding through the Wildfire Smoke Preparedness in Community Buildings grant program. The new federal program aims to enhance community wildfire smoke preparedness by providing grants to states, federally recognized Tribes, public preschools, local educational agencies, and […]
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Efficient and Healthy Schools Campaign recently celebrated the achievements of 17 K-12 schools and districts that implemented exemplary projects to improve the energy and environmental performance of their facilities. Led by the DOE’s Building Technologies Office, the campaign is an interagency effort supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency […]
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the first round of selectees for the Renew America’s Schools grant program, a competitive award that will support the implementation of energy improvements in public K-12 schools across the country. Following “unprecedented” demand for the funding, the DOE chose 24 Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in 22 states to share […]
Now that the academic semester is over and campuses are largely deserted, it’s the perfect time to do major maintenance projects and intensive cleaning jobs that couldn’t be done when the campus was buzzing with activity. Plan for Summer Classes Facilities teams should work with school leadership to determine what areas will be used for […]
All school employees in Pennsylvania will receive three hours of safety and security training every year, at no charge to their schools, through a new program grant approved by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). “Every kid deserves to be safe and feel safe, whether they’re in the classroom, on the playing field, waiting […]
More than 50 school leaders from 16 states recently traveled to Washington, D.C., for the first-ever Clean Energy Schools Symposium—a national meeting of school decision-makers who have flipped the switch to clean energy and are actively inspiring and supporting other schools across the country to do the same. National clean energy nonprofit Generation180 hosted the […]