MMSD Today

There is a great deal of pressure to complete all of the renovations and construction projects on such a limited time frame in the summer months.

Although there are deadlines that must be met by the end of summer, Building Services employees do not let the stress get to them. Because there is a 5-year plan showing when and what will be worked on next, "there is pressure but it is planned far in advance and we have enough staff to get the job done," says Rick Hopke, Assistant Director of Facility Maintenance. Building Services is able to be very organized in each step of the renovation process.

Due to the fact that renovations occurring during school hours would be disturbing to students and teachers both, the demands on getting projects done before the beginning of the school year is a high priority for Building Services.

To assure that all of the projects are completed by the time school starts, crews may expect to work overtime hours and use the outside help of additional crews when the time is cut close. However, because the projects are planned so far in advance, this situation very rarely happens.

The renovations that may occur include new ceilings, lights, electrical services, floors, parking lots, etc. This summer at Toki Middle School, the exterior wall is being replaced, the parking lot repaved, the lockers painted, and the curtain wall is also being replaced. The schools closed for summer 2007 due to construction include: Allis, Hamilton/Van Hise, and Toki/Orchard Ridge. Although these are the only MMSD schools closed completely, other schools are having work done on them as well. Elsewhere in the MMSD Today is an article listing progress of all the schools being worked on.

Keeping the lines of communication open with faculty and staff is important in the end of the school year and the end of summer so that the maintenance crew is able to let them know when they must be out of their offices and when it will be safe for them to come back to work.

Throughout the year, the maintenance staff may also have to deal with emergency projects, such as floods. When asked how the Building Services addresses situations such as that, Hopke said, "Our main mission is to keep the schools open, and we work very hard to do so." By working around school hours, it makes it easier to not distract teachers and students. Also, if an emergency needs to be taken care of immediately, there is always the possibility of moving the children into another MMSD school for the time being.

When determining what buildings are worked on next, Doug Pearson, Director of Building Services, says "the buildings are given a score based on the value of the needed replacement." Routine maintenance is factored into the operating budget which is approximately four to five million dollars a year.

Toki Middle School parking lot received a much needed re-paving this summer.

Rick Hopke (right) and Mike MacDonald discuss the progress of the exterior wall with a worker in a Toki Middle School classroom.

The same classroom at Toki Middle School.

Last Updated: Thu Nov 1 13:37:06 2007
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Summers full of deadlines for Building Services