No doubt remains that deferred maintenance has taken a heavy toll on the nation’s K-12 schools. For anyone in the general public who still wondered about the condition of school classrooms, restrooms and roofs before the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic three years ago, subsequent revelations of faulty and inadequate ventilation and air filtration systems put the issue to rest. Now, the nation’s teachers have spoken about the condition of schools, and the report card is bad.
A large percentage of educators and administrators nationwide aren’t satisfied with the buildings where they are tasked with facilitating learning, according to a survey of 296 district officials, 284 principals, and 478 teachers conducted in early 2023 by Education Week’s EdWeek Research Center. Schools are too small, outdated, toxic, not conducive to instruction and often ill-equipped for students’ rapidly evolving and growing needs, according to teachers. Many district leaders also say they need more qualified workers to help make urgently needed improvements.
Forty-five percent of teachers, principals, and district leaders gave their buildings a C grade or lower in the survey, roughly equivalent to the 42 percent who assigned a B grade to their building or buildings. Only 14 percent gave their building the highest marks.
The survey also asked respondents to highlight challenges they have encountered in their school buildings. The responses ran the gamut from insufficient cleaning (23 percent) and rodents or insects (15 percent) to buildings being too cold (22 percent) or too hot (18 percent).
A smaller but still significant percentage pointed to major health and safety concerns. Ten percent cited bad-tasting or undrinkable water. Nine percent said they’re worried about mold. Seven percent said a lack of windows is a concern, and another 7 percent said their buildings fail to comply with federal Americans With Disabilities Act requirements for accessibility — more than 30 years after the law was enacted.
Dan Hounsell is senior editor of the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.
