In every district, academic outcomes are often viewed through the lens of curriculum, instruction, and leadership. Yet behind every successful school system is an operational foundation that makes learning possible day after day: facilities and custodial teams. From maintaining safe learning environments to ensuring buildings are ready to support evolving instructional models, these professionals play a far more strategic role in district success than they are often given credit for. But how clearly do districts connect facilities operations to their broader academic vision? And what happens when that connection is overlooked?

As expectations for student performance continue to rise, so do demands on school buildings themselves. Air quality, lighting, classroom readiness, preventative maintenance, and rapid response to issues all shape whether teachers can focus on instruction and whether students feel safe and supported. Despite this, facilities planning and academic planning frequently operate in parallel rather than in partnership. When priorities are misaligned--or when communication breaks down--the impact shows up not only in operational challenges, but in lost instructional time, staff morale, and community confidence.

We recently spoke with a seasoned district administrator who has worked in multiple large urban districts. Their perspective offers a candid look at how custodial operations and facilities maintenance influence everything from instructional continuity to districtwide outcomes, and why stronger collaboration between academic leadership and operations teams may be one of the most overlooked drivers of school success today.

More Than Maintenance: Facilities as a Driver of District Success

When asked how custodial and facilities teams contribute to a district’s broader vision for student success, the administrator didn’t start with operations--they started with perception. “Schools are one of the most visible reflections of a community,” they explained. “The condition of the campus sends a message long before anyone looks at test scores or programs.” From curb appeal to the cleanliness of outdoor spaces, school buildings influence how families, businesses, and prospective residents view a district. In many communities, well-maintained facilities are tied not only to school pride but also to broader community confidence, including how neighborhoods are perceived and valued.

That first impression continues the moment someone enters a building. He described how the single point of entry--through the lobby and into hallways, classrooms, and restrooms--shapes whether visitors feel students are truly cared for. Clean, organized spaces signal intention and respect; neglected areas can unintentionally suggest the opposite. Students notice these details as well. Reports of messy rooms or unclean common areas, they said, can quietly undermine students’ trust in their environment and in the adults responsible for maintaining it, making facilities work a daily contributor to school culture.

Beyond perception, facility conditions directly influence how students learn and feel. Lighting, for example, plays a surprisingly significant role in attention and comfort; rooms that are too dim make it harder to engage with instructional materials, while overly harsh lighting can create distraction and fatigue. Air quality has become an equally pressing concern, particularly for students and staff managing asthma, allergies, or respiratory sensitivities. And poor ventilation or maintenance issues don’t just affect comfort, they can impact attendance and overall well-being. In the post-pandemic landscape, heightened awareness around disease transmission has placed even greater emphasis on cleanliness and airflow. Facilities teams are now central to sustaining a sense of safety and reassurance. As the administrator put it, “When the building functions well, students can focus on learning. When it doesn’t, everything else becomes harder.”

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Capacity Challenges and the Hidden Impact on Schools

When the conversation turned to staffing and capacity, he was direct: shortages in custodial and facilities teams are no longer an isolated operational issue; they are a systemwide challenge that touches instruction, leadership, and community engagement. “In many districts, the biggest barrier is simply finding people,” he explained. Positions in custodial services, groundskeeping, and maintenance are increasingly difficult to fill, particularly when private-sector roles offer higher wages and more competitive benefits. At the same time, rising material costs are consuming a growing share of operating budgets, leaving districts with few areas they can adjust beyond staffing levels.

Layered on top of this is the broader financial reality facing many school systems. Declining enrollment in some communities and funding that has not kept pace with inflation mean fewer dollars stretched across the same--or even expanding--physical footprint. “Buildings don’t shrink just because enrollment changes,” the administrator noted. Fields still need to be maintained, hallways cleaned, and systems repaired regardless of how many students walk through the doors each day. This mismatch between fixed operational demands and fluctuating resources places additional strain on already limited teams.

The ripple effects often show up in classrooms. When routine maintenance becomes infrequent or delayed, administrative and instructional staff find themselves stepping into roles outside their expertise--collecting trash, cleaning spaces, or addressing minor facility issues just to keep the day running smoothly. While these efforts reflect a deep commitment to students, they also pull time and energy away from instruction and student support. In some communities, parent organizations and PTAs have stepped in to fill visible gaps, fundraising for groundskeeping or campus beautification projects instead of programs that directly enhance learning experiences.

At the district level, leaders are also grappling with the challenge of maintaining consistent and equitable facility conditions across schools. Aging buildings, geographic differences, and variations in local resources can create significant disparities in how campuses look and function. Balancing urgent maintenance needs with long-term equity goals introduces difficult tradeoffs, as districts work to ensure that every student--regardless of which school they attend--learns in an environment that feels safe, cared for, and conducive to success.

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Where Systems Break Down–and Why Alignment Matters

As the conversation shifted to daily operations, the administrator pointed to workflow and communication as some of the greatest sources of friction between schools and facilities teams. “The biggest challenges aren’t always the work itself,” they said. “It’s how information moves--or doesn’t move--between people.” Identifying an issue and submitting a request can already be complicated. Staff may not know whether a problem has been logged, duplicate work orders are common, and assumptions about who reported what can delay action. Even once a need is documented, there is often little visibility into whether a response has begun, leaving teachers and administrators uncertain about timelines and next steps.

That lack of transparency can erode trust over time. Finding status updates frequently requires extra emails, calls, or follow-ups that pull staff away from instructional priorities. Prioritization adds another layer of complexity; in many systems, requests are addressed largely in the order they are submitted rather than by urgency or instructional impact. Meanwhile, everyday disruptions--spills, equipment damage, or facility issues--can interrupt classroom routines, slow hallway movement, and create logistical challenges that ripple across the school day. Without the ability to analyze patterns across incidents or maintenance needs, districts also lose opportunities to allocate resources more strategically or prevent recurring problems before they escalate.

Misalignment often begins long before a work order is submitted. The administrator described how facilities planning and instructional planning frequently operate on separate timelines. Decisions about classroom placement, master scheduling, assemblies, or specialized programming may move forward without early input from operations teams, creating challenges once implementation begins. Similarly, new technology purchases or specialized equipment are sometimes approved without fully accounting for long-term maintenance needs, limiting their lifespan or effectiveness. “We want innovation,” they explained, “but innovation works best when the operations team is at the table from the start.”

When asked what change could make the greatest difference, the administrator’s answer was clear: transparency. A more visible workflow--from identifying an issue to resolving it--would strengthen communication, reduce frustration, and help educators feel confident that their learning environments are supported. Clear, shared information about what has been reported, what is in progress, and what has been completed would not only streamline operations but also reinforce a culture of collaboration, allowing staff, students, and families to see that the systems behind the scenes are working together to support learning.

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Key Takeaways

Stronger alignment between academic leadership and facilities operations has the potential to transform not only how buildings function, but how students experience school every day. The ultimate goal is not simply better maintenance; it is creating systems that support instructional continuity, promote equity across campuses, and build trust through clear communication and shared accountability.

Challenges Identified

• Staffing shortages and turnover in custodial and facilities roles create operational strain and reduce consistency across schools.

• Rising material costs and constrained budgets force difficult tradeoffs that often limit staffing capacity.

• Limited transparency within work order systems makes it difficult for staff to track progress or understand response timelines.

• Misalignment between instructional planning and facilities planning leads to logistical challenges and underutilized resources.

• Inequities in building age, condition, and geographic context create tension around maintaining consistent learning environments across a district.

• Reactive maintenance and limited data analytics prevent districts from identifying patterns and allocating resources strategically.

Opportunities for Improvement

• Earlier collaboration between academic leaders and operations teams during planning for schedules, programs, and technology initiatives.
  
  
• Transparent, technology-enabled workflows that provide real-time visibility into issue reporting, prioritization, and completion.
  
  
• Data-informed facilities management that identifies recurring issues and improves long-term resource allocation.
  
  
• Strategic investments in recruitment, retention, and professional recognition to stabilize custodial and maintenance teams.
  
  
• Clear communication systems that strengthen trust among administrators, educators, families, and facilities staff.
  
  
• A shared district culture that recognizes facilities and custodial teams as essential partners in student success--not just behind-the-scenes support.

When facilities operations and academic priorities move in sync, districts don’t just maintain buildings, they create environments where students, staff, and communities can truly thrive.