Don’t be fooled…the changes coming soon to the Facility Inspection Tool aren’t only technical. As we’ll explain further below, this is also politics in action and we advise school districts to pay attention to how upcoming changes will impact students and staff.

First, a brief background:

The 2000 court case of Williams vs. California established the right to “clean, safe, and functional” school facilities and the settlement agreement in 2004 led to the creation of the Facility Inspection Tool (FIT). The FIT is a visual inspection tool, comprised of 8 categories and 15 elements, that includes features of both custodial and maintenance care. The results of the FIT inspections create an overall evaluation of conditions that are published annually in the School Accountability Report Card.

A lot has happened since 2004 and most recently, CA State legislation directs the Office of Public School Construction (OPSC) to gather stakeholder feedback and consider current standards for school facilities, including, but not limited to, the Association of Physical Plan Administrator’s Operational Guidelines for Educational Facilities, and both local and state public health guidance and standards.

Next, an update on current status:

OPSC held its first stakeholder engagement session on Tuesday, Nov. 30th and approximately eighty (80) people from across California attended. OPSC will host another session on Jan. 20th from 4p-6p, and subsequently summarize the feedback and suggestions in the coming months. OPSC will bring a recommendation forward to the State Allocation Board for review and adoption sometime before July 1,2022.

So, What Does this Mean?

An important clarification: the current FIT is an evaluation of current conditions and IS NOT an evaluation of the means by which school districts create those conditions. However, many of the stakeholders in attendance were very passionate about the staffing and resources needed to realize our goals of creating the environments we expect for ALL of our students. Ideas included adding an overview of the total number of staff assigned for maintenance and custodial care, adding a description of how often the site is used after hours, and more. In general, people were hoping to see introductory information so that the public can understand the context. It was mentioned more than once that in concept, the FIT is a good tool, but could also be used to advocate for the resources necessary to achieve our goals.

TRiGroup’s Advice: It is too easy to miss the opportunity here. For some, the FIT may seem to be just another bureaucratic function; an annual routine exercise to satisfy regulation. We advise better. Be aware of the process we are currently in and involve your local stakeholders, especially those who are responsible for cleaning and maintaining schools. Standards related to health standards, virus mitigation, and staffing ration are important details to consider. Those on the front lines need to be well-supported with training, equipment and supplies, and a culture where they are appreciated.

At TRiGroup, we are experts in school maintenance and custodial care. We’ve served as janitors, maintenance directors, teachers, and school Principals. Call us for advice!