Colleges placed more of an emphasis on maintenance and operations (M&O) this school year by increasing the amount spent on M&O as a percentage of total budget. While still short of percentage-spending amounts from years past, the upward move is welcome as higher-education institutions attempt to address a backlog of deferred maintenance and rapidly deteriorating facilities.
According to American School & University's 12th annual College Maintenance and Operations Cost Study, spending on M&O as a percentage of total college budget increased to 11 percent from 10 percent last year. School district spending on M&O remained fairly constant at 7.5 percent of total budget.
Crunching the numbers
Data for the annual M&O Cost Study was collected via an in-depth questionnaire mailed in October to physical plant directors at two-year colleges and four-year institutions with no significant graduate programs. Recipients were asked to document various M&O costs for the 2005-06 school year.
The survey only targets two-year colleges and four-year institutions with no significant graduate programs in order to provide useful comparative data. Larger four-year universities with significant graduate programs are not surveyed because their costs and activities typically are so varied that results would be less useful.
The M&O Cost Study breaks out data by two-year, four-year and all colleges. The tables and charts found throughout the report detail median M&O expenditures per full-time-equivalent (FTE) student and per square foot, as well as the incidence of various maintenance practices.
Table 1 outlines median M&O expenditures per FTE student for categories such as salaries, benefits, gas, electricity, other utilities, custodial/maintenance and grounds equipment and supplies, vehicle maintenance and total M&O, and identifies the percentage of total budget colleges direct to M&O.
Table 2 details median M&O expenditures per square foot of building maintained for categories such as salaries, benefits, gas, electricity, other utilities, custodial/maintenance and grounds equipment and supplies, vehicle maintenance and total M&O, and lists the square footage of building maintained per FTE student.
Table 3 highlights salary data for a variety of M&O job functions at two-year, four-year and all colleges, as well as the median number of employees for those functions. Among the titles included:
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Administrative: Those individuals who have managerial or supervisory duties (does not include the overall director of physical plant).
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Custodial: Those individuals responsible for building upkeep and cleaning.
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Grounds: Those individuals responsible for landscape maintenance and upkeep.
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Maintenance: Those individuals who perform skilled jobs, such as plumbing, electrical or HVAC repair.
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Secretarial/Clerical: Those individuals who perform secretarial duties.
Additional highlights of this year's survey:
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The median M&O budget for all colleges is $2.4 million ($2.2 million at two-year colleges and $3.0 million at four-year institutions).
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The median FTE enrollment of survey respondents is 1,865 (2,500 at two-year colleges and 1,405 at four-year institutions).
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The amount of square feet maintained per custodian jumped to 35,326 from 30,960 last year. At two-year colleges, the number of square feet maintained per custodian is 35,326; at four-year institutions, it is 36,354.
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Square feet maintained per maintenance worker increased this year to 74,714 from 70,062 last year.
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The number of acres maintained per grounds employee remained constant at 25.
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The median total utilities cost for all colleges is $740,000. Gas and electricity account for approximately 85 percent of the cost for all utilities.
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The median number of buildings on a two-year college campus is 13; the median number of buildings on a four-year campus is 23.
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Both two-year and four-year colleges increased their practice of outsourcing M&O services. Twenty-seven percent of two-year colleges and 26 percent of four-year colleges use privatized services (20 and 22 percent, respectively, last year).
TABLE 1: Maintenance & Operations Costs (Expressed in median dollars per FTE student)
All Colleges | % | Two-Year | % | Four-Year | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Salaries | $393.44 | 38% | $288.19 | 40% | $765.02 | 36% |
Benefits (based on full-time only) |
$100.65 | 10% | $68.03 | 10% | $216.31 | 10% |
Total Utilities | $360.40 | 35% | $235.53 | 33% | $691.19 | 32% |
Gas** | $67.25 | $50.75 | $186.60 | |||
Electricity** | $214.68 | $146.23 | $292.29 | |||
Gas & Electricity (subtotal) | $295.97 | $216.07 | $454.23 | |||
Other Utilities** | $29.30 | $14.99 | $89.84 | |||
Total Equipment & Supplies | $58.50 | 6% | $45.00 | 6% | $148.20 | 7% |
Custodial/Maint. Equip. & Supplies** | $35.00 | $30.77 | $67.85 | |||
Grounds Equip. & Supplies** | $10.66 | $9.24 | $14.29 | |||
Vehicle Maintenance | $9.09 | 1% | $6.63 | 1% | $19.29 | 1% |
Other | $100.32 | 10% | $69.63 | 10% | $290.63 | 14% |
Total M&O Budget* | $1,022.40 | 100% | $713.01 | 100% | $2,130.64 | 100% |
% M&O of Total College Budget | 11.0% | 11.0% | 10.5% | |||
*Calculated from sub-totals (in bold). | ||||||
**Based on fewer responses than the total due to schools that combine some of these categories. |
TABLE 2: Maintenance & Operations Costs (Expressed in median dollars per square foot)
All Colleges | Two-Year | Four-Year | |
---|---|---|---|
Salaries | $1.70 | $1.89 | $1.54 |
Benefits (based on full-time only) |
$0.48 | $0.49 | $0.46 |
Total Utilities | $1.78 | $1.78 | $1.77 |
Gas** | $0.36 | $0.33 | $0.41 |
Electricity** | $0.91 | $1.01 | $0.73 |
Gas & Electricity (subtotal) |
$1.40 | $1.48 | $1.26 |
Other Utilities** | $0.26 | $0.24 | $0.29 |
Total Equipment & Supplies | $0.35 | $0.32 | $0.35 |
Custodial/Maint. Equip. & Supplies** | $0.18 | $0.18 | $0.18 |
Grounds Equip. & Supplies** | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.10 |
Vehicle Maintenance | $0.05 | $0.05 | $0.04 |
Other | $0.80 | $0.96 | $0.43 |
Total M&O Budget* | $5.16 | $5.49 | $4.59 |
SF of bldg. maint. per FTE student | 197 | 142 | 401 |
*Calculated from subtotals (in bold). | |||
**Based on fewer responses than the total due to schools that combine some of these categories. |
TABLE 3: Median M&O salaries and number of employees at colleges
(Full-time employees)
Function | Salary | # of Employees |
---|---|---|
Administrative | $51,060 | 2 |
Custodial/Housekeeping | $24,000 | 13 |
Grounds | $29,777 | 4 |
Maintenance | $33,425 | 7 |
Secretarial/Clerical | $26,583 | 1 |
FTE enrollment (of responding institutions)
Less than 600 students | 12% |
600 - 999 students | 13% |
1000 - 1999 students | 20% |
2000 - 2999 students | 13% |
3000 - 4999 students | 11% |
5000 - 9999 students | 10% |
10,000 students or more | 10% |
No answer | 11% |
M&O budget (of survey respondents)
$1 million or less | 18% |
$1 million to $2 million | 19% |
$2,000,001 to $3 million | 13% |
$3,000,001 to $5 million | 19% |
More than $5 million | 17% |
No answer | 14% |
Number of buildings at institution
1 to 4 buildings | 16% |
5 to 10 buildings | 20% |
11 to 15 buildings | 14% |
16 to 25 buildings | 22% |
26 to 40 buildings | 13% |
More than 40 buildings | 13% |
No answer | 2% |
Total grounds acreage maintained
(by survey respondents)
Less than 40 acres | 17% |
40 to 80 acres | 20% |
80.1 to 110 acres | 18% |
110.1 to 200 acres | 21% |
More than 200 acres | 13% |
No answer | 11% |
Square-footage details
Medians by institution type:
Category | All Colleges | Two-Year | Four-Year |
---|---|---|---|
SF of bldg. maintained per student | 197 | 142 | 401 |
SF maintained per custodial employee | 35,326 | 35,326 | 36,354 |
SF maintained per maintenance employee | 74,714 | 74,714 | 75,418 |
Acres maintained per grounds employee | 25 | 28 | 22 |
Total reported 2005-06 M&O Budget | $2.37 million | $2.19 million | $3.01 million |
Space maintained
Square feet of building maintained per full-time-equivalent (FTE) student at colleges over the past decade (in median square feet):
1996 | 186 |
1997 | 220 |
1998 | 194 |
1999 | 206 |
2000 | 219 |
2001 | 213 |
2002 | 189 |
2003 | 207 |
2004 | 183 |
2005 | 197 |
Total gross area maintained of all buildings
(including corridors and other common and office areas) (by responding institutions)
Less than 150,000 sq. ft. | 12% |
150,000 to 299,999 sq. ft. | 14% |
300,000 to 449,999 sq. ft. | 17% |
450,000 to 599,999 sq. ft. | 13% |
600,000 to 749,999 sq. ft. | 13% |
750,000 to 999,999 sq. ft. | 10% |
1 million sq. ft. or more | 13% |
No answer | 8% |
Agron is editor-in-chief for AS&U.