Although colleges continue to face tough economic times, they still spend a larger percentage of their total budget on maintenance and operations (M&O) than their school district counterparts. But the amount still falls far short of addressing growing needs — and deferred maintenance remains a significant problem at campuses nationwide.
According to American School & University's 11th annual College Maintenance and Operations Cost Study, spending on M&O as a percentage of total college budget increased to 10 percent from 9.5 percent last year. School districts allocate 7.5 percent.
Study methodology
To arrive at results for the annual M&O Cost Study, physical plant directors at two-year colleges and four-year institutions with no significant graduate programs were mailed in October a detailed questionnaire asking them to document various M&O costs for the 2004-05 school year.
In order to provide useful comparative data, the survey only targets two-year colleges and four-year institutions with no significant graduate programs. No universities were included in this research. 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.
Data is broken out 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 details median M&O expenditures per FTE student for such categories 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 outlines median M&O expenditures per square foot of building maintained. Although the total M&O budget per square foot of two-year and four-year colleges is very close, four-year institutions maintain more than three times the amount of building space than two-year colleges (399 square feet per student compared with 118 square feet per student at two-year colleges). The median college maintains 183 square feet per student.
Table 3 highlights salary data for a variety of M&O job functions at two-year, four-year and all colleges. Among the titles surveyed:
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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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Engineer/Architect: Those in-house positions responsible for planning, design and specialized facilities duties.
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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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Motor Pool: Those individuals involved with transportation operations.
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Secretarial/Clerical: Those individuals who perform secretarial duties.
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Security: Those individuals responsible for safety of buildings and equipment. Does not include professional security or law-enforcement officials, if employed by the college.
Highlights of this year's survey
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The median M&O budget for all colleges is $1.56 million ($1.41 million at 2-year colleges and $1.60 million at 4-year institutions).
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The amount of square feet maintained per custodian dropped to 30,960 from 33,429 last year. At two-year colleges, the number of square feet maintained per custodian is 29,206; at four-year institutions, it is 34,144.
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Square feet maintained per maintenance worker increased this year to 70,062 from 68,954 last year.
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The number of acres maintained per grounds employee declined slightly to 25 from 27 the year before.
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The median total utilities cost for all colleges is $640,000. Gas and electricity account for about 80 percent of the cost for all utilities.
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Engineers and architects receive the highest median salaries at colleges, but only 12 percent of institutions reported having one on staff.
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Benefits equate to 27 percent of base pay.
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The median number of buildings on a two-year college campus is 14; the median number of buildings on a four-year campus is 19.
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The incidence of outsourcing M&O services is practically even between two-year and four-year colleges (20 and 22 percent, respectively).
TABLE 1: Maintenance & Operations Costs (Expressed in median dollars per FTE student)
TABLE 2: Maintenance & Operations Costs (Expressed in median dollars per square foot)
TABLE 3: Median M&O salaries (Full-time employees)
| Function | Two-Year | Four-Year | All Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative | $54,310.00 | $50,000.00 | $52,500.00 |
| Custodial/Housekeeping | $24,083.33 | $21,739.97 | $22,515.33 |
| Engineer/Architect | $62,962.00 | $54,163.00 | $57,120.00 |
| Grounds | $25,115.00 | $25,213.70 | $25,150.00 |
| Maintenance | $29,400.00 | $30,046.70 | $29,816.60 |
| Secretarial/Clerical | $25,955.41 | $24,072.00 | $25,937.71 |
| Motor Pool | $30,000.00 | $30,000.00 | $30,000.00 |
| Security | $28,213.75 | $27,434.75 | $28,000.00 |
Medians by institution type
| Category | All Colleges | Two-Year | Four-Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sq. ft. of bldg. maintained per student | 183 | 118 | 399 |
| Sq. ft. maintained per custodial employee | 30,960 | 29,206 | 34,144 |
| Sq. ft. maintained per maintenance employee | 70,062 | 70,063 | 69,898 |
| Acres maintained per grounds employee | 25 | 33 | 20 |
| Total reported 2004-05 M&O Budget | $1.56 million | $1.60 million | $1.41 million |
Number of buildings at institution
| 1 building | 4% |
| 2 to 5 buildings | 9% |
| 6 to 10 buildings | 19% |
| 11 to 20 buildings | 28% |
| More than 20 buildings | 36% |
| No answer | 4% |
Total gross area maintained of all buildings
(including corridors and other common and office areas) (by responding institutions)
| Less than 100,000 sq. ft. | 9% |
| 100,000 to 199,999 sq. ft. | 12% |
| 200,000 to 299,999 sq. ft. | 10% |
| 300,000 to 399,999 sq. ft. | 11% |
| 400,000 to 499,999 sq. ft. | 7% |
| 500,000 to 749,999 sq. ft. | 15% |
| 750,000 sq. ft. or more | 26% |
| No answer | 10% |
Agron is editor-in-chief of AS&U.
