We have been talking about getting solar panels for our schools.

For those who have them, how do you like them? Do they save as much as they say? Anything you don't like about them?  Any feedback would be appreciated!

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What companies are members using to manage their Steam Boiler Systems and Hydronic Loops? Or is anyone testing and treating their systems without a company

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Does anyone have a new employee handbook or custodial expectations manual that they would be willing to share?

Thank you!

When a member sends out a question to membership, the answers will be posted to the MASMS website.

Instructions:

Go to:  www.masms.org

Look to the left hand side of the windows under “Quicklinks”

Click on “Questions and Answers from MASMS Member” Button

Select the question you would like to see the answers from.

We have a licensed tech ed teacher who oversees the use of all power tools by students at the high school. We do not have a licensed tech ed teacher at either of our two middle schools. So, unless the high school teacher is there, we do not allow students to use any power tools. We have a middle school teacher who wishes to provide that supervision, but he lacks the tech ed license. If you've run into this issue at your district, how did you manage it?

I am looking for information on pre-employment physicals for Buildings and Grounds staff. Does your district require a pre-employment physical? Do you know what it entails? Have you ever not hired somebody based on the result of a pre-employment physical?

I was just wondering what everybody thought about gym floor cleaning during the school year. Is it something that should be swept every day and run the floor machine over it a couple times a week? Or should I be sweeping and machining every night or only worry about machining every night during basketball? 

What are schools using and what's worked best, besides just a drag, for field finishing for baseball and softball fields.   Any info or tips of machines that have worked would be greatly appreciated.

I'm wondering if anyone knows the laws about disposing of football helmets and where schools send them to get destroyed. The person in my district asking thinks that we are liable for any injuries caused if someone gets ahold of them without them being destroyed by the school.

• Is there only one person, you?
• If so do you have any support staff to help with daily organization?
• If you are the only person overseeing the district do you receive calls 24/7/365 and if so, is your compensation offset all the extra hours you put in with calls, or do you receive additional compensation for extra hours over 50 weekly?

We have some theater floor maintenance for our school’s theater stage that needs to be done. We are wondering what companies have done this for other districts.

Our district is thinking about adding protective security window film to our entryways to improve safety/security. Any information would be helpful, good contractors, best product, funding options, RFP’s.

We are looking for recommendations for a vendor for the fabrication and installation of special ed support swings. In addition, we are also looking for recommendations for a vendor that can perform yearly swing mount inspections.  

Has anyone encountered a permit request for goat yoga in your facilities?  If so, what was your response? Do you have an animal policy/procedure that you can share?  Seriously. I’m not kidding!

We are refinishing some wood benches in a locker room and have a pool. Has anybody got a good suggestion for something that worked for them.

I'm wondering if others would be willing to share what their rate of pay is for sub custodians?

We have a batting net in our Field House. Do you require floor protection to be put down on Pulastic Sports Flooring for use of batting practice? Or does the flooring hold up to it?

Our school district is looking to install VAP detectors, I am curious if others schools are having success with adding vap detectors? Did you see any issues with the detectors? What brand or company do you recommend for vap detectors?

Has anyone used a portable battery powered snow shovel? We are looking to use one on stairs. Any ideas or recommendations? Reviews, thoughts?

When a member sends out a question to membership, the answers will be posted to the MASMS website.

I am looking for feedback and/or strategic plans of what others have been doing to move their facilities to LED. Looking for direct experiences good or bad with specific retrofit companies or if you have used a different tactic(Design firm, In house, etc.) to switch your facilities to LED especially now with rapidly increasing utility costs.

I am curious about asset tracking processes, software and labels other members use for furniture in their facilities.

I am curious about asset tracking processes, software and labels other members use for furniture in their facilities.

What do you charge outside users for your grounds team to prep a field, not including the initial layout (including chalk, paint, & labor)?  
Baseball/Softball | Football | Soccer

If you do it differently, how do you do it?

The Underwood school is looking for some help in reconfiguring the traffic flow in our parking lot. Is there a company/consultant out there that helps with this that you would recommend?

1. Head Custodian with a Boiler License
2. Custodians
3. Transportation Director
4. Bus Drivers
5. Bus Drivers for extra curricular activities.

MAINTENANCE | Is anyone else using FMX as a Preventative and Routine Maintenance platform?  I'd like to know your thoughts if you are using it or did use it and are not any longer.  Question submitted by:   Marc Bachman, St. Peter Schools

We started using Vital Oxide to clean and disinfect classrooms during the day. However, we have had a few students say that their clothing is getting ruined - specifically black pants, joggers, spandex (please see the attached picture). I was wondering if anyone else that is using Vital Oxide has had any issues? 
Question submited by:  Freddie Martinez, Warren-Alvarado-Oslo ISD 2176

Looking on input on team cleaning vs. zone cleaning. Which do you prefer? Pluses, minuses?

• Travel back from a school/site to a district maintenance garage/office for break
  • Either as an individual or potentially picking up others on the way back to the garage and then dropping them back off after(people mowing, plowing, etc.) In other words, is there an expectation the break is taken where you are?
• Travel back to a district maintenance garage/office for lunch
  • Either as an individual or potentially picking up others on the way back to the garage and then dropping them back off where they were after lunch (people mowing, plowing, etc.)
  • Or is there an expectation people eat where they are versus driving from one site back to the garage? Likely adding 15-30 minutes of down time driving in addition to lunch
• Travel to/from a restaurant for lunch
  • Either going as an individual or group to a sit down restaurant

Pool starting blocks.  We have ‘single’ pedestal pool starting blocks that we installed last summer that are now loose…

I am looking for a description of your district’s crisis management and physical security organization. I am not looking for your plan or program details. I just want to know who runs these programs, by position name, and the chain of command to the superintendent. For example here is what this looks like at Hopkins Public Schools.

Crisis Management Chain Superintendent < Business Services Manager < Buildings and Grounds Supervisor <  Buildings and Grounds Assistant Supervisor < Health and Safety Coordinator / Crisis Management Leader

Physical Security Chain  Superintendent < Business Services Manager < Buildings and Grounds Supervisor  

1. am looking to have one of our four pools closed permanently due to limited use. Please contact me if you have had experience putting together average daily or monthly operating costs for your pool. Any help on this topic would be greatly appreciated. Just hit reply to this message. Question submitted by Jeff Arthurs, Osseo Schools

“Subd. 2.School district training. A school district shall allow to occur annually at least eight hours of training related to boiler operation to a licensee described in subdivision 1”

Question submitted by Dylan Carlson, Duluth Public Schools

1. Has anyone had to purchase a Type III van for your school? If so, how do you go about doing that? I called a local Ford Dealership and they said they cannot sell to a school as it is against Federal Law? I called our bus company and they are looking into it as well. Any tips or places to buy, let me know. Thank you! Question placed by Scott Kaminski, Janesville, Waldorf, Pemberton Schools.

1. We're looking for feedback on how other districts handle draining their swimming pools.o Do you drain into your city/town sanitary sewer system or the storm water system? o If you drain into the storm water system, how do you dechlorinate the pool water beforehand?  Asked by: Maureen Mullen, Prior Lake-Savage Schools

1. Painting Rooms:
   1. Do other schools let teachers and staff paint rooms?
      1. Or does the maintenance staff only paint rooms?
   2. Do other schools have a set paint color or colors?
      1. Or do they let anyone pick out any paint and paint colors?