General solutions and resources may not be sufficient
Every private K-12 administrator, teacher, and parent has been embroiled in the heated back-to-school discussions for months, and as those debates continue, one huge point is clear: reopening requires thorough preparation and planning.
With private K-12 environments, prepping for probable student re-entry is only one part of the equation, and it’s possible you may be falling short if your only focus is increased cleaning and disinfection. There are key questions that need to be answered before you can reopen:
- Open on different schedules. Although many private K-12 school buildings are closed, many spaces must remain open to support residents or faculty living on campus. Space utilization will impact the ability to stagger residential and/or commuter student schedules so that classrooms and other spaces can be cycled and serviced on different days. How can you perform cleaning and engineering services in spaces that are always populated? How can you communicate complex scheduling requirements to ensure the right rooms are disinfected?
- Multiple facility types. Student dorms, classrooms, science labs, sports arenas, fitness centers, cafeterias, common areas, libraries, offices, auditoriums, music practice spaces—the list goes on and on when it comes to the types of spaces on a typical private K-12 campus. How can you ensure that all of these facilities can be disinfected and made safer on a consistent basis, given the size, complexity, and variety of these spaces?
- Budget considerations. Tuition serves as a primary source of revenue for K-12 private schools, but institutions will be challenged by lower enrollment rates, higher spend on cleaning services, lower alumni gifts, and potential faculty recruitment struggles. How can you do more when you may have less to spend?
- Greater interaction. Even with controls like better social distancing in classrooms and dining spaces, students still gravitate toward one another. What about sports teams? Even with spectators socially distanced, players need to be in close proximity, and often can’t wear masks as part of practice and play. How will you handle the potential rise in infection risk that comes with more interaction?
- Keeping the community strong. One particularly unique aspect of a K-12 private school is the close-knit community that brings together educators, administrators, parents, students, and staff. Ensuring they all feel supported and safe is crucial, and that requires more communication about what’s being done to keep everyone healthy. Do you know what to convey when it comes to assuring all stakeholders that you’re doing as much as you can?
Because of factors like these, private K-12 education requires a unique approach that addresses these issues on multiple levels. That leads to the biggest question of all: How can you reopen safely when resources may be limited?
Value of an Experienced Partner
Awareness of the unique needs of a campus environment is just the first of many steps toward creating a cohesive, meaningful plan for reopening. In upcoming blog posts, we’ll go more in depth regarding a proactive approach to facility services, and the importance of operations coordination.
Be sure to check back for more blog posts, and don’t hesitate to contact UG2 to talk about your specific needs. If you work in the private K-12 education space, now is the time to build capability and resources for reopening, and UG2’s deep experience and insights have proven valuable to a range of educational customers.
Our UG2 ReNewSM Cleaning4Health and Engineering4HealthSM programs are designed to ensure you have what you need, well before anyone returns to school—and long after they’re back, too.