Big Moves

Work orders throughout the Akron Public Schools district are plentiful; but major construction projects have to be completed during the summer, when the buildings are vacant.

The APS Facilities Department takes on 1,200 work orders internally a month during the regular school year. The department is in charge of maintenance, grounds and custodial operations as well as renovations and major construction projects.

The director of facility services, Steven Keenan, who oversees the work throughout the district, said 90 percent of the work orders are completed within a month; the other 10 percent are usually because the project is contracted out, and they are waiting to schedule a contractor.

“But our busiest time is in the summer; that’s when most of the major building projects get completed, things that have to be done when the building is empty such as renovations or installing cooling systems,” said Keenan. “This summer, we converted Robinson CLC to NIHF STEM High School, a special topics school. At other schools, we worked on roof repairs, cooling systems, caulking, flooring and security camera updates -- all the things you would have to address in a residential home or any large building with heavy traffic over a long period of time.”  

He said there were 150 work orders at North High School alone this past summer. He called it the most problematic building in the district. It is also one of oldest buildings in the district along with Pfeiffer Elementary School and the Ott Building.

The department also completed sealcoating and striping at 16 playgrounds and parking lots and resurfaced floors and carpeted areas at Hatton CLC and Resnik CLC. There was major remodeling at Riedinger with flooring and replacement of a tower at the I Promise School. 

At Ritzman CLC, the narrow and poorly conditioned stairs leading up to the school were replaced with a concrete ramp, masonry work was completed at Schumacher CLC, the HVAC units at Jennings CLC and Leggett CLC were repaired, and the playground at Betty Jane CLC was fenced in. 

Betty Jane Principal Jennifer Lucas said that before the playground was enclosed it was an open field and anyone could walk on it. “The fenced area keeps the grounds safe and increases security. It is alongside the Goodyear Metro Park. We don’t want strangers walking on the playground or animals. There is wildlife out there, like coyotes, at dusk. We want to be proactive with our little ones.”

The major projects for next summer include tearing down Buchtel CLC’s press box and concession stand building and rebuilding a larger facility that will include a storage area for stock and equipment. The new facility will also include spectator restrooms to replace the porta potties used at events.  

The department has also applied for a $100,000 grant at Dick’s Sporting Goods store to build a major athletic facility at East CLC, updating its track and football field. The track is a cinder track, which cannot be used in competition. To be competitive, APS has to use city-owned tracks or private facilities. Currently, only Ellet CLC's track can be used competitively because it is rubberized. The other tracks have been repaved but are used as practice warm-up tracks.

There are three monthly inspections at each school. The first walk-through is by the day custodian supervisor; the second by the night custodian supervisor; and the third with the principal, head custodian and an administrator. 

There are more than 400 employees at the Facilities Department; 300 of them are custodial workers, and the rest are office workers, maintenance and grounds staff, and four administrators. 

There are 47 school buildings, six administrative and specialty buildings, one athletic stadium (Kenmore Stadium) independent of the other buildings, one 22-acre site (former Kent Middle School property), and two closed facilities (Barrett Elementary and a former church acquired next to Ritzman CLC).

“We do a heck of a lot with very little,” Keenan said. “We have highly dedicated individuals doing the work in the district. Most of the individuals -- especially in the trades like plumbing, electric, carpentry, energy management and the paint shop -- don’t do it for the paycheck. They.can make a lot more money elsewhere. They do it for the children. Not all of us can teach, so we’re using what skills we have to make it a better environment for the students.”