We are a diverse department handling facility use, pupil transport, capital projects, teacher housing, building maintenance, and school lunches. Our department encompasses village school Maintenance and Operations along with Food Services and Student Transportation. We consist of kitchen staff, janitorial crews, plant managers, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, heavy equipment operators, bus drivers, and administrative support. Each member is an important part of the M&O family.

Maintenance and Operations exists exclusively to provide support in the delivery of the District’s instructional program. Collectively our objectives are to:

• improve facility reliability,
• provide safe and sanitary facilities which are academically enriching for our students, faculty, and community, and
• provide support to all District employees enabling them to better support the schools and the education of our children.

Our facilities are managed through an active plan that supports both long and short term District goals. The success of these efforts may be noted in the efficiencies our department has realized. While our facility area has increased by 116% there are five fewer maintenance employees budgeted in the current fiscal year than there were in 1990.  Maintenance and Operations currently employs approximately 119 full-time employees.

Our harsh weather conditions have also contributed to the importance of maintaining our facilities for the health and well-being of those we serve. We continuously incorporate new material and construction techniques specialized for extreme cold weather conditions.

Our district-wide responsibilities are:

• Facility maintenance and custodial services for more than 20 structures (11 schools and 4 support facilities)
• Door-to-door transportation of students in one of the harshest climates on earth
• District vehicle fleet maintenance and operations
• Maintenance and administration of approximately 188 teacher housing units
• Capital Improvement Planning (renovations, additions, and large scale replacement projects) and implementation
• District-wide food services (approximately 3,200 meals are served on school days)
• Risk management

The success of Maintenance and Operations depends upon our ability to continuously improve our service integrity, confidence, and performance.  Our service-oriented philosophy is built upon the skills and teamwork of our maintenance professionals. By understanding the needs of our facility users and relying upon our teamwork we are able to enhance our primary goal of providing a high-quality learning environment.

What is not commonly known beyond the North Slope is that our schools are utilized as village community centers. Most facilities employ evening recreation and educational programs such as swimming, basketball, wood shop, open library hours and computer labs. Our schools also host cultural events such as traditional Iñupiaq dances and village potlucks. All of these community-related activities build upon the education of our students and staff. These events give Maintenance and Operations the opportunity to model the Iñupiaq values of cooperation, sharing, humility, compassion, and respect for others while working within the goals set forth by the Board of Education.