Case Study: Institutional Support

Center City Consortium Schools

What happens when an inner-city school principal not only has to be an educator, but also a janitor, plumber, electrician, security guard, HVAC mechanic and snow removal contractor? Facilities get a failing grade.

The Situation

15 downtown Catholic schools were falling apart. Mechanical systems were antiquated, classrooms weren't cleaned, and snow-covered parking lots weren’t plowed. School officials provided a quality education to the students – but with no time left to manage their facilities.

The Solution

School officials brought in Complete Building Services to help:

• Custodial Services.
  CBS provided professional, cost-effective janitorial and cleaning services for all 15 schools. Floors were stripped, sanded and waxed, windows were scrubbed clean, and hard-to-access areas were dusted for the first time in 15 years. CBS set up a professional custodial team with the proper tools and routines to provide continuous improvement to each facility.
• Snow Removal. Parishioners and volunteers had tried to clear the snow themselves, but a more systematic approach was needed. CBS centralized snow removal, providing rapid response to snow events and limiting lost school time due to poor parking lot conditions.
• Maintenance and Operations.
  CBS took over the mechanical operations of all 15 schools and several associated churches. A highly qualified mobile maintenance team was dedicated to the schools, eliminating the need for multiple subcontractors. The team established a Preventive Maintenance Plan to reduce repair expenses and costly equipment failures – saving money for the schools.
• Physical Plant Improvements.
  The first season of preventive maintenance highlighted the need for a full-scale evaluation of the HVAC systems in all the schools. CBS’s report identified deferred and improper maintenance items that needed immediate correction. CBS oversaw the installation of modern HVAC equipment, bringing the aging schools up to date. Improvements included the replacement of three low-pressure steam boilers and the abatement of asbestos-containing materials.
• Efficiency, Reliability, Cost Savings.
  CBS's evaluation also showed the strong need for improved operating controls at all schools to improve reliability and energy efficiency. A $350,000 HVAC Controls Upgrade project was undertaken by CBS to improve local controls at each school and to implement a web-based building automation system, dramatically improving system performance and emergency notification. These energy-efficient upgrades paid for themselves in just 3.5 years. <

With CBS taking care of maintenance and mechanical operations, institutions can focus on their core missions.
- Russ McLaughlin, CBS Operations Manager,
Institutional Clients

View other Case Studies.