The numbers are staggering.
Chicago Public Schools faces $14 billion in deferred maintenance. Houston ISD's average school building is 50 years old. Palm Beach County Public Schools’ maintenance needs grow by millions every six months.
Yet despite these daunting challenges, facilities leaders from some of America's largest school districts are finding innovative ways to chip away at decades of neglected infrastructure while keeping students safe and learning environments functional.
In a panel at the recent K12 Facilities Forum, moderated by Alishia Jolivette, Chief of Facilities, Maintenance & Operations at Houston ISD, three facilities and operations leaders shared their hard-won strategies for moving from "deferred to done." What emerged was an in-depth conversation on creative problem-solving, relationship-building, and data-driven decision-making that yields results.
Charles Mayfield, COO of Chicago Public Schools, described how his district transformed contentious debates about which schools get repairs first into transparent, equity-driven processes.
Working with the University of Chicago, they developed an algorithm that weighs three critical factors: community hardship levels, student demographics including those with disabilities, and historical capital investment patterns. When combined with facility condition assessments, this creates an equity score that determines priority.
"If you've got a school in an economically disadvantaged zip code with a failing roof score, compared to that same roof condition in a well-resourced community, the disadvantaged school comes to the top," Mayfield explained. The result? Fewer arguments, more alignment, and a defensible rationale that the district's 21 board members can understand.
With traditional funding streams falling short in many districts, leaders have to become masters of creative financing. Alex Belanger, Chief Facilities and Operations Officer at Fresno USD, brought in dedicated grant writers during a period when other departments were cutting staff. The investment paid off spectacularly: $210 million in grants over 18 months, targeting infrastructure and HVAC systems across aging campuses, some with components dating to the 1800s.
Chicago Public Schools leverages relationships with state representatives who control discretionary capital funds, securing over $20 million in a single year. The district also became one of the first large school systems to earn a Healthy Green Schools award, opening doors to sustainability-focused funding. They're even in talks with the Chicago Bears about how the team can help in installing a new turf field at one of their schools.
Dave Dolan, Chief Maintenance Officer at Palm Beach County Public Schools, emphasized the critical importance of relationships, particularly with internal partners like purchasing agents, who can expedite procurement and help secure better vendors.
"It's the three-legged stool," he said. "Do I have enough staff? Do I have enough money? Do I have enough vendors?"
Beyond algorithms and funding strategies, these leaders stressed that deferred maintenance is ultimately about people — both the staff who execute the work and the students who deserve quality facilities. Ballenger described implementing quality assurance protocols where supervisors randomly audit 10% of completed work orders, checking not just if the work was done but if it was done well and properly handed off between trades.
Chicago Public Schools has taken an innovative approach to workforce development, partnering with vendors to train high school students as engineers. Last year, 11 graduates joined the district's engineering team, earning competitive wages while staying connected to their communities.
In an honest moment, Mayfield acknowledged that even with the best data and equity frameworks, the politics of dealing with elected school board officials inevitably enters into the equation.
"Sometimes they throw all that (data) out the door," he said. "That's when you've got to find that balance — am I playing psychology here? Am I playing COO? Am I playing marketing?"
The key, these leaders agreed, is keeping student experience at the center of every decision while remaining flexible enough to adapt when circumstances demand it. As enrollment declines and charter schools close, as federal grants disappear and political winds shift, facilities leaders must be equal parts strategist, diplomat, and pragmatist.
Their message to colleagues facing similar challenges? Build relationships, own your data, pursue creative partnerships, and never stop looking for innovative solutions. America's students deserve buildings that consistently work — even when it takes moving mountains to get there.
Watch the full discussion here: