The Interagency Commission on School Construction (IAC) presented its maintenance effectiveness assessment for Maryland school systems to the Prince George’s County Education, Workforce and Development Committee on Oct. 27, concluding that Prince George’s County Public Schools’ (PGCPS) maintenance score improved slightly but remains in the “not adequate” range.

Alex Donahue of the IAC said the assessment evaluates maintenance management and the frequency and completeness of preventive work across districts. The IAC reported that PGCPS’s maintenance effectiveness score rose by 0.69 percentage points to 68.23% in the most recent cycle, an improvement noted by the commission but still categorized as not adequate. Donahue emphasized that preventive maintenance is the fiscal lever that most reduces long‑term costs: “A dollar spent on preventive maintenance can avoid much larger emergency costs later,” he said.

The IAC uses a facility condition index (FCI) to measure portfolio depletion; Maryland’s average FCI is about 52% and Donahue said PGCPS’s FCI is approximately 56%. The IAC recommended the district fully populate and use a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), adopt automatic preventive maintenance schedules tied to manufacturer recommendations, consolidate required inspections into the CMMS, and fund enough preventive work to sustain systems for their expected lifespans.

PGCPS staff said the district has taken steps toward those recommendations: the district has consolidated work orders into a single CMMS and has budgeted a preventive maintenance coordinator and a CMMS coordinator in the fiscal 2025 budget. Staff also said a hiring freeze delayed onboarding for those positions, but the district plans to recruit once the freeze lifts. PGCPS staff described expanded use of contractors for preventive work where appropriate and said accurate CMMS records are essential when the district asks the state for capital funding tied to system conditions.

The IAC highlighted categories with the most deficiencies in the district—playgrounds/equipment/fields and fire and life‑safety systems—and recommended prioritizing preventive and scheduled work in those categories. The commission also noted Maryland school construction costs have risen about threefold over 20 years, stressing that rising construction costs heighten the importance of maintaining existing systems.

Committee members asked about quality control and how the district will track contracted preventive work in the CMMS; PGCPS said two funded coordinator positions and additional clerical support are intended to ensure inspections and contractor reports are logged promptly so the state and the public can see completed maintenance. PGCPS also described prior challenges such as a partial renovation that required additional corrective work and cautioned that some retrofits (for example, gym cooling) require careful sequencing and funding.

The committee did not take action on the briefing; members said they will follow up with PGCPS staff on timelines for hiring the CMMS and preventive maintenance coordinators and on plans to fund increased preventive maintenance.