Dayton Public Schools operations team details maintenance scale, fleet demands and student career ties
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Summary
On the DPS podcast, operations staff described the district’s maintenance work — from replacing 2,635 clock batteries to servicing roughly 175 buses — and outlined how operations work will be linked to student career pathways. Staff emphasized safety, compliance and limited staffing.
DAYTON — Dayton Public Schools operations staff used a district podcast to give a behind-the-scenes look at daily maintenance, emergency response and career-path ideas for students.
On the episode the host spoke with electricians, fleet and logistics personnel, carpentry and plumbing foremen about how the district keeps schools running. “We have 2,635 clocks,” said Eric, the district electrical foreman, describing a widespread battery-replacement effort after batteries installed in 2019 began to fail. The podcast also noted the district operates about 175 buses.
The nut graf: the conversation sought to show how nonclassroom personnel keep schools safe and operational — from prioritizing emergency work orders to meeting regulatory compliance — and to explain how operations jobs can become explicit career pathways for students.
Operational priorities and staffing
Speakers described a daily triage process using FMX work orders. “If you have lights out in a school … obviously, the schools come first,” Eric said, explaining how electricians and crews are assigned to emergency versus project work. Earl Sanders, director of fleet services, said safety drives fleet decisions: mechanics start early on cold days so buses are safe for routes.
Several speakers stressed limited staffing. The podcast noted a single dedicated fleet mechanic handles the bulk of vehicle maintenance, a capacity constraint the team says affects turnaround times for buses and for the district’s wider “white fleet” of grounds and maintenance equipment.
Compliance, safety and scale
Plumbing foreman Anthony Young described backflow devices that prevent water cross‑contamination in buildings: the district performs monthly visual inspections and submits annual testing to county authorities to remain in compliance. The host recounted one emergency instance — a Dec. 25, 2022 water‑main break at Kemp — where operations staff worked on Christmas Day to protect school facilities.
“We want to give kids a good clean environment to learn in,” Anthony said, describing the team’s customer‑service approach to building occupants. Rafael Seaman, a DPS carpenter, spoke about building offices and relocating departments to keep spaces functional and safe.
Connecting operations to student pathways
The host said the district plans to integrate operations work into K–12 career programming so students can learn trades such as carpentry, plumbing and electrical work as pathways to careers. The idea grew from past site visits and the host’s own operations experience, the podcast said.
What’s next
The podcast closed with appreciation for the operations staff and a note that the district will continue coordinating operations with academic pathways. No formal policy decisions or votes were recorded during the episode.