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Facilities chief details $185M of deferred maintenance, new FMX rentals and Rosson House work
Summary
Chief operations officer Chris Burkheart reported this week that Cincinnati Public Schools has about $185 million in deferred maintenance, has launched FMX for rental scheduling, reduced custodial vacancies and is doing phased upgrades at Rosson House to convert it for district office use.
Cincinnati Public Schools’ facilities director told trustees on Feb. 23 that the district faces roughly $185 million in deferred maintenance needs but also highlighted recent improvements including a new in-house medical/dental clinic and a rollout of FMX, a digital rental-management system the district says will streamline community access to buildings.
Chief operations officer Chris Burkheart outlined projects completed and under way: conversion of the Roberts media center into four dental clinics, three medical areas and a welcome center; a long-running effort to fill custodial vacancies (down from 32 to four); and the district’s effort to bring rental scheduling and building photos online through FMX so principals, custodial staff and community groups can better coordinate uses.
Burkheart acknowledged concerns from board members about community access and costs. He said some community groups already use space at no charge under board policy, that rental fees are intended to recover costs (custodial, utilities, upkeep) rather than generate profit, and that staff can work with partners to reduce fees if a group demonstrates nonprofit status or other qualifying criteria.
Board members also pressed Burkheart for a clearer accounting of Rosson House work, a property the district acquired and is upgrading for non-student district use. Burkheart said Rosson has been processed through zoning and the district has been incrementally investing capital (plumbing, electrical, HVAC, ADA, sprinklers) over several years to make portions usable for offices and to site a playground that serves a nearby school; he said upgrades were phased as funding became available.
The presentation included energy updates: the district negotiated below-market kilowatt-hour rates and is automating building controls with FMX to reduce conditioning costs for after-hours events; Burkheart estimated automation could save roughly $1 million per year when fully implemented.
What trustees asked for: members requested (1) a report on FMX usage and rental fee equity, (2) a current costs-to-date and remaining-costs schedule for Rosson House upgrades, and (3) ongoing updates to the five-year facilities plan and maintenance prioritization.
Public context: trustees said they want facilities planning to support the district’s strategic plan, enrollment shifts and any capital ask to voters.
