Multi-track year-round schools: Implications on school facility design needs and school maintenanc

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact that multi-track year-round scheduling has on the design, use, and maintenance of school facilities. In addition, this study identified what facility design changes were made by school districts to better accommodate the needs of a school which operates on a multi-track year-round schedule.;The study provided a description of the impact of multi-track year-round scheduling on the delivery of custodial and maintenance services. The study acquired information from school superintendents who were utilizing multi-track year-round scheduling. The study describes how the school districts accomplish deep cleaning and building renovation in schools that are operating on a multi-track year-round schedule.;Every school superintendent across the nation that was identified by the National Association for Year Round Education as utilizing multi-track year-round scheduling was sent an opinionnaire. The opinionnaire queried the superintendents on their opinion regarding multi-track year-round scheduling and its impact on school facility design needs and school maintenance. Over 95 percent of the school superintendents identified as operating school districts with multi-track year-round schools returned the opinionnaire. Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered and analyzed using descriptive statistical measures. The mean responses and standard deviations were compared by climatic region, by calendar format used, and by different areas of school maintenance and facility design.;Generally it was determined that superintendents practicing in districts with multi-track year-round schools hold the opinion that multi-track year-round scheduling has a negative impact on school maintenance and minor modifications are needed in facility design to better accommodate multi-track year-round scheduling.;School superintendents who operate a 60/15 calendar format hold a less negative opinion regarding the impact of multi-track year-round scheduling on plant maintainability, academic storage needs, and deterioration of the facility. Except for the areas of plant maintainability and academic storage needs there was no significant difference in the results between climatic regions regarding the impact of multi-track scheduling on school facility design and maintenance.