An introduction to property in schools
School boards and proprietors are responsible for overseeing the maintenance of school property.
Regular maintenance keeps schools safe and free from hazards and prevents small problems from becoming big ones that need costly repairs.
It helps strengthen the longevity of school buildings and prevents unnecessary rundown.
What is school property?
School property largely refers to buildings such as classrooms, halls, libraries, and school houses.
State schools can have both board and Ministry-owned property.
Boards are responsible for managing and maintaining both types.
The Ministry notifies the boards of state schools of their responsibilities for managing property in a Property Occupancy Document (POD)open_in_new.
The standard POD can help you understand your role and manage property at your school effectively. The POD lists your obligations for managing school property.
The POD is like a lease, with the Ministry as landlord and boards as tenants. Moreover, it's a legally binding document, so when your board is elected, it effectively agrees to the terms and conditions in the POD.
The POD is generally not negotiable.
This is because of a certain standard for each school's property management.
It also reflects all current Ministry and legal requirements.
You do not need to sign the POD as it's not an individual negotiable contract.
It continues to apply to your school even when new board members are elected.
State-integrated schools differ from other state schools in that a private entity (the "proprietor") owns the buildings and land and is responsible for ensuring the buildings meet Ministry standards.
They receive some government funding to maintain and modernise the integrated buildings.
What is the role of the Ministry in school property?
The Ministry is responsible to the Government for making sure that school boards:
- Care for their school property.
- Follow the Government and Ministry spending rules when using their property funding.
- Spend their funding in a way that will get the best educational outcomes for the school.
The Ministry achieves this by:
- Developing policies and procedures to help your board meet all the legal requirements and Ministry standards for school property.
- Allocating property funding through various funding programmes so your board can build and maintain school property.
- Providing information and advice about how to manage school property in the propertyopen_in_new section of their website.
- Supporting your board if your school property is affected by disaster or other events.
- Monitoring your compliance so they can assure the Government that you're using the funding well and caring for the property in your school.
What is your board's role in school property?
The Ministry notifies boards of state schools of their responsibilities for managing property in a Property Occupancy Document (POD)open_in_new.
To manage property at your school, your board needs to:
- Maintain your school property
- Upgrade and modernise your school buildings
- Plan for whether you'll need new buildings and/or services
Your board is also responsible for the following:
- Ensuring your strategic plan outlines how your school property will contribute to the success of your school.
- Making sure any property work complies with all legal and Ministry requirements.
- Hiring the right people to do your property work, like project managers and contractors.
- Ensure the people you hire meet all legal and Ministry requirements, have an appropriate level of skill for the job, and are working in a healthy and safe environment.
- Developing a 10 Year Property Plan (10YPP) to plan for the right amount of space and care for school property, so your school can provide the best learning environment.
- Managing capital building projects and meeting the Ministry's project management requirements.
- Overseeing your school's day-to-day maintenance to keep it in good order and repair.
What types of property maintenance do you need to consider?
There are two types: regular maintenance and cyclical maintenance.
Regular maintenance
This includes day-to-day tasks and more general weather damage protection.
Examples include tree trimming, cleaning out gutters, boiler maintenance, and ensuring sinks and drains are not blocked.
Cyclical maintenance
This is significant maintenance work that is undertaken on a cycle.
The most common example is painting the exterior of school buildings, which is usually done every 7-10 years.
Your board must set aside adequate funds for its cyclical maintenance needs over ten years.
Questions your board could ask
- What school property is owned by our board, the Ministry, and/or the Proprietor?
- Are we familiar with our responsibilities under our Property Occupancy Document (POD)?
- Are we up-to-date with our regular property maintenance?
Templates, resources, and references
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