Forrest Miller

Written by Kerry Goodwin, Puget Sound Director of School Security

At the October meeting of the Washington Chapter/Pacific Northwest Region of the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI), an outstanding  presentation was delivered by Forrest Miller, CFM, EFM, Director of Support Services for Lake Washington School District.

In his presentation, Mr. Miller addressed the criteria that the school district considers when making decisions regarding systems and services for their facilities.

His list of criteria included:

It’s All About the Students…everything we do is about the students and their education

Owner Mentality…act as if you own it because you are going to for years to come

Balance Solutions with Resources…the solution must match your personnel

Simple is Best…don’t make things so complicated it will never be used

Occupant Intuitive…can the solution be activated or not activated dependent upon occupancy and need?

Reliability is Priority…proven reliability equates to savings

Where are the Dollars Going?…understand how every dollar spent promotes the intended goals

TCO Everything (Total Cost of Ownership)…consideration of on-going maintenance and service and other operational costs must be a of the equation

Get Out Of The Business Of …take a serious look at the cost effectiveness of sub-contract services, even services typically kept in-house

Be Willing to take Calculated Risks…perform due diligence, but don’t be fearful of trying something new if everything points being beneficial

Learn From Success and Failures…if something doesn’t work don’t continue the practice just because it is “what we’ve always done”, conversely,  learn from what has gone right and replicate those successes

Break Down Silos…discover where systems, services and people overlap rather than looking at everything as its own entity or department

De-privatize Information…share everything

This is great insight as to how school districts make decisions and how suppliers and consultants can assist in helping the districts accomplish their goals.