Facilities Leaders Reflect on the Year Ahead
The 2026 Healthy Green Schools & Colleges Virtual Summer Summit opened with a collaborative discussion focused on the challenges, opportunities, and insights facilities management professionals are carrying into the 2026–2027 school year. This session highlighted both the pressure and possibility of the year ahead. Facilities leaders are navigating tight budgets, evolving technology, staffing retention realities, sustainability goals, and rising expectations. At the same time, they are finding creative ways to strengthen their teams, advocate for their work, and continue the the journey toward creating healthier, greener schools.
The session brought together participants from K–12 districts, higher education institutions, state agencies, sustainability organizations, industry partners, and facilities publications. Their roles spanned custodial operations, building services, sustainability, energy management, indoor air quality, facilities leadership, and program strategy.
One major theme of the conversation was the emotional complexity of entering a new school year. When asked to describe how they were feeling in three words, participants offered responses that reflected both optimism and pressure. Some shared excitement about welcoming students back, successfully filling long-standing staff vacancies, and beginning a new academic year. Others described feeling overwhelmed by projects including new construction, intensive summer cleaning, program expansion, staff transitions, and the challenge of stepping into a new role without yet having the relationships or context needed to lead confidently.
This tension is an important leadership theme. Facilities leaders are often expected to move quickly, solve problems, and launch improvements, even when they are still learning the organization. Participants noted that successful change requires more than a good idea. It requires trust, relationship-building, patience, and the ability to understand how work actually happens across departments and buildings.
Budget constraints were another key theme identified in the conversation. Participants described the continued impact of inflation, flat funding, declining enrollment, and the loss of pandemic-era support. Supplies, paper goods, chemicals, equipment, and labor all cost more, while many departments are being asked to do the same amount of work with more limited resources each year. One challenge raised was that even when enrollment declines, the square footage of school buildings does not. These buildings still need to be cleaned, maintained, heated, cooled, and supported every day, regardless of how many students are fulling them.
The conversation also reinforced the need for facilities leaders to be strong advocates for their departments. Clean, healthy, and sustainable schools depend on having the right staffing levels, tools, products, equipment, and systems in place. Participants emphasized that eaders need to understand the connection between facilities funding and the daily experience of students, staff, and families.
Sustainability initiatives also surfaced as an area that requires sustained leadership. Several participants discussed the difficulty of maintaining momentum once green cleaning, waste diversion, microfiber systems, water-based products, composting, or other sustainable practices are already in place. Sustainability cannot be treated as a one-time project. It requires ongoing training, communication, reinforcement, and a clear explanation of why the work matters.
Technology was discussed as one possible tool for improving accountability, communication, and trust. Participants noted that these technology tools can protect staff by documenting completed work and reducing miscommunication when complaints or questions arise. When implemented thoughtfully, technology can support both accountability and employee morale.
The group also explored how AI is beginning to support facilities operations. Participants emphasized that AI is most useful when it saves time, improves clarity, or helps leaders make stronger decisions. At the same time, staff need support in learning how to use these tools effectively and responsibly.
The session closed with a discussion about burnout and staff morale. Participants shared practical ways they support their teams, including encouraging vacations, creating informal moments of appreciation, sharing meals, listening directly to frontline staff, and making space for concerns before they become larger issues. These examples underscored a central message of the session: leadership in facilities management is not only about systems, standards, and operations, but also about presence, trust, humor, care, and the daily work of helping people feel supported.