Article by Dale Temple, Washington International School
Whether temporarily moving out of one building, or permanently moving the entire school to a new campus, a campus relocation requires carefully thought-out planning. Having been through a few such moves, including recently vacating three buildings for complete renovations, I know how easy it is to overlook important steps that can greatly minimize disruption and stress. The following list is by no means complete — and each move is vastly different — but it should help ensure the success of your project.
Well in advance of the move:
- Give staff and faculty as much notice as possible possible about as many details as possible: the official move dates, what items must be packed by when, who is responsible for packing as well as moving different items (individuals vs. professional movers).
- Provide change-of-address notifications to families, post office/delivery services, banks, providers (telecoms, utilities, etc.) and all vendors, including trash, food service, landscaping, cleaning and maintenance. If you employ on-site contract vendors, ensure that they instruct their suppliers and sub-vendors of the move dates and service changes.
- Notify police and fire departments about the move and any needed inspections.
- If possible, carry redundant IT service at both sites so you can test systems and minimize interruption of service. Don't let vendors initiate the changeovers, and keep old systems up until the move is complete.
- Think through the carpool program and the new drop-off and pick-up arrangements. How is it from the driver's perspective, and from the school’s perspective? Seek input from those who direct your traffic. Think through traffic flow in general.
Final preparations for the move:
- Review building use policies. Is it time to revise how items are hung or displayed on walls? Unless specifically prohibited, the staplers will come out. Communicate policy changes prior to the move. If you think there might be a shortage of display surfaces, such as tack boards, attempt to have additional boards installed prior to the move.
- Ensure that office equipment is in place and ready to go: printers, copiers, fax, shredders, mail machines, etc. Contact an office moving company to move large copier machines, and contact your office equipment dealer if you lease.
- Keys/building access cards: Are there enough? Are they labelled and tested? Ready to sign out? If you don’t have a well thought-out keying plan, this is the time to develop it. Have padlocks and chains on hand just in case.
- Check door silencers. Are they installed, and are doors latching properly? This item often gets missed during punch list walks.
- Take key personnel on organized tours. Distribute printed floorplans/campus plans and have more on-hand as needed. Ensure that people are familiar with the building layout and where everything is.
- Have your own hand trucks and dollies ready to go. Have extra wall, corner and floor protection, in case the movers run out or you need to move more items internally after the movers leave.
- Issue a clear deadline for unpacking boxes — no more than a three-to-five-day window. Have a plan for the proper disposal/recycling of packing materials and boxes.
At the new location:
- Verify your emergency information by calling 911 from various locations, including each elevator. (Your service vendor typically ports this information, but I’ve known them to miss buildings.) Confirm that your service vendor has the date of the move, and perform a 911 test call your first morning at the new site.
- Test all mechanical systems, and run them in full heating and cooling mode. HVAC systems often have oils on the metal from the manufacturing process, and they can off-gas when heated up. Although the smell is not harmful, some people with sensitivities may get headaches. (Testing is often done during building commissioning, but sometimes it is too short to burn off the odors.)
- Walk the site and be sure signage makes sense. As needed, place temporary signs at the entrance, parking lots and doors, and inside buildings as needed.
- Be sure the following are programmed and/or in place: controls (HVAC, lighting, security), trash/recycling receptacles, walk mats at exterior doors, clocks, school bells, bathroom dispensers and receptacles, coat hooks, hand sanitizers. Stock dispensers.
- Have quality doorstops everywhere, so people aren’t jamming things into your new door frames or under your doors on day one.
- Have plenty of supplies on hand, especially sticky notes and sharpies. Request extra whiteboards and tack boards so they’re ready to hang. Don’t forget the hardware.
- Perform a final inspection and test on all playground equipment.
- Walk the custodial staff through the new site, explaining what each surface is and how to properly clean it. Document this training in the event any new surfaces are damaged.
- Be ready to sign in visitors.
After the move is complete:
- Hold emergency drills immediately so people are familiar with egress paths and assembly points.
- Have the windows cleaned, and arrange for painters to do touch-ups as needed.
- Have an acoustics consultant ready to call if needed. Complaints about acoustics (in office spaces as well as classrooms) often are among the first received.
Dale Temple is director of facilities and operations at Washington International School, a preK-through-12th grade day school located on two campuses in Washington, D.C.
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