By invitation. Thursday and Friday, 2027.
School District Facilities & Operations Summit
Two days with peers who keep school buildings open, safe and comfortable on a budget that shrank, and only the vendors you choose to meet.
- ColumbusApril 29–30168 days to go
- DetroitOctober 28–29350 days to go
Led a project worth 20 minutes? Tell it to your peers.
Ten past delegates, in their own words · 1:47
- 35summits since 2007
- 25school district facilities, operations and energy leaders have come
- 9past summits had school districts in the room
- 2days. Home Friday afternoon.
The call for speakers is open
Did your district fix something this year? Tell the room how.
The School District Facilities & Operations Summit is a small private group of peers, not a trade show. The program is 20-minute talks by school district facilities, operations, maintenance, energy and finance leaders, on projects they finished: a roof or boiler replaced in time, a lower utility bill, a summer project done before the first day of school, a safety upgrade.
- 1Send a few lines about the project.
- 2Joe Piazza calls you.
- 3Your seats are complimentary, as our thank you for speaking.
FMA Summits, since 2007.
“I arrived with 3 concerns for Del Valle and through the presentations and discussions I have left the conference with 3 plans for the concerns.”
Speakers so far.
The 2027 program is built one confirmed speaker at a time. Each speaker is named here with their title, their district and the talk they will give.
- The first names go up here as they confirm.Every session on the program is open today.
- Your name, your district, your project.The 2027 program is open. Propose a talk
School districts that have taken part in past FMA summits
25 facilities, operations and energy leaders from 18 school districts have come as delegates, Katy ISD and Del Valle ISD among them. Their titles are below. They are past delegates, not the 2027 program.
- Katy ISDKaty ISD
- Director of Energy Management
- Energy Manager
- Del Valle ISDDel Valle ISD
- Director of Maintenance and Facilities
- Adams County / Ohio Valley SchoolsAdams County / Ohio Valley Schools
- Head of Energy Management
- Atlanta Public SchoolsAtlanta Public Schools
- Director, Maintenance & Operations
- Energy & Environmental Services Manager
- Maintenance & Operations Manager
- Boston Public SchoolsBoston Public Schools
- Sustainability & Environmental Resources Manager
- Assistant Director, Facilities Management
- Garland ISDGarland ISD
- Energy Manager
- Director of Maintenance
- Mansfield ISDMansfield ISD
- Energy Specialist
- Energy Specialist / Manager
- Wylie ISDWylie ISD
- Executive Director of Operations
- Facilities Manager
- Anne Arundel County Public School SystemAnne Arundel County Public School System
- Utility Systems Program Manager
- Arlington ISDArlington ISD
- Energy Management
- Boone County School DistrictBoone County School District
- Energy Manager
- Chilton County Board of EducationChilton County Board of Education
- Energy Manager / Safe Schools Coordinator
See all 18 districtsShow fewer
- Hutto ISDHutto ISD
- Energy Manager
- Northwest ISDNorthwest ISD
- Energy Manager
- Penns Valley Area School DistrictPenns Valley Area School District
- Director of Physical Plant
- Round Rock ISDRound Rock ISD
- Energy Manager
- St. Vrain Valley School DistrictSt. Vrain Valley School District
- Energy & Sustainability Manager
- Virginia Beach City Public SchoolsVirginia Beach City Public Schools
- Assistant Director, School Plant, Environmental & Energy Management
Built around the problems you’re working on.
What school district facilities and operations leaders are up against this year and next, with the numbers behind it. Every talk on the program answers one.
cancelled school in 2024–25 over a facilities issue, about 2 million students.
Keeping HVAC, air and water working.
GAO, 2026PJM's capacity price hits its cap from June 2027. Ohio, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia budgets feel it first.
Procurement, peak demand and the contract.
PJMto fill a facility-management vacancy, on average.
Keeping know-how when people leave.
IFMA, 2026in school-safety grants, first come, first served. Applications close May 28, 2027.
Doors, cameras, alarms and controls.
Spectrum News, Nov 2026Fixed a problem that isn’t on this list? Propose it for the program.
Propose a talk
District leaders come to hear how other districts fixed it.
The program is built from projects school districts actually finished, presented by the leader who ran them. Every session below is open. If you’ve solved a problem like these, your story belongs here.
Capital planningThe capital plan you can defend: which roof, boiler and electrical failure gets funded firstSpeaker wanted
The board and the community ask why this roof and not that boiler.
The problem: Backlogs grow faster than budgets, and every request competes with classrooms, buses and staff.
We’re looking for: A district that rebuilt its capital plan around building condition data and got it funded.
Open schoolsSafe water, working HVAC, open buildings: ready for the 2027 school yearSpeaker wanted
Nearly one in five districts cancelled school over a facilities issue in 2024–25 (GAO, 2026).
The problem: HVAC failures, air quality and water problems close schools, and students lose learning days.
We’re looking for: A district that fixed chronic HVAC, air or water problems and stopped losing school days.
The utility billYour 2027 electric bill: what you can control, and what your supply contract won't fixSpeaker wanted
PJM's capacity price hits its $333.44/MW-day cap from June 2027.
The problem: Capacity charges reach school budgets from June 2027 across Ohio, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and most contracts pass them straight through.
We’re looking for: A district that cut peak demand or re-bid its supply, with the before-and-after numbers.
Summer projectsThe summer window: long-lead equipment, contractors and finishing before the first day of schoolSpeaker wanted
Summer is the only window for big work in most schools.
The problem: Switchgear, chillers and air handlers take months to arrive, and good contractors are booked early.
We’re looking for: A district that delivered a major summer project on time despite long lead times.
PeopleWhen your best technician leaves: keeping schools running without losing what they knowSpeaker wanted
A facility-management vacancy takes 17 weeks to fill on average (IFMA, 2026).
The problem: Retirements and turnover take undocumented know-how with them.
We’re looking for: A district that kept preventive maintenance on schedule through turnover, or built its own training pipeline.
Safety and securityDoors, cameras and controls: school safety upgrades, and securing the building systems behind themSpeaker wanted
Ohio's $9.01 million school-safety grants close May 28, 2027, first come, first served.
The problem: Access control, cameras and alarms need upgrading, and building controls are now a cyber target.
We’re looking for: A district that upgraded access control or secured its building controls, and how it was funded.
Paying for itPaying for it: bonds, performance contracts and grants your treasurer and board will acceptSpeaker wanted
Every project has to pass the treasurer, the board and the bid rules.
The problem: Projects stall between a good idea and a contract the business office can approve.
We’re looking for: A district that funded an upgrade through a bond program, a performance contract or a grant, and how the bid worked.
- Open slotYour project goes here.Propose it
People like you came before.
Past delegates are not 2027 attendees. They show who you’d be in the room with.
- 25facilities, operations and energy leaders from 18 school districts
- 17energy and sustainability leaders
- 8facilities, maintenance and operations leaders
See the school districts that came
School districts
Atlanta Public Schools, Garland ISD, Katy ISD, Mansfield ISD, Wylie ISD, Boston Public Schools, Adams County / Ohio Valley Schools, Anne Arundel County Public School System, Arlington ISD, Boone County School District, Chilton County Board of Education, Del Valle ISD, Hutto ISD, Northwest ISD, Penns Valley Area School District, Round Rock ISD
The people at your table.
Facilities, operations, maintenance, energy and finance leaders from school districts across Ohio and the states around it: people working on the same problems you are. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are assigned seating, so you meet them.
We’re inviting city school districts, suburban school districts, county school districts and local and rural school districts.
Thursday and Friday. Home Friday afternoon.
Same two days in Columbus and Detroit: 20-minute talks by peers, the meetings you picked, and meals at a table of people like you. Not a trade show.
Thursday
- Breakfast at assigned tables
- 20-minute talks by facility leaders
- Coffee and shop talk
- 20-minute talks by facility leaders
- Lunch at assigned tables
- 20-minute talks by facility leaders
- The meetings you picked, 20 minutes each
- Coffee and shop talk
- 20-minute talks by facility leaders
- Reception, then dinner at assigned tables
Friday
- Breakfast at assigned tables
- 20-minute talks by facility leaders
- The meetings you picked, 20 minutes each
- 20-minute talks by facility leaders
- Closing lunch
- Last talks, then head home
Photos are real FMA Summit rooms. No stock photography.
Your total investment.
Each seat covers the whole summit: full access to both days, every talk, your meetings and all meals. The more people you bring from your district, the lower the rate for each added seat. A seat is one person at one summit, and seats are interchangeable: use them in Columbus, in Detroit, or both.
- Your first 2 seats$2,900each
- Seats 3 to 5$1,850each
- Every seat after that$950each
A team of three is $7,650. A team of six is $12,300.
Register your teamPick how many people are coming and see your total.
Complimentary for speakers.Present a 20-minute talk and your seats are complimentary, as our thank you for speaking: up to 6 people from your district.Propose a talkAnd only the vendors you pick.
FMA brings in a short list of vendors from a range of industries to help with these problems. You choose which ones you meet.
- Tell us what you’re working on.Before the summit, in a few lines.
- Choose who you want to meet.Both sides accept, or the meeting doesn’t happen.
- Get your schedule before you arrive.20 minutes each, at a set time on Thursday or Friday.
- Aging buildings and deferred maintenance
- Facility software and capital planning, roofing, HVAC, construction, performance contracting
- The utility bill
- Energy procurement, performance contracting, building automation, lighting, solar
- Open, comfortable schools
- HVAC, building automation, cleaning
- Keeping maintenance staff
- Facilities outsourcing, facility software
- Safety and security
- Security, building-systems cybersecurity
In writing, from past school district delegates
“…the communication from presenters and fellow attendees was outstanding. I arrived with 3 concerns for Del Valle and through the presentations and discussions I have left the conference with 3 plans for the concerns. This has been a very productive conference.”
“I was very impressed with the high quality of the presentations, the relevancy of content and the opportunity to connect with solution providers in a thoughtful, low pressure environment. Great organization and management of time!”
Your questions, answered by delegates.
Past FMA delegates on camera, in their own words: facility leaders from campuses and other industries. Each one is under a minute.
Brendan Sullivan, Estée Lauder · Stan Nolan, University of Connecticut · Mathew Emden, Principia College 0:38
David Muzzy, Texas Christian University · Al Hildreth, General Motors · Kevin Butt, Toyota · Brendan Sullivan, Estée Lauder 0:42
Jamie Meyers, Walgreens · Steve Driver, Sanofi · Stan Nolan, University of Connecticut 0:43
Chauncey Jenkins, University of Maryland · Jamie Meyers, Walgreens · Steve Driver, Sanofi 0:38
David Muzzy, Texas Christian University · Mathew Emden, Principia College · Jamie Meyers, Walgreens 0:32
Brendan Sullivan, Estée Lauder · Scott Bohnhoff, FBI · Mathew Emden, Principia College 0:49
Register your team.
Choose your summit and how many people are coming, and your total investment shows right away. Then fill in the participation agreement, sign it and make your investment by card. Seats are interchangeable: use them in Columbus, in Detroit, or both.
Have a project worth sharing? Tell it to your peers.
20 minutes, the real numbers and what didn’t work, in front of facility leaders working on the same problems. Bring the company that did the work, if you like. Proposing commits you to nothing.
Complimentary for speakers. Present a 20-minute talk and your seats are complimentary, as our thank you for speaking: up to 6 people from your district.
What every talk covers
- The problemWhat was happening in the schools.
- What was at stakeBudget, school days, safety or comfort in the classroom.
- The decisionThe options you weighed, and why this one.
- The workWhat changed, how it was bid and funded, how long it took, what went wrong.
- The resultsMeasured before and after. Achieved, estimated or identified, said plainly.
- The lessonsWhat another district should check first.
Who's behind it.
Started FMA in Montreal in 2007 and has run every summit himself: 35 of them, 17,000+ meetings. Every delegate is invited, every meeting is booked before anyone arrives, and the group stays small.
Read the full story
Every sponsor and speaker, as printed. Facilities and energy leaders from school districts came to 9 of the past summits.
Open any program
Your district fixed something. Tell the room how.
Propose a 20-minute talk, or register your team. Reply to the email that brought you here, or write to Joe Piazza at info@fmasummits.com.
35 summits since 2007. The films and quotes on this page are from past summits.