[SML] Yearly Supplies and Maintenance/Repair Budget Items

[Keith Newman]

Jenna,

Congratulations on the new position!  A couple recommendations for you.
Make friends with the maintenance staff and see what type of tools they
already have in stock before buying your own. If you are trying to make a
large purchase of a tool, say a panel saw some other large item to make
your job easier, make sure you can factor in how other departments can
benefit from the purchase on top of your own. Throwing in the words
"student safety" is a great key to helping you get what you want.

If the stage deck looks bad, get the rigging inspected ASAP. Chances are if
they did not care about the floor, they cared even less about what was
hanging above their heads. Take advantage of USITT's inspection program for
school rigging systems.

Lockable and secure storage is crucial in a school environment,
particularly if you can start building up tool and hardware stock.

See what other resources are in your area. You may want a CNC Router but
won't ever have the funds or space for it. Check to see if any local
Fabrication Labs exist in your area where you can use theirs rather than
having to buy your own. Better yet, see if your school has an engineering
program, robotics club and figure out if they are interested in getting one
for their program that can be used jointly.

Make friends with the person in charge of fund raising and grant writing
for the district. Tell them your goals, dreams and desires and see if they
know of anything out there that can help facilitate them. If you are not
part of a bargaining unit (e.g. teacher's union) talk to them about
negotiating as part of their unit in the future. You might not get paid
much more but the benefit package might improve substantially.

I would add safety glasses, a first aid kit, ear protection, nitrile gloves
(someone will have a latex allergy) and disposable respirators to your
list. Always keep at least one extra box of gloves, respirators,  band-aids
and a pair or two of safety glasses hidden. Take them out as needed and
replace your stock boxes as soon as possible.

Make sure there is black thread available as well as thread to match the
color of your main rag (keep your fingers crossed that you won't ever need
it). Glow tape, spike tape, electrical tape, paint roller covers. Add a
budget for books as well and create your own mini-library of tech books.
Start with the Backstage Handbook and then get things where your students
interests lie or where you feel you yourself need more education. Try to
get a few tiltes per year and subscribe to a few of the many free magazines
that are out there for our industry. I really prefer the print ones
although it seems like publishers are shifting towards online only. If you
can't get funding to properly repair the wood on the stage deck, you might
want to consider going with a hardboard top. Of course, that has a price to
it as well.

The last bit of advice is keep track of what you do on a daily basis and
keep in touch with your supervisor. Make sure you can justify your position
and all that you do should the political landscape change within your
school district.  After ten years of service, I was nearly a casualty in my
district's layoffs last year. Actually, I was but was recalled after a
large student driven campaign including a petition, lots of letters and
students speaking at board of education meetings. It was very close. My
point is, it is never to early to start justifying the things you do and to
be prepared to defend your work. Staying in touch with alumni and tracking
those that go into the performing arts in one way or another definitely
helped me out a ton when I needed it most.

You never know when a sweet gig can turn very sour. All it can take is one
administrator retiring or taking a job elsewhere.  My district has had
tremendous turnover. In ten years, I have answered to four different
principals and the district has had four different superintendents. The
winds will not always blow in your favor.  Performing arts used to be a
sacred cow in our district. Now, it seems that we are being set up for
failure. Watch your back and make as many friends as you can. Although we
are used to working backstage and in the shadows of the wings, you need to
be an advocate for your students. Teacher's, administrators and board of
education members all need to know what it is that you do.

Best of luck!

Keith Newman
Technical Director
Cleveland Heights High School

On Oct 7, 2015 3:13 PM, "Jenna E via Stagecraft" <stagecraft at theatrical.net>
wrote:

> Hi there,
>
> I recently took a new job with a public school district I've worked with
> for for many years, as their Auditorium Manager. Prior to this Fall, the
> position was an hourly, minimum wage, part-time position with a very small
> supplies budget and no maintenance/repair budget to speak of. Part of my
> agreement when I took the re-organized (living-wage paying!) position is
> that I would get a bigger budget, and be able to incorporate those things
> in. My theatre is an older one, with old dimmers and an even older stage
> floor, so I know of a lot of things that need to be on there, but wanted to
> ask you all what you have on your lists.
>
> My Yearly Supplies list is fairly short - batteries, lamps, gaff and black
> paint.
>
> My Maintenance/Repair list includes everything from dimmer refurbishing to
> new ClearCom headsets to replace the old ones that no longer work.
>
> What do you have on your Yearly Supply budget?
>
> What do you keep in mind for your Maintenance/Repair Budget?
>
> Thanks for your input, I appreciate it!
>
> ~Jenna Erbele
> Waverly Community Schools
> Auditorium Manager
>
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