What does it really mean to keep students safe in schools? In this candid conversation, host Mackenna Moralez talks with Alishia Jolivette, chief of facilities and maintenance operations for Houston Independent School District on how safety is about more than just securing doors, it’s about creating an environment where students feel protected, comfortable and able to learn. Alishia shares how her team goes beyond locks and alarms to focus on everything from air and water quality to hurricane preparedness and mental health. With insights into student-led initiatives and the constant behind-the-scenes work that keeps campuses, Alishia shows how facilities shape not just safety, but learning itself.
“Safety is broad. It’s not just doors and locks—it’s roofs, air quality, water quality, and the mental well-being of our students and staff,” Alishia says.
The Facilities in Focus podcast publishes bi-weekly. The third season will cover education facilities.
For comments or to be a guest on the Facilities in Focus podcast, please email Mackenna at fnpodcast@tradepress.com.
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