The Ultimate Summer Survival Guide
Summer on campus might mean quieter hallways and fewer buses in the drop-off line, but for MISBO members, it’s anything but slow. It’s the season of behind-the-scenes magic, where facilities get refreshed, systems get upgraded, budgets get buttoned up, and plans for the year ahead start taking shape. That’s why we’ve gathered insights from our trusted Consortium Partners to create your ultimate Summer Survival Guide, packed with practical checklists, smart strategies, and a few ideas you may not have thought of (yet). Whether you’re fine-tuning operations, tackling big projects, or simply trying to stay one step ahead, consider this your go-to resource for making the most of the summer stretch.
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Selecting the right custodial and housekeeping provider is crucial to maintaining a safe, clean, and welcoming environment for students, faculty, and staff. This checklist will help you develop a clear and structured RFP, ensuring you receive well-aligned proposals from qualified vendors.Custodial & Housekeeping Services RFP Checklist
Summer Maintenance Tips
A Summer Facility Checklist for High-Visibility School Surfaces. When routine maintenance is not enough, Stuart Dean can help restore and protect your facility's high-visibility surfaces.
Workday water breaks just got cooler! Keep your employees refreshed on the job this summer with WaterBreak Ice.Learn about WaterBreak Ice
For many schools, summer is the only practical time to improve outdoor student spaces without disrupting classes, drop-off traffic, or student routines. It creates a valuable window to refresh campus grounds and make sure everything is ready before students and staff return in the fall.Summer Prep for Outdoor Spaces and Long-Term Usability Checklist
There’s something special about summer camp. The friendships, the adventures, the memories that last a lifetime. But let’s be honest, sometimes the journey is just as fun as the destination. That’s where an Activity Bus rental comes in. At BusMax Rent-A-Bus, they don’t just move groups, they help create unforgettable experiences. Contact Meryl@busmaxrental.com for more information.Activity Bus Flyer
The VS QuickShip program has a wide range of products – including chairs, desks, and storage – ready to ship in 10 business days or less. All products arrive fully assembled so they can be put to use immediately.Products Included in QuickShip Program
Ready to kick start summer maintenance work? Our friends at FMX have shared three customer-created checklists for your facilities team: Annual Routine Building Maintenance
Spring/Summer Internal Property Maintenance Checklist
Spring/Summer External Property Maintenance Checklist
Summer is a time to relax for most students and teachers. But for those of you in operations and facilities maintenance, it is no time for vacations! To keep your items in check and reduce issues for you and your staff to deal, CBA Sports recommends this great list to keep your indoor sports floors in optimal condition, and ready for play once classes resume.Indoor Floor Summer Checklist
Independent schools face unique transportation needs; balancing safety, parent expectations, flexibility, and cost. That’s where the Collins Type A school bus stands out. Larger Type C buses are often oversized for private school routes, resulting in higher costs and operational challenges. The Collins Type A delivers the right size, offering lower acquisition costs, better fuel efficiency, and more.
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The SECURE 2.0 Act introduced sweeping changes affecting retirement plans, including 403(b) plans, over the next several years. For 403(b) plan sponsors—particularly colleges, universities, and educational institutions—implementation requires careful coordination across retirement plan service providers and payroll providers.SECURE 2.0 Checklist
Summer Camp Safety: Essential abuse prevention strategiesSummer is a season of exploration and growth for youth. Whether they’re attending day camps, overnight retreats, or enrichment programs, these experiences help youth build friendships, discover new interests, and gain independence. But with the opportunity comes responsibility—and risk.
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Summer will be here before you know it! Get a jump start on planning with our assortment of furniture and materials—perfect for creating fun, hands-on learning experiences.Shop now: https://bit.ly/4d2zHVZ.
Manage your substitute teachers, the simple way. Subbey’s simple app takes all the hassle out of scheduling a substitute teacher for K-12 private schools and pre-schools.Five Things to Simplify Your Substitute Coverage
Summer Must-Do’s for Business Managers: Don’t Let Accounts Slip Through the Cracks. Once summer hits, parents go quiet — and collecting on past-due balances gets a lot harder. A focused push now, while you still have leverage, makes all the difference. Here are five things every business manager should do before closing out the year.
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The bell may have rung, but the work doesn't stop. Here's how school HR teams can make the most of summer break:
While school is out and schedules slow down, summer is a great time to review important financial protections for your family.
✔ Review your current life insurance coverage
✔ Confirm your beneficiaries are up to date
✔ Check if your policy includes living benefits
✔ Consider how future long-term care needs could impact retirement savings
✔ Take advantage of voluntary life insurance with living benefits with no medical questions required.
Did you Know:
Voluntary Benefits at Work offers a Permanent life insurance benefit that includes living benefits, allowing employees to access a portion of their coverage if they ever need long-term care or experience a serious illness.
Four things every student loan borrower should check. Your staff could be eligible for student loan forgiveness. But without the right steps, they could miss out. Here are four things every borrower should check right now. The Four Things
Stay ahead of the curve with these timely tech updates and cost-saving opportunities for your school:- Clean Up your Cloud Like you Clean Your Desk
- Enhancing School Security with AI: The Future of Safer Campuses
- Cooper Sunset for old Phone lines is going away & review old phone line cost
- FREE Telecom Expense Audit & Review for MISBO schools
The 10-second economy is changing how kids learn and why Bruce Jackson, inventory of KaiBot and CTO and co-founder of Kai's Education believes we need to rebuild the skills speed leaves behind.Read the Blog Article
Summer is short — and there's a lot to cover. Work through these two checklists section by section, and you'll head into August knowing your school's technology is ready to go. No scrambling, no surprises.Summer Tech Checklist
Device Refresh Checklist
Technology That Supports Modern EducationStaples Technology Solutions experts can help keep your students connected and inspired with a customized technology solution for your team of educators and administrators.
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Vivacity is here to help you turn the "summer slump" into a "summer jumpstart!" For school tech teams, we know summer isn’t just for lounging by the pool. It’s for unboxing, auditing, and gearing up for the busiest time of year: back-to-school season. Use this checklist to help get you on your way!
Keep students reading all summer long with engaging digital access, flexible challenges, and tools that make it easy to build consistent reading habits anywhere. Sora Summer Survival Guide
From preventing summer slide to making reading accessible at home, these resources support student success all summer long. Classroom Summer Reading Guide
Take Home Reading Flyer
Summer is just around the corner, so now is the perfect time to set yourself up for success before back-to-school hits with this summer checklist:Summer Prep with Springshare
Support summer learning without the struggle—these digital resources make it easy for students to stay engaged, build skills, and keep progressing at home or on the go. Bookflix Activities
Summer Teachables Activities
Summer's almost here, and while sunshine and fun are definitely on the agenda, we've got a fantastic way to sneak in some adventures that make learning feel like play.Learn more
Summer 2026: Capstone & PebbleGo have you covered! ☀️
Keep the learning (and fun) going all summer long—you’re invited to jump into our FREE PebbleGo Road Trip Adventure! 🚙We’re hitting the road to explore some of America’s most incredible national parks as part of the big 250th birthday celebration. Along the way, don’t miss our free summer reads and downloadable goodies—perfect for curious minds on the move.
📚 Back-to-school bonus: Educators, your PebbleGo checklists are ready and waiting—find them in our latest newsletter and get a head start for next school year!.
PebbleGo Summer Survival Guide
Looking to refresh your media center without spending a dollar? Start with these smart, practical strategies that make the most of your existing space. Five Ways to Upgrade your Media Center
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Susan Kimmel
Director of the Purchasing Consortium
404.920.8844
Susan curates the MISBO Purchasing Consortium by maintaining and enhancing current partner relationships and pursuing new partnerships based on the needs of our members. Susan educates and informs members of the benefits of utilizing the MISBO Purchasing Consortium. She facilitates communications with partners concerning contracts and product offerings and assists in providing optimal partner exposure. Susan has a bachelor’s degree in business administration, an MBA with an emphasis in MIS, and a certificate in Social Media Marketing, Leadership Excellence, and AI Prompting. In her spare time, Susan is a mom to four grown kids, Gigi to five adorable grandbabies, a personal growth junkie, crochet hobbyist, travel enthusiast, dog lover ... cat tolerator, DIY wanna-be, outdoorsy-ish, and an occasional binge watcher.
You want the best products and services at the best value. MISBO is here to make that simple. Whether you're looking for a trusted partner, have questions, or want expert guidance, our team is ready to help. Let us know what you need, we're just a message away.
You can reach Susan at the number and e-mail above, or set up a Zoom call with her here: