Deferred maintenance. Backlogs. Technology debt.

Not exactly the sexiest topics in technology—but absolutely some of the most important.

I’ve spent nearly two decades working in education, the last four years in school technology, and the past two leading a technology department. During that time, I’ve inherited plenty of technical debt—and, if I’m being honest, I’ve created some of it myself.

In technology, we’re constantly encouraged to chase the shiny new thing. Innovation is expected. Progress is demanded. Pressure comes from every direction—students, faculty, leadership, parents, vendors… and often, from ourselves. I know I feel it. I’ve always believed that I should leave a school, department, or organization better than I found it.

But here’s the tradeoff.

When deferred maintenance piles up, the risks grow quietly in the background. Systems fail. Outages happen at the worst possible times. Costs increase—not just financially, but in lost time, trust, and momentum. Cleanup is always more expensive than prevention.

Right now, as we head toward the end of Q2, I’m doing what every IT leader eventually has to do: making the list. Checking it twice. Auditing what’s been postponed, ignored, or “temporarily” worked around. This is my annual reckoning with deferred maintenance.

Soon I’ll be deep into budget planning, device ordering, and end-of-year assessments. Before the next exciting piece of technology grabs my attention (because it will), I want to close as many gaps as possible.

Innovation matters—but sustainability matters more.

The unglamorous work is often what keeps everything else running.