Principal Management Strategy for Optimizing Educational Facilities and Infrastructure in Indonesian Schools in Makkah

Abstract

This study aims to describe educational facilities and infrastructure while analyzing the principal's management strategies in planning and optimizing them at the Indonesian School of Makkah (SIM). Effective management is crucial to support learning quality while complying with both Indonesian National Education Standards and Saudi Arabian regulations. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were gathered through interviews, observations, and documentation, then analyzed using the Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña model. Results indicate SIM's infrastructure is adequate but not optimal, requiring improvements in the science laboratory, sports facilities, and library collections. The principal executed structured, participatory, and adaptive planning strategies through data-based needs analysis, budget prioritization, and regulatory adjustments. Optimization strategies included effective space utilization, preventative maintenance, rapid damage reporting, external collaboration, library digitization, and flexible classrooms. This study concludes that principal management strategies play a vital role in maintaining infrastructure functionality and improving learning quality in overseas Indonesian schools facing spatial and regulatory constraints.