Lead Custodian at a High School

I have always been that parent who not only volunteers in the classrooms of my own two daughters, but is always the classroom mother, in charge of classroom parties, projects, bulletin boards and anything else the teacher may need. That parent who always seems to go from my own children’s classrooms, to other classrooms that did not have parent helpers. I am the parent that always seems to run the PTA, library groups, running club groups, fundraisers, book fairs and more. When our daughters were younger I would take them to school every day, and walk out with them ten or twelve hours later, depending on meetings or events going on. Today I am proud to say that I have continued volunteering in the classrooms, only now I am able to go in and support my Grand children's classes, and I would not change a thing.

I was there so much I knew every student, parent and staff member in the school. Soon I found myself volunteering in the front office. After a short time the Health Tech position came open, everyone was after me to apply, so I did. I interviewed and was shocked I got the position. Three years later the school district decided they needed nurses instead of health techs. Then I moved into a temporary clerk’s position that was just to help out until the regular clerk returned from a long overdue vacation. Once she came back I went to work as a Para educator in the classrooms. I enjoyed the job so much; it gave me the opportunity to work with some of the best students and families I have ever met. They were students who were in need of extra assistance. It was a very rewarding job, I learned more from the families and students than I ever thought possible. The entire time I continued to run the PTA, Book Fairs and other events in the school.

Six years ago I moved to my dream job. There was an opening in the Grounds Department of the school district. I loved it! Mowing, edging, blowing, weed eating, anything and everything there is to do outside. I have caught mice and other small rodents before, but this job gave me the opportunity to catch snakes, possums and raccoons. It really helped me to grow and expand my horizons. The pride I had was always what I had accomplished on the inside of the school. What I did now and how I did things would now be seen by everyone, weather they went to that school or not. I was taking that pride and self-accomplishment to the outside of the schools. Everyone who walks or drives by would see my work. Never had I felt so relaxed, calm and able to enjoy life like that. Call me crazy but I feel as if it was being outdoors in the fresh air all day, the sunshine, the wind, the rain and anything else Mother Nature threw at me. Given the chance I would definitely go back to that job without hesitation.

Once again 2 years after going to the Grounds Department the district needed someone with people skills, work ethic, and organizational skills to move to the High School to take over as the Lead Custodian. The agreement I made with them was that I would go down there until they could hire a permanent Lead. They told me it could take four to six months, to get someone qualified hired. With our daughters being grown, my husband works the mid shift at work I figured now was as good as any time, and I would have the time to devote to the job. So I moved to the high school.

The first day on the job was an eye opener. It seems all the custodians were fighting, not one of them talked to each other except to be nasty. No set ups for events were getting done. Everyone claimed it was not their job. Sports events were a mess, supplies were missing, nothing getting cleaned, and the list goes on and on and on.

My first order of business was to get the seven custodians working as a team. I figured if that could happen the rest would follow. With meeting after meeting, with the Principal, Athletic Director and the student body Coordinator, and others. All I was hearing was what was wrong, what was not getting done, what needed improvement, and what, what, what they expected.

Those first few weeks were a blur. I put in a lot of hours. Did a lot of repairs, a lot of meetings, have the supply issue in check, schedules in check; the campus is organized and clean. Events are being set up and broken down, but the most important thing is the seven custodians are working as a team. They talk to each other, they help each other, and they will go out of their way for each other. They are family. Four months after I went to the high school, they opened the position for the Lead Custodian. It took me a few days, but I decided I was going to apply for the job, so I did, and I got the job.

When Covid-19 hit and everything shut down, everyone in the district was ordered to stay home. I could not do that. This over whelming need came over me to be there on site and take care of my buildings, to take care of what I had worked so hard for. Not fully understanding the “Pandemic” or exactly what was going on, I was not about to abandon the campus I gave so much for. To you it probably sounds crazy, and you’re probably thinking I should have stayed home and did as I was told, but I could not do that. This is my life, my breath, my being, to me staying home felt like I was giving up, leaving the campus to die. As if the Pandemic would make me a failure.

My days were spent cleaning different buildings, classrooms, and making sure everything was in its place and kept up. With the entire school district shut down. The school grounds were beginning to look neglected. I went outside and started doing grounds work, I edged and weeded, trimmed trees, and flower beds and had the place looking like its normal self. The biggest part was STILL missing, the staff and students.

After four months my custodial team was allowed to come back to work, and little by little the district had others come back. The team picked up where they left off, working together and getting things done. The buildings and grounds were in check, so we moved on to the exterior of the buildings. The entire custodial team started painting buildings, trims, doors and window frames. We were not able to finish before the staff and students came back but what we were able to accomplish looks great.

With everyone and everything trying to get back to “normal”, and schools reopening, the custodial jobs and responsibilities have quadrupled if not more. Every day brings the unknown. There could be one positive case of Covid-19 today or there could be 5 cases, we never know. What we do know is our lives now revolve around a “Pandemic”, we can’t see, but has become very controlling of our lives. Mask’s, gloves, cleaning garments, face shields, shoe covers, disinfectants and more are now a part of our daily cleaning, and looks like it will be around for a while to come. Our school district made the decision to have Plexiglas on every desk, table and counter. So now that classroom that used to take 30 minutes to clean is now taking over two hours. As custodians we have all come to the understanding this is not only our jobs now but our lives. There are people who believe that the title “Lead Custodian” means I don’t actually work or clean. That is so far from the truth. On a daily basis I am right there beside my crew, picking up trash, cleaning restrooms, classrooms and buildings. When calls come in for possible exposures or confirmed cases in room I do not hesitate to go in and disinfect and do what needs to be done.

Moving to the high school has presented me with a lot of challenges, but it has also given me a lot of opportunities for growth, self-awareness and put my Pride on a level I never knew existed. With the Pandemic I have expanded my cleaning, chemical and Covid-19 knowledge and education. I treasure every moment, and every conversation I have throughout the day weather it’s with the custodians, school staff or the students. I truly enjoy and love my job.