‘They have been working day and night’
With job of school custodians upended, one big change is welcomed: Extra recognition
School custodians have long been the force behind cleanliness inside the classroom and out— performing the unenviable feat, time and time again, of keeping buildings looking a little less like hundreds of youths stampede through them daily. But in the midst of a pandemic that has demanded a heightened attention to cleanliness for the sake of safety, Southlanders are starting to see janitorial teams in a new light.
As students prepared to return to a blended schedule of in-person learning this fall, Community High School District 218 recognized its custodians as “Life Savers” by giving them bags of Life Savers hard candies. They came with notes of thanks and recognition from Rodger Ford and Lisa Krueger, the district’s director and assistant director of buildings and grounds, respectively.
More than just a gesture, it was a reminder of the important work custodians have always done inside Southland schools as well as how that work has taken on new importance in the age of COVID-19.
“They have been working day and night to maintain a clean and sanitized building,” Ford said.
Krueger added, “The entire custodial team has been absolutely fantastic in supporting the needs of our schools during this pandemic. … It’s not just about keeping our buildings clean anymore; they play a pivotal role in keeping them safe, too. Never have their services and dedication ever been more needed and appreciated than now.”
Among the new custodial duties in 2020 have been practicing new techniques and using the most effective disinfectants to mitigate concerns related to COVID-19. In District 218, that meant completing a clinic in August on best practices, and a seemingly endless list of prepwork.
“They’ve put together (personal protective equipment) kits for all of the classrooms and office spaces, moved desks and furniture to allow for appropriate spacing between students, placed signage and arrows throughout the buildings, completed pandemic response custodial training, learned how to operate new efficient cleaning equipment, and the list goes on and on,” Krueger said. “They understand the challenges … with holding in-person instruction, and they are working together as a team to support each other and achieve the district’s goal of having a safe and successful school year.”
Day custodians are regularly applying disinfectants to high-touch surfaces and cleaning eating areas after each lunch period when students are in session. The night crew is tasked with disinfecting the building every evening and using electrostatic sprayers for infection control.
“It’s changed drastically,” said Dave Bowlds, a custodian at Richards High School in Oak Lawn. “All of that takes time and energy.”
Bowlds said District 218 has recognized the hard work. In addition to the Life Savers, the district bought them lunch on one of the big moving days. Teachers have also assisted in the extra work that has been necessitated by pandemic protocols, he
said. And the recognition they have received in staff emails is a welcome morale boost.
“If you’re doing a good job, be told you’re doing a good job— and they’re doing that,” Bowlds said. “We’ve gotten compliments in the hallway. They’ve been treating us right as a school district.”
But when people are in the building, it means even more protocols. Monitors help ensure rules are being followed in the halls when students are in session. There is some onus on the students, too, to pick up their own garbage. The bathrooms are a point of special focus.
“We have a checklist on all washrooms,” Bowlds said. “We have to monitor the washrooms constantly.”
At Marist High School in Chicago’s Mount Greenwood neighborhood, battling COVID-19 during hybrid learning has been a combined effort between a team from Hillner Janitorial and the school’s maintenance department. The latter is a team of five headed by Jason Celauro, the school’s director of maintenance.
“We’ve had a lot to do related to COVID,” Celauro said.
That started with restricting access to student lockers, which meant Celauro’s team had to rig them so they would not be operable. It also meant shutting down all push-type or bubbler water fountains in favor of those with sensors and filters. Hundreds of signs and stickers with cautions and rules had to be placed around the school, and 40-50 hand sanitizer stations were installed in the most commonly used parts of the building.
“We’re on top of HVAC indoor air quality, but we’re on higher alert than prior to COVID era,” Celauro said.
When school is in session, Celauro’s team helps to wipe down rooms between classes. Like most schools, they have also stocked up on wipes, sanitizing supplies, masks and gloves. And where his team leaves off, Leah Zehme’s crew picks up.
“It definitely has changed a lot,” said Zehme, who manages a team of roughly 10 from Hillner. “A lot more goes into cleaning than what people think. People are realizing there is skill and science behind it.”
The company works with Spartan Chemical Co. for its cleaning products, and they provide guidelines the Hillner team follows in using them, Zehme said. It is ultimately a slower process that is more time intensive.
“It’s a lot more stressful than before,” Zehme said. “Thankfully, we did have weeks to prepare.”
Bill Kocanda, head custodian for Homer Junior High School in Homer Glen, said that preparation is the biggest difference between now and when the pandemic began.
“Mid-March was a lot of uncertainty,” he said. “We didn’t know whatwas going on.”
The students and staff were quickly out of the building, but the custodial staff was in limbo, he said.
“Wewere on standby,” Kocanda recalled. “We couldn’t even start our summer cleaning early, because we didn’t know if students were coming back.”
Supplies were also were harder to get at that time. Disinfectants and gloves were “almost impossible,” Kocanda said. And what supplies Homer Elementary District 33C did have in the early going when students were not in session, it donated to help first responders. The summer provided a chance to stock up on masks, disinfectants and other supplies again.
They also received new supplies and new equipment, such as an electrostatic mister, which is charged to make sure a disinfectant coats all parts of a desk, for instance. Along with new supplies and new protocols, Kocanda received training over the summer.
Once school resumed, itwas off to the races.
“Constant cleaning throughout the day,” Kocanda said of the experience with students in the building. “It’s a nonstop cleaning process now.”
But Kocanda said he is not working more hours, just working differently. Some new tasks may be time-intensive, but students at Homer Junior High have been eating at their desks, which eliminates lunchroom cleanup and passing periods. And amid the changes, Kocanda said people are definitely noticing the work custodians do more than ever.
“They’re looking more closely, that’s for sure,” he said. “Whatever term youwant to use— people are asking questions.”