Building service workers prepare for school year

The hallways of John Hanson Middle School and Thomas Stone High School shine like a skating rink. The scent of shampoo hangs in the air at Arthur Middleton Elementary School before building service manager James Turner revs up a machine that resembles a small, push Zamboni on a mission to deep clean the carpet.

It’s “go time” for building service workers around the county. School starts for students on Sept. 5, and building service teams are hitting the ground running.

Hanson’s crew spent a recent morning scraping old wax from the cafeteria floor, prepping it for a new coat. The school’s inspection is coming up at the end of the month.

“We’re killing ourselves getting ready,” Lonnie Wilson, building service manager, said. “All this work? We have to get it done,” Wilson said in a news release.

Building inspections take place throughout the month, April Murphy, supervisor of operations for Charles County Public Schools, said.

Inspections allow for building service managers and workers to discuss with operations staff what they need to keep their schools looking pristine. “We make sure we’re all on the same page before school starts,” Murphy said.

Inspectors visit schools to look around, making sure the carpets are in good condition, bathroom fixtures are in order, the wax on the floor has that shine and the school’s cleaning equipment is working. “A clean environment renews energy,” Murphy said in the release. “It gets everyone ready for the new year.”