Spring Break!

A school without students could be thought of as an unnatural phenomenon of sorts- but for a custodian? Roughly every 6-9 weeks the break from high traffic in this type of facility is a welcome chance to hit the reset button. Although summer is thought of as the custodial department’s “time to shine”, taking advantage of school breaks to complete projects that optimize building upkeep is key.

Every district will have its set of priorities based on size, occupancy, number of buildings, etc. but for Shaun Smith, Supervisor of Custodians in the Clifton School District it’s all about floors, floors, floors. “During every school break in a district of our size, we always have special cleaning projects going on…Spring and summer break are where [the] majority of our Projects take place.  Most of the floors get buffed, stripped and waxed.  We also disinfect high touch areas and attend to areas not within daily duties”. During Spring Break specifically, Smith notes that “painting, landscaping projects around the buildings” get done and of course, “we love our floors looking clean so we buff and wax as well”. 

Spring break gives custodians an excellent opportunity to de-winterize or open outdoor areas of a school (such as an outdoor classroom, field, etc.). Smith says in his district, this happens between March and throughout all of April. Spring break is optimal for this, when standard operating procedures are not necessarily followed day to day. 

The takeaway for a custodial manager? Make a list of things you want to get done before summer but maybe don’t have the time to when the staff and students occupy the building. Getting a few of these projects out of the way can re-instill a greater sense of ease as the school year enters the home stretch.