Do Custodians Just Clean?

When you think of a custodian, what image comes to mind? Someone mopping a floor, vacuuming a room or cleaning a restroom?

All of those are true, but custodians do more than just clean. A custodian is responsible to take care of the building. Thus the term "custodian." Besides cleaning, custodians unlock and lock the building daily, take care of emergencies throughout the day, repair problems related to the building like plumbing and electrical, disperse orders that arrive, put together furniture and other items that arrive throughout the year, maintain boilers and HVAC systems, deal with fire and security systems, perform energy management by setting schedules on a centralized computer, set up chairs and other items for concerts, events, games and such and much more.

Without custodians there would be a lot of services and duties that would not get done. So the next time you think of custodians, think beyond the realm of cleaning. That's a janitor. Think of those who are building operators and caretakers making sure you are comfortable and taken care of while visiting the school.