Despite lack of students, administrators, maintenance busy in schools over summer
JEFFERSON TWP — The custodial staff of Knoch School District has been hard at work the past two weeks, with three to four people in each school cleaning and disinfecting as many touch points as they can.
It’s a time-consuming task, but the summer is the only time they can fit in time clearing desks out of classrooms and running carpet cleaners through the buildings. Those are the last tasks custodians have to do before going on their own summer breaks.
Ken Stapchuck, director of buildings & grounds at Knoch School District, said the first two weeks after students leave schools for the summer are two of the busiest weeks for his maintenance staff. About 14 building and grounds staff members work, compared to about 23 during the regular school year, and once they finish their tasks, they also leave for much of the summer.
“They'll pull all the desks out of the classroom, pull the rugs out, clean all the touch points, all the things you can't do while school is in session,” Stapchuck said. “Right now, we're doing the restrooms and gymnasium restrooms. Do some concrete work throughout the summer, sidewalks and things like that.”
Once the carpets are dry, they put everything back in the classrooms and then they work on the hallways, Stapchuck said.
He said despite the challenges of cleaning buildings that typically hold hundreds of people, his custodial staff has the summer routine down to a science by now.
“Kids are rough on buildings,” Stapchuck said. “Fortunately, we have a lot of experienced custodians here that have been doing this for decades. They have their routine down and know what needs to be done.”
Different school districts have different staffing needs over the summer, despite most of the teaching staff being off for about two months.
Evan McGarvey, director of business affairs at Karns City Area School District, said the administrative office at the school district also remains staffed from June to August. But their workload shifts gears a bit to cover planning and operational needs instead of the everyday demands that come from teaching hundreds of children.
The staff goes from about 175 to about 30 to 40 over the summer, according to McGarvey.
“I would say the workload doesn't really change or go down. It's a little bit different though,” McGarvey said. “We're still paying, processing payroll, a significant portion is gearing up for next school year. A lot of bulk ordering of supplies.”
Brian White, superintendent of Butler Area School District, said summer is one of the most important operational times of the year for the school district. The district’s custodial, maintenance and grounds teams spend countless hours preparing buildings and campuses for the return of students and staff.
According to White, about 50 employees work in facilities, custodial, maintenance and grounds positions during the summer. Staffing levels are generally similar to those during the school year at Butler Area, but schedules and assignments are adjusted to maximize work while the buildings are less occupied.
“This work includes deep-cleaning classrooms and common areas, stripping and waxing floors, painting, replacing furnishings, completing preventive maintenance projects, servicing HVAC systems, maintaining athletic fields and grounds and addressing repairs that are difficult to complete while schools are occupied,” White said.
Stapchuck said a few building and grounds staffers remain on duty through the summer, but most of them are off after they complete the deep clean. If there is an unexpected need, one of them covers it, but larger emergencies may require Stapchuck to call in more people.
“If I need some major plumbing work, major electrical work, we’ll call someone in,” Stapchuck said.
While much of the public sees the physical work occurring in school buildings during the summer, an equally important effort is taking place behind the scenes as administrators work to recruit, select and retain employees, White said.
The fiscal year rolls over July 1, so business staff members are often busy around that time with financial needs.
McGarvey said Karns City Area’s business office finalizes its annual audit preparations in the summer and White said the business administrators implement the coming school year’s budget in the summer.
“This includes finalizing budgets, processing year-end expenditures, establishing new accounts, preparing financial reports, managing payroll transitions and ensuring all financial systems are ready for the new school year,” White said.
White also said the summer is the prime time for hiring. He said the district doesn’t rush bringing new staff on board and administrators are able to “conduct multiple rounds of interviews and involve a variety of stakeholders” in the hiring process.
“We know that the individuals we bring into our organization will have a direct impact on the experiences and outcomes of our students for years to come,” White said. “We often say that every initiative, program and opportunity we provide students depends on having great people in place to make it happen.”
Stapchuck said his building and maintenance staff will return to their posts about two weeks before the start of the school year, when they will give the buildings a final once over in preparation for the return of the rest of the staff and students.
Some students do remain in the school buildings over the summer, however.
White said Butler Area operates extended school year programs for students with individualized education programs who qualify for additional services. Many of the school district’s athletic teams, extracurricular organizations and student groups also have workouts, camps, practices, leadership activities and skill development programs in school buildings.
“While the pace of the school year changes during the summer months, our campuses remain active places where students continue to learn, grow and prepare for the year ahead,” he said.
McGarvey said Karns City Area’s teaching staff will come back for three in-service days prior to the start of the students’ school year for professional development. Their return marks a wind down of summer operations, as teachers, administrators and support staff get ready for students who are all entering new grades.
“Early- to mid-August is generally when we start seeing folks return,” McGarvey said. “Our school year is tailored to have professional development days. Those are mandated and opportunities for us to do the professional development we want.”
