CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The school year is just around the corner, and school districts across the Carolinas are trying to find enough custodians to keep their schools clean and safe for students.
In Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, there are currently 23 custodian positions open district-wide.
Oakhurst STEAM Academy, an elementary school, is one of the schools in need of a custodian.
Renee Moore, head custodian at Oakhurst STEAM Academy, said the job that means more than cleaning to her.
“You don’t know if some of the kids have clean environments or not, but you want to make sure when they come in this building they’re in a clean environment," Moore said.
The custodian profession is facing a number of challenges. One challenge is the increasing number of schools being built. As more schools are built, the need for custodians grows.
“We’re growing exponentially here in York and I think that’s because of those outer cities," Jennifer Bolin, the director of human resources at York School District 1, said. "And people wanting to get out of those areas and come more to a rural area.”
York School District 1 is closing in on hiring its last few open custodian spots, but they are still looking for dedicated people to join their team.
"Custodians are more than just the people cleaning the building, they’re a part of our staff. Students look to them, just like they do our teachers," Bolin said.
Moore said the custodian job requires hard work and a certain skill set with students at the center.
"Sometimes you get tired," Moore said. "But you have to keep going whether you get tired or not. Because you got to think about the kids. That's the most important thing. We want to clean for the kids and the staff."
CMS building services maintain more than 650 buildings, not including the 1,200 mobile classroom units on school grounds. According to the district, the combined space is over 21 million square feet and sits on over 5,000+ acres.
Currently, the pay scale for custodians is from $15 to $19.11, according to a current posting.
CMS will hold a summer career fair Thursday, Aug. 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. They will be hiring custodians. The fair is located at South County Regional Library.
Contact Shamarria Morrison at smorrison@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.