CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — Custodians are a school’s first line of defense against germs and often it can be a thankless job.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, they were on the front lines doing their part to keep school safe when students returned.
School districts in the Charlotte area are celebrating National Custodian Day on Oct. 2.
In Catawba County, there are custodians like Isabel Figueroa, Arndt Middle School Head Custodian, who spends her after-school time with a student cleaning club.
"In my heart, I feel it, I feel it. In my heart, they made a decision to help us," Figueroa said.
The Catawba County Middle School faced a problem trying to fill an empty custodial position. Teachers and administrators helped where they could by staying behind and cleaning classrooms. A student noticed and created the Arndt Middle School Beautification Club. The school now has enough custodians, but the club continues.
Bruce Jones is another beloved custodian from Butler High School, now retired after working for the CMS school district for decades.
"I don't want to be in a nasty building. I know they don't want to be in the nasty building. You know, and if they see something they're going to let me know," Jones said.
National Custodian Day, celebrated on Oct. 2, shows appreciation for the employees who keep schools and workplaces clean and uncluttered across the nation.
It’s also a time for districts to advocate for more pay for these workers. These employees, who work diligently every day, are faced with low wages across the state.
In the latest North Carolina state budget, custodians would get a 7% raise over the next two years.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, over the past year or so, was able to increase the minimum wage for its custodians to $15 an hour using local funds. Many other districts bordering CMS have done or are trying to do the same.
The hardest positions to fill for custodians are in the most expensive parts of town like North and South Charlotte.
The work is hard but Renee Moore, Oakhurst STEAM Academy's Head Custodian, cherishes her role.
“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.
When it comes to the ideal candidate to work for the district, she has a few pointers.
"Be able to do the job, no slacking, just keep going," Moore said.
Dedication like that is why we all say “thank you” on National Custodian Day!
Contact Shamarria Morrison at smorrison@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.