From wiping the lunch tables until they are spotless to sweeping the floors until they are dust-free, custodians work hard to ensure everything is sparkling clean. However, there is a lot that goes on under the surface and not everyone realizes that there is so much more to custodians’ lives than wiping tables and sweeping floors.
“Some kids probably don’t understand how much work we do,” custodian Adriana Hidalgo said in Spanish. “That’s why they [sometimes] don’t pay attention [to us].”
From day one, the process of becoming a custodian—not to mention the job itself—is arduous and time-intensive. FCPS custodians must first go through a two-month-long clinic, where they learn how machines work and strategies for cleaning properly. Once they start working, they receive a set of duties that goes beyond cleaning: they turn on the lights every morning, take in deliveries, fix broken roof tiles, tidy up spaces after school events (like the auditorium after a show or the football field after a game) and more. Their work does not stop there; however, it continues past the student-packed school year.
“In the summer, people think we just sit here doing nothing…” Hidalgo said. “We clean the entire school. We take out all the furniture, strip and wax the floors and clean everything from ceiling to floor.”
Custodial work is more draining and repetitive than most people realize. Custodian Elizabeth Agbo compared the job to doing exercise at the gym. There are always custodians rotating in and out of the building from 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Monday through Friday–plus additional duties on weekends. They each clean around 20 classrooms a day, sometimes even more if another custodian is out.
Despite work taking a huge chunk out of their day, custodians have passions and responsibilities that keep them occupied during the limited free time they have. Custodian Randall Macías plays the conga drums, a Cuban instrument popular where he grew up in Miami.
“Playing [conga drums] helps relieve stress—when you start playing and feel the rhythm, it brings a great sense of energy and excitement,” Macías said in Spanish. “My son plays the piano. Maybe one day we’ll form a band together.”
Hidalgo is the proud mom of a Warhawk, and sees all Madison students as her children.
“I don’t want [students] to get hurt,” Hidalgo said. “I want them to be in a clean and safe place. That’s why I care so much.”
Custodian Glenda Lopez takes care of her mother, who is sick with cancer, bringing her to chemotherapy in the mornings. On weekends, she works double shifts at IHOP as the sole provider of the household. She feels that cooking is her passion.
An often overlooked aspect of the custodians is their diverse backgrounds, ranging from China to Nicaragua to Nigeria. They often learn new words and try new foods from each other’s cultures.
“We dance together, we eat together, we joke together…together we do everything,” Agbo said.
This multiculturalism doesn’t come without barriers, though. Because not all custodians speak English fluently, to communicate with each other, they often have to use translators or hand gestures to get messages across.
Students are an integral part of the custodian experience. Although most interactions between them involve a mere wave or a thank you, custodians often reminisce on students’ kindness and generosity. Agbo said that, once, when she was clearing out the snow, a student brought her hot coffee and thanked her for her work.
Some might remember the Jeep Wrangler that was gifted to custodian Francis Apraku nearly two years ago.
“The kids [made] me [known] nationwide…I will never forget this story in my life,” Apraku said. “[It happened] because of my relationship with the kids, how I talk to them, how I respect them. They also recognize me as somebody who also [needs] love…I am proud of them.”
Ultimately, students are one of the main reasons why custodians enjoy coming to school every day.
“Without you, the students, we are nothing,” said Apraku. “I am proud to be a custodian.”
