Facilities Staff at Schools are on the Frontline, Providing Health Safety

As the Cascade School District (CSD) schools go through stages of reopening, staff and families can feel confident that the facilities department is doing its utmost to keep rooms and surfaces clean and disinfected. Their protocols, combined with safe behavioral practices, are the main reason that the schools have had zero COVID-19 transmission.

The Centers for Disease Control website, in reference to guidance for cleaning and disinfecting, states, “Coronaviruses on surfaces and objects naturally die within hours to days. Normal routine cleaning with soap and water removes germs and dirt from surfaces. It lowers the risk of spreading COVID-19 infection. Disinfectants kill germs on surfaces. By killing germs on a surface after cleaning, you can further lower the risk of spreading infection.”

Teresa Disher, Facilities Director, explained the adaptations that occurred in her department due to the pandemic. “Over the summer we did research and learned a lot so we were well prepared for school to start in the fall,” she said.

“There were no changes to staffing because we knew we would have special programs, food services and teachers in the buildings. We were able to utilize our teams in different ways. We found gaps in schedules and learned to cover for each other.”

Cleaning procedures have been robust for years. “Level 3 cleaning is the norm for most school facilities. A custodian can clean approximately 28,000 to 31,000 square feet in eight hours,” said Disher. “We cleaned every room every night by taking out garbage, cleaning floors, bathrooms and so forth. We have always disinfected handles and high-touch areas once during each shift.”

Only minor changes have occurred to cope with the pandemic. Soluna Taylor, a custodian who has worked for the CSD for fourteen years, said, “We disinfect common areas hourly, and follow all required guidelines, to help stop the spread of the virus. Every Wednesday, teachers and students have classes remotely, which gives us a day to disinfect all the classrooms, along with the common areas.”

The budget for facilities has gone down due to lower enrollment and fewer activities. That has not been a problem, however. Disher said, “We joined a co-op and purchased PPE at a really reasonable price. So far, our estimates on what was needed is carrying us through the years perfectly. We have less use for our cleaning products because of less people in the building; however, we use more because we are cleaning more throughout the day. It has come out about the same so no added costs there. We did not buy fancy chemicals or equipment. We continue to use our eco-friendly cleaners applied the old-fashioned way, with a cloth. We do not spray chemicals into the air due to breathing difficulties for those with sensitivities.”

“The biggest challenge for us in maintenance, I believe, was conquering fear. We were tasked with, number one, setting the example: wearing our masks consistently, washing our hands, self-screening, not gathering in groups, meeting outside and not coming to work sick.”

The facilities staff are on the pandemic frontline, making a difference in the lives of staff and students. “Many times, I’ve had staff comment on how grateful they were that their building custodians were visible all day long, cleaning and disinfecting every area. It has been told to me that this is a heavy burden to carry and how vital their role is in the safety of schools these days. But each and every one of our custodians was up for it. They take their jobs very seriously and know that other people depend on them.” 

Looking to the future, Disher sees a few positive outcomes. “It will no longer be socially acceptable to come to work or school sick. Also, in a year or two, I hope to still see us disinfecting high-touch areas more than one time per day.”

Taylor added, “It has been a very stressful time in our life and daily routines, but I believe we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. If we can all take the necessary precautions, we can put an end to this chapter of our lives, and return back to our normal lives.”

Finally, the role of the school custodian will be viewed differently than in the past. Its not just about having a room with clean floors and empty garbage cans. Disher said, “You’re in a room where you know things you cannot see, like viruses and bacteria, have also been removed in the cleaning process.”