Custodial Work Expectations – Cleaning Modification (No Overtime)
RLAS 116 STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES
RLAS
Round Lake Area School District 116
OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT
Procedure:
Custodial Work Expectations – Cleaning Modification (No Overtime)
Effective Date:
8/15/2025
Revised Date:
9/2/2025
Type of Process:
☒ Internal Procedure
☐ District Procedure
Authority
Building Administrators; Assistant Superintendent of Operations; Night Facilities Supervisor; Assistant Superintendent of Schools & HR
Purpose
To identify responsibilities and process for responding custodial absences.
Exemptions
Coverage will not be provided during non-student attendance days (i.e. professional development; winter break; spring break).
Set up for professional development activities must be completed by the Night Custodial crew at the building the night before the event.
When a day custodian substitutes at the Early Childhood Center their hours will not change. Therefore, Building Administrators should provide guidance/tasks for the custodian to do from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.
Overview
Our custodial team plays a critical role in maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment for everyone at the schools. As with any other 12-month employee custodians receive sick, vacation, and personal business days to use throughout the year. When your custodian selects to use one of their benefits it may cause a situation where coverage is impacted. Prior to this school year we made every attempt to provide a substitute when any Lead or Night Custodian was absent. This year that will not be the case. Overtime assignments will be very select and must be approved by the Assistant Superintendent of Schools and HR.
Definition
The only individual who will automatically be replaced when absent will be the Lead Custodian at the Early Childhood Center and Elementary Schools. When this occurs your night cleaning crew will be short staff and the priority for cleaning the building must be changed. This individual will be replaced with the following process:
Steps
Lead Custodian Absence Assignment Process
1
Night custodians assigned to the building will be asked if he or she is willing to switch to a day schedule. A volunteer will be sought first. If both night custodians volunteer the assignment will be made by seniority and rotation.
2
If none of the Night Custodians assigned to the building are interested in working the day schedule a day custodian from one of the secondary schools will be assigned by reverse seniority and rotation.
Note: Night Custodians who substitute for the Lead Custodian will not continue to work 4 hours of overtime after the day shift.
Steps
Night Custodian Absence Assignment Process
1
When a Night Custodian at the Early Childhood Center or an Elementary School is absent more than three consecutive days a determination will be made if another custodian will be temporarily assigned or if overtime will be approved.
Steps
High School Stadium Coverage Assignment Process
When there is a major event at the high school stadium (i.e. home football games, regional/sectional competition or graduation) the high school will have the approval to replace any night custodian absent on the date and time of the event. This overtime approval is for a maximum of four (4) hours per person absent.
1
The Assistant Principal of Operations will contact the Operations Department secretary identifying the number of overtime assistance needed.
2
The Operation Department secretary will contact (per the Custodial Absence Coverage Standard Operating Procedure) staff to secure overtime assistance.
3
The Operation Department secretary will send an email to the Assistant Principal of Operations the names of any staff accepting overtime work.
4
The Lead Night Custodian will meet with substitutes to assign them the workload within the building.
5
The Lead Night Custodian will assign the high school night custodians with stadium cleanup expectations.
Expectation
Operations Department Responsibility
1
The Operations Department Secretary will email the Building Administrators, as soon as the absence is known and coverage secured for his or her building, when a substitute change is being made (i.e. Night Custodian is brought up to days or shifted from a secondary school).
2
The Operations Department Secretary will email the Building Administrators if his or her Day Custodian is being pulled to cover at the Early Childhood or an Elementary School.
Expectation
Building Administrator Responsibility
1
The Building Administrator must alert all building staff members when the cleaning crew is partially staffed so that they do not expect the same level of cleaning that would occur when all Night Custodians are present. This message is essential so that building staff (i.e. teachers, secretaries, aides) do not become upset with the custodians because the area was partially cleaned.
2
The Building Administrators shall emphasize that their building employees are responsible for general upkeep of their classrooms and workspace. This includes picking up the floor from debris at the end of the school day.
Cleaning Expectations
The following information outlines the cleaning expectations for what custodians need to do when (1) all assigned custodians are present, (2) when a portion of your night custodians are present, or (3) when a 4-hour substitute is assigned to your building for the evening.
Fully Staffed:
All assigned custodians are present and are responsible to clean their assigned area per the district Facility Walkthrough form.
Partially Staffed:
One or more of the assigned custodians are absent with no substitute. If this occurs the building assigned custodian will modify and prioritize what gets cleaned in the building. The following chart outlines the areas by priority for the building assigned custodian.
Bathrooms – First
Classrooms - Second
Hallways - Third
1. Clean urinals & toilets
2. Stock supplies
3. Empty the trash
4. Sweep floors
5. Mop Floors
1. Empty classroom trash
1. Sweep floors in hallways
Partially Staffed + One 4-hour Substitute (when overtime has been approved):
Building assigned custodians are joined by a substitute who will work four-hours. In this situation the building custodian will follow expectations outlined in the district Facility Walkthrough Form while the substitute custodian will complete the items listed in the table below.
Bathrooms
Classrooms
Hallways
1. Clean urinals & toilets
2. Stock supplies
3. Empty the trash
4. Sweep floors
5. Mop Floors
1. Spot sweep
2. Empty classroom trash
3. Sinks (when time is available)
1. Pick up all debris
2. Sweep floors in hallways