Summer break? Not for some
Behind-the-scenes staff keep busy during vacation
By Diette Courrégé
Summertime might be a relaxing break for students and teachers, but it's the busiest time of year for hundreds of school district employees.
The Post and Courier
Ladson Elementary School Principal Reginald Bright (right) and Assistant Principal Karen Lee deliver new workbooks to fourth-grade classrooms Thursday.
These behind-the-scenes workers in departments such as maintenance, food service, transportation, grounds keeping, information technology and security have worked hard for the past three months to get ready for the upcoming year.
Mark Cobb, who orchestrates much of the preparations for Charleston County schools, likened the first day of school to the Super Bowl for the operations department.
'It is when we are in the spotlight,' said Cobb, executive director of facility services. 'Everything is under the microscope: How did the first day go? It's always a big, big day.'
Planning for the upcoming school year begins as early as February, and as soon as school ends, Cobb's folks go into action. They've been full throttle since then.
This summer has been somewhat different in that five schools were closed, students were shifted elsewhere and five new buildings are to be opened. The changes intensified the operations' department workload, and Cobb has been impressed with what they've been able to accomplish.
Here are a few highlights:
• A comprehensive summer cleaning of about 7 million square feet of building and classroom space, which included stripping and waxing floors, cleaning carpets and washing windows and walls.
• Relocating 18 mobile classrooms. Cobb compared the process with moving a mobile home – security, fire alarms, utilities, phones, sewage, computers and wiring must be disconnected and then reconnected at the new site.
• Installing about 2,000 new computers in 57 schools' labs and refurbishing or doing routine maintenance on 15,000 student computers.
Maintenance and repairs
Much of the work district staff does during the summer either can't be done while students are in school or is simply easier to do when buildings are unoccupied. Projects that affect students' health or safety always are the district's first priority, but summer is an opportunity to handle more routine maintenance requests that schools make throughout the year.
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They've tackled smaller capital projects at Baptist Hill High, Lincoln High, Morningside Middle and Memminger Elementary schools. They've converted a storage room into an office, installed new roofing, built new bus parking lots and upgraded football bleachers.
They constructed vestibules to enhance security at 14 schools, upgraded lighting to make it more energy efficient at five schools and replaced more than 30 heating and air conditioning units. More schools received paint jobs than those that didn't, and 2,100 acres of property have been mowed each week.
Athletic fields have been painted, playgrounds received nearly 4,000 square yards of new mulch and flower beds were spruced up with nearly 7,400 bales of pine straw.
'The taxpayers have invested quite a bit into buildings and the building program, and we're doing the best (we can) to maintain that investment for them,' Cobb said.
Food and buses
One area that stays particularly busy during the summer is the food service department. Cobb compared it with operating one of the largest restaurant chains in the county, with more than 70 kitchens and more than 35,000 breakfasts and lunches served daily.
The Post and Courier
Ladson Elementary School Principal Reginald Bright's calendar is marked for the first day of school. Students in Dorchester District 2 and Dorchester District 4 report to school today. Students in Berkeley and Charleston counties start Tuesday.
The food service department spends a chunk of its summer dealing with students' applications for the free and reduced lunch program. Perhaps because of the economy, district staff have fielded more phone calls than ever about the program, and they expect to have processed 23,000 student applications by the end of August.
Breakfast and lunch menus are set in the spring, and Walter Campbell, the district's director of nutrition and food service, spends some of his summer coordinating delivery schedules with suppliers. In schools throughout the district, kitchen hoods and walk-in coolers and freezers were cleaned, and 350 computers that log students' payments were upgraded.
The district's transportation department begins planning the number of buses it will need as early as March, and two full-time employees spend their summers scheduling bus routes for students.
'They are still routing kids today,' said Katie McClure, the school district's director of transportation, last week.
The district's 368 buses will run 4 million miles this year, the equivalent of 160 trips around the world. To ensure their longevity, buses are inspected, repaired and washed; and other district vehicles, such as those for driver's education, food service and special activities, also receive preventive maintenance.
Getting ready
Although teachers aren't around during the summer, school principals stay busy making plans for the upcoming year. In addition to planning, Reginald Bright, principal of Ladson Elementary School, has sorted through new textbooks, registered parents, tweaked the school handbook and filled out paperwork required for high-poverty schools. The week before school begins is just as hectic as the first week of school.
'There are so many things that have to be completed,' he said.
Those whose summers are spent preparing buildings and classrooms for the new year consider it a job well-done if teachers and principals can do their jobs without a problem.
'We are tremendously proud of what we do, even if it is unknown by many,' said John McCarron, executive director of information technology.
Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
theronce (anonymous) says...
Those folks do a wonderful job for the most part. They get almost no recognition. The vast majority of them are paid shamefully low wages. I normally do not favor unionizing, but these folks most definitely need to do so. The unions should be ashamed of themselves for not trying to organize them. These folks are the salt of the earth, and I am fairly sure that the districts would use scare tactics or threaten to outsource the work to battle unionization. They would swear not, but right now they give them lip service while paying them virtually nothing. You teachers know what I am saying is true. So do you administrators.
August 17, 2009 at 7:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bill1776 (anonymous) says...
IF YOU WANT YOUR CHILDREN BRAIN WASHED SEND THEM TO PUBLIC SCHOOL.
August 17, 2009 at 8:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nopartisan_noproblem (anonymous) says...
theronce, if these people decided to become unionized, the government has every right and should let these people go and look to the huge amount of uemployed workers to fill their spot. Rather than succumbing to bully and extortionist tactics by a union. you don't like what you're getting paid, then don't work there. If enough people decide not to work there for that pay, then naturally the gov. will have no choice but to provide higher wages.
August 17, 2009 at 8:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gococks1985 (anonymous) says...
I went to public school bill1776, and was not brainwashed at all. I'm guessing that no one in your family has ever gone to a public school. It's not just the schools fault, it's the parents and the children to who are at fault for letting themselves fail. Don't use that as an excuse!!! It's pathetic.
August 17, 2009 at 8:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nopartisan_noproblem (anonymous) says...
I'm with ya gococks. My son starts his first school year, and I will be sure to monitor what my son is being taught over the next 14 years. I am not going to inject my opinion into his work, but i will offer my opinion for him to consider. And I am almost positive I will have to correct much of his PC history. He goes to schol to be HELPED(I am equally as responsible as the teacher) to learn the three R's, skills for creative thinking not what to think, and how to formulate an intelligent opinion not to be given one.
August 17, 2009 at 9:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ysillyme (anonymous) says...
congratulations to the P&C staff who select stories for us posters to comment on. Today's selection sucks worse than at any time I have been on these boards. btw, just like changing your underwear is a necessity, so is updating your "Hot Topics". Advertisers are looking, get it now?
August 17, 2009 at 9:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Charleston_21 (anonymous) says...
My friends and I were not brainwashed- and we went to public school!
bill1776, if you are concerned about being brainwashed, maybe your other concern is if you have children, don't send them to SC schools... we're stupid, remember?
And he's worried about brainwashing............
August 17, 2009 at 9:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
YouKnowMe (anonymous) says...
You can always home school......teach your children that there were dinosaurs and people living together (LOL), or that we never made it to the moon (where did all that junk come from) or that he world is flat (don't sail to Europe you'll fall off).
I know people that work year round painting, cleaning, organizing all summer long just to have the schools up and ready for the big first day. I appreciate all that they do.
PS: We should stop paying pro-athletes such huge salaries and should pay police/firemen/teachers those types of salaries. Let's reward the TRUE HEROS!
August 17, 2009 at 10:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nopartisan_noproblem (anonymous) says...
All we have to do is stop watching/attending sports events and they won't get paid jack. I have always felt like they're overpaid, but they get what we pay for.
August 17, 2009 at 10:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ysillyme (anonymous) says...
Youknowme~
And you are the judge of who the real heros are? Your post sounds like you were bar hopping a little too late last night. Stick to sending filthy E-mails to fellow posters.
August 17, 2009 at 10:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Charleston_21 (anonymous) says...
ysillyme:: here is the definition of a hero:
–noun, plural -roes; for 5 also -ros. 1. a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child.
3. the principal male character in a story, play, film, etc.
4. Classical Mythology. a. a being of godlike prowess and beneficence who often came to be honored as a divinity.
b. (in the Homeric period) a warrior-chieftain of special strength, courage, or ability.
c. (in later antiquity) an immortal being; demigod.
I am trying to think of when a football player was helping to protect the community other than the cops...
August 17, 2009 at 12:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
YouKnowMe (anonymous) says...
ysillyme - I tried but something is wrong with the link to e-mail you!
Why don't you and harold go out for a quiet evening alone? I know you would enjoy an intimate moment.
And I would not have e-mailed Harold if he had not e-mailed me an threatened to beat me up. Wow, such a big man threatening to beat up a WOMAN for what she posts on a stupid newspaper blog.
Are you a big man that likes to hit WOMEN for their views?
If you are friends with harold, than I guess you do.
I can define my Heros anyway I want and youaresilly if you think you can change my mind or intimidate me.
August 17, 2009 at 12:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
QueenOfDaTrap (anonymous) says...
ysillyme (anonymous) says...
congratulations to the P&C staff who select stories for us posters to comment on. Today's selection sucks worse than at any time I have been on these boards. btw, just like changing your underwear is a necessity, so is updating your "Hot Topics". Advertisers are looking, get it now?
August 17, 2009 at 9:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
___________________________________________________________________
I agree with you 100 %!!!!!
August 17, 2009 at 3:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bill1776 (anonymous) says...
The founding fathers of this great country of ours the United States of America were Christian. IF CHRIST HAD NOT COME THERE WOULD BE NO UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. That is a fact, not an opinion. When I went to public (government) school I was not taught anything about our CHRISTIAN HERITAGE. I learned it after I got our of government school. If our CHRISTIAN HERITAGE were taught in government school it would be fought tooth and nail by the atheist, ACLU and other anti-Americans. If you love your children you should not send them to government school. May the peace of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be with you.
August 17, 2009 at 4:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
guidedbystewart (anonymous) says...
bill1776 (anonymous) says...
"IF YOU WANT YOUR CHILDREN BRAIN WASHED SEND THEM TO PUBLIC SCHOOL."
August 17, 2009 at 8:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bill1776 (anonymous) says...
"The founding fathers of this great country of ours the United States of America were Christian. IF CHRIST HAD NOT COME THERE WOULD BE NO UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. That is a fact, not an opinion. When I went to public (government) school I was not taught anything about our CHRISTIAN HERITAGE. I learned it after I got our of government school. If our CHRISTIAN HERITAGE were taught in government school it would be fought tooth and nail by the atheist, ACLU and other anti-Americans. If you love your children you should not send them to government school. May the peace of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be with you."
August 17, 2009 at 4:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
The irony of some of these post! There are some real winners today!
August 17, 2009 at 4:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
desspec (anonymous) says...
No irony ... both are true.
August 17, 2009 at 5:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iobriant (Ian O'Briant) says...
Commenting on stories... hmmm....
August 17, 2009 at 5:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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