LYNNFIELD — When the summer starts for the students, the custodial staff and Department of Public Works team begin their around-the-clock summer maintenance of the public schools, Facilities Superintendent Chris Rais said.
Every school’s custodial staff does the same regular maintenance in the building, he said. The biggest project is stripping the tiles and waxing the floors throughout the entire school, including classrooms and hallways.
“This is also the biggest time of the year where we’re doing all our projects… We really can’t do it when students are in session.” Rais said.
In addition to the routine summer-maintenance work, Lynnfield High School underwent two major projects over the summer, he said.
In the auditorium, the seats were reupholstered and the carpets were replaced, Rais said. The seats cost approximately $90,000 and the rugs $5,000, which were both Capital Projects from the town.
The largest project across the schools for the summer was the new gymnasiums at the high school and middle school, which costs approximately $45,000, Rais said.
At the high school, the floor gymnasium was refinished and repainted, the basketball backboards were replaced and made to be retractable, the banners were redone and reorganized, and minor paint and electrical touch-ups were made, he said.
“Pretty close to a brand new gym,” Rais said.
LHS Principal Patricia Puglisi said the project was supposed to be done last summer, but was pushed back to this summer because of supply issues.
She said the custodial staff at the high school make sure students “walk into a welcoming environment every day” during the school year, taking care of the nearly 40 classrooms, plus office spaces and specialty learning spaces.
The staff also works all summer to make sure the students come back to a clean environment at the beginning of the school year.
“It’s important for kids to come back to an environment that’s welcoming,” Puglisi said. “When the facility is clean, then they want to keep it that way and they show far more respect within the community.”
At Huckleberry Hill School, Rais said the custodial staff and Department of Public Works refurbished one of the school’s courtyards.
Rais and HHS Principal Lauren King, who is entering her first school year at the school, said the space can be used for outdoor learning.
Teachers used to take advantage of the courtyard for outdoor learning, but stopped when the upkeep went down and it became overgrown, King said.
“This is going to be a great opportunity,” she said. “There’s a real push for project-based learning, which is real-life experiences and really learning within your environment and making those connections more meaningful.”
She said starting off the school year with clean facilities is “incredibly important” to everyone.
“It’s the first impression that the kiddos get. It’s the first impression that the families get.” King said. “It builds excitement with the teachers and if it’s all clean and prepared and ready for the students and the staff, then learning can start immediately. And that’s the goal.”
The custodial team and the teachers, who come in earlier than needed over the summer, are who truly help get the facilities ready for the school year, she said.
Rais lives in Saugus and began working as the facilities superintendent in July.
He said schools are “where the future begins,” and constant maintenance of the buildings helps with overall education and the longevity of the facilities.
“I understand now why people want to raise their families and have their children go to school here. Because the facilities are well taken care of. They always have been.” Rais said.
