MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — As schools prepare to reopen, they're trying to fill some much-needed job openings. For one, many school districts need custodians.
Especially in light of the coronavirus, sanitation is one of their top priorities. But with extra cleaning, comes with extra costs.
"We will be utilizing new technology to ensure we have the cleanest, safest schools possible and I think parents will be very impressed,” said Deputy Superintendent of Operations for Manatee Schools Doug Wagner.
The Manatee County School District, just like so many others, are figuring out new ways to clean and new tools to use in order to protect your children and keep the virus in check.
But it's costing big bucks.
"We anticipate that there's going to be tremendous additional costs to run our in-person schools this year,” said Stephen Hegarty with Pasco County Schools. "We are spending money on signs, we are spending money on masks, we are spending money on hand sanitizer."
A lot of the districts tell me it's hard to pinpoint how much more money they'll have to spend.
Pinellas County is estimating around $2 million to go toward additional cleaning supplies, equipment and personnel.
Although some of the money will come straight out-of-pocket, schools are getting some help.
“There were millions of dollars put out in CARES money to help district to handle some of those additional costs,” Hegarty said.
This is the breakdown of money coming from the state.
More than $80 million will be given to Florida VPK's to help cover reopening costs.
For K-12, school districts will get reimbursed for some of their spending.
“We have to be able to work with what we have,” Wagner said.
That seems to be the motto for schools this year. Not only when it comes to money, but staff.
Hillsborough County has 62 openings for school custodians. Pasco and Polk county need around 30 and Sarasota has 67 open positions.
Schools say it's critical to fill those positions because there will be a lot more cleaning and sanitizing this year.
“What we are doing this year is going to be above and beyond what we've done in the past,” Hegarty said.
“So if someone here has been a custodian for the last 5 to 10 years well there's going to have to be some additional training because it's not going to look exactly like it did last year it may look very very different,” Hegarty said.
If these positions are not filled in time for the start of school districts will make due with what they have.
The Deputy Superintendent Wagner says he also has children in the school system and feels confident that he's sending them back to a safe and clean school.
If you want to apply for a custodial opening at one of our local schools you can find those on the district's website.
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