Chicago Public Schools Celebrates National Custodian Appreciation Day 2026

• Older

CHICAGO- A successful learning environment begins with a safe, clean and welcoming school and today Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is recognizing those integral to ensuring an environment conducive to teaching and learning - the more than 2,000 CPS custodians.

"We know that these dedicated employees do more than keep our schools clean," said CPS Superintendent/CEO Dr. Macquline King. "They are often the steady, familiar presence that our students and staff come to know and trust and we're so grateful for their many contributions to elevating each school's culture and climate."

In a District with more than 620 schools that are, on average, 86 years old, CPS is proud to honor the custodial staff every day and in particular on National Custodian Appreciation Day.

CPS custodians played an integral role in streamlining the District's facility management.

Since September 30, 2025, CPS has directly managed all custodial services.
The move allows the District to streamline operations, iImprove oversight and service quality at every school.

Custodians are valued collaborators when it comes to continuous improvement within school buildings. Last year, CPS Facilities leadership conducted a survey as a deliberate self-evaluation, and as an opportunity to gather direct feedback from principals and custodians during the early stages of the transition to resuming direct management over custodians. The results - including findings that a number of principals and custodians reported challenges with staffing levels and workload - were taken seriously and informed concrete operational changes.

Those findings directly drove two rounds of shift adjustments made in partnership with school principals during the school year. To maximize impact and ensure coverage when staff and students are present, the District made changes to the custodian schedule to maximize efficiency during day and evening shifts across all schools.

The District views this kind of structured feedback as an essential tool for ongoing assessment, and remains committed to exploring staffing models and operational approaches that meet the needs of school communities while remaining compliant with the collective bargaining agreement with the labor union that represents custodians, SEIU Local 73.

Since the implementation, the District has experienced improved operational efficiency and greater consistency in service delivery. In addition, the transition has fostered a stronger connection between custodial staff and the school communities they serve, as all employees now operate under a unified District structure.

During the Summer months, the Facilities team deep cleaned 47,532 spaces including:

• More than 8,900 restrooms
• More than 1,000 Pre-K classrooms
• More than 19,000 classrooms

In July 2026, the District's custodians were honored at a ceremony called the "Champions Club," where District officials in conjunction with facility management platform Crowd Comfort, recognized CPS custodians for "outstanding dedication and commitment to maintaining high standards across Chicago Public Schools.

"Crowd Comfort provides real-time cleaning data and insights enabling facility leaders to make timely, data-driven decisions that improve efficiency, and service delivery, across all facilities.

This alignment has helped reinforce a sense of pride in their work, a shared commitment to creating environments that support student success, and a stronger sense of belonging within the broader school community.

These efforts align with Success 2029: Together We Rise, CPS's five-year strategic plan to deliver equitable, high-quality learning experiences for every student.

"Engaging our custodians in the District-wide caretaking of facilities ensures students have a space in which they can thrive and ultimately elevates our schools," said CPS Chief Operating Officer Charles Mayfield. "Honoring their accomplishments and achievements during National Custodian Appreciation Day and beyond is the least we can do."For more information regarding District facilities, visit the CPS website: https://www.cps.edu/about/departments/facilities-department/.