Unsung heroes

A look at responsibilities of custodial and cafeteria staff of high school

by Riley Coates features editor

5:30 a.m. for most Ladue students means savoring the last hour of rest before getting ready for school. But a couple of miles away from the snoozed alarm clocks and tired yawns, the quiet stillness of Ladue high school is disturbed by lights flickering on. As the school’s unsung heroes, the kitchen manager and the head custodian among them, prepare for the day.

Rick Dent has been the lead custodian at Ladue for four years, prior to that he worked at Reed elementary school for 10 years. Dent has many responsibilities in order to keep the high school operating, it’s almost hard to keep track.

“I come in at 5:30 a.m. and I take off the alarms,” Dent said. “After that I check the building to see if there are any issues that occurred overnight, especially after a hard rain. If a contractor comes to the high school to work on or inspect anything from elevators to building codes they call me to guide them around. I coordinate evening events with the night crew. The custodial staff is also responsible for clearing and salting the sidewalks after it snows.”

The custodial staff is also responsible for any and all events that happen in the school, from banquets to football games to club ceremonies.

“Even though it's January right now, we’re working on something for February,” Dent said. “It’s fun seeing things coming together, I like planning and trying to make sure everything goes as smooth as it can.”

Dent likes to say that “this place never rests,” because there’s always something happening. Behind every event is a team of staffers planning and setting up to make it the best it can be.

“[When there’s] a big event that a lot of people are involved in who have different ideas, and it all comes together and everybody's happy, that's what makes me happy," Dent said. "I like things to go well.”

Unexpected problems can, and probably will, occur every day, but students' have the ability to lessen the workload the custodial staff face through conscientious awareness of the mess they're leaving behind.

“[Students can help by] just picking up after themselves in the lunchroom,” Dent said.

It is owed to the custodial staff that every school day and event runs smoothly, along with all the other staff members who work behind the scenes to allow students to receive their education in the best environment possible.

“It’s not just a job, it’s pride,” Dent said. “We care about the schools. Before, Reed was my school, now this is my school, so I want everything to be right.”

What is the most important part of your job?

Cafeteria staf

Perhaps for many students, this is an everyday occurrence: waiting in the impossibly long sandwich line and asking for the same toppings. Or getting a snack from the stall just outside the cafeteria. Regardless, students are always greeted with a smile and a thank you from familiar faces, but unfamiliar people.

Lisa Green is one of the kitchen managers that has overseen the cafeteria staff for all schools in the district for two years. Being in a leadership position come with countless responsibilities for Green.

“I take care of all the ordering, making sure that production is right for the day, that we have enough staff at all of our schools, not just the high school but all of the schools,” Green says. “Also ensuring that we get staff to where we need to go. Making sure exactly what the menu says is what we're serving you guys and that everyone's following the right guidelines and the nutritional guidelines.” obstacles will arise that the cafeteria staff has to be prepared to tackle.

Since in-person school restarted in the aftermath of the pandemic, short staffing in various areas of the food production industry have created a domino effect that reaches school cafeterias.

“You have to be very flexible in this industry,” Green said. “Because if you're not, things aren't going to get done. There's a routine we follow but not necessarily a time that we follow.”

Lisa Green, staf

“It's been quite trying," Green said. "Not only do we have staffing shortages all over, but we're running into staffing shortages that affect us [which] aren't even necessarily related to working with us. Like our truck companies, where all of our produce and food products come in. Or product isn't coming from overseas because they've stopped production of [various] products.”

Green’s day starts at 5:30 a.m. organizing everything necessary for production that day. Once staff arrives, Green makes sure that all staffers are accounted for. Each day, unexpected

Despite the need for flexibility, the staff of the cafeteria have created a comfortable and inviting environment that stems from their care for the students.

“We love to interact with you guys and watch you guys eat lunch and the interaction between you and your classmates,” Green said. “It's nice to see how relaxed you guys are at lunch and eating the food that we provide — it makes us happy.”

As hard as the staff works to put students at ease during lunch, the sentiment should go both ways. There are simple ways to make lunch periods easier for the staff in return.

“The main thing is just listening in line,” Green said. “[Not] horseplaying with each other, you know, the line would move faster if everyone could stay in line and listen. But it's exciting, I get it.”