Maintenance worker Fred Napier scrolls through work orders on his computer in the maintenance shop. Napier said that not only does the maintenance staff have to deal with big things like salting parking lots, but they also have to keep up with the day to day needs of the school in the form of work orders.

The maintenance staff is getting ready for winter. Every year, cold weather brings a multitude of new responsibilities. According to maintenance worker Fred Napier, one of the most pressing issues they dealt with today was clearing the snow that fell last night.

Napier said via email, “We had to come in early 4 a.m. to take care of salting lots. We are in the winter months and keeping the grounds clear of ice and snow is a priority to keep students and staff safe.”

Additionally, Napier said that the cold weather means keeping the schools heating infrastructure working is also at the top of their priority list.

“We focus on keeping the facilities heat up and running to keep all students and staff warm.  Air handlers and boilers are always constantly being checked for optimum performance,” Napier said.

Junior Briana Chen said, “It was really cold outside today and there was snow yesterday so I’m thankful for our maintenance staff who were able to keep the school warm and make sure we were all safe when coming to school.”

Outside of weather, the maintenance staff is also transitioning from fall to winter sports. Napier said that while they still have to keep the stadium ready for the football team, they also have to start getting the different gyms ready for basketball competitions.

Napier said, “Basketball is starting and it is important to make sure all gym lights are working accordingly for games as well as electrical such as scoreboards (and the) time clocks on goals.”

Another sport that practices throughout the winter is swimming.

“(The) swimming pool is always top priority during this time of year also.  It is important that the pool water balance is maintained at all times for the safety of our team and club sports as well as students that use it during the school day,” Napier said.