Substitute Custodian

Position Type:
Maintenance/Custodial

Date Posted:
8/7/2025

Location:
Oak Park Elementary School District 97


Date Available:
SY25-26
Substitute Custodian

Revised September 2025

Mid Shift (11:00 am - 7:00 pm, Monday - Friday)
Night Shift (2:30 pm - 10:30 pm or 3 pm - 11pm Monday - Friday
*Location / Hours can vary and may be changed at any given time

Perm/contract:

SY25-26

Department:

Building & Grounds

FLSA Status:

Non-exempt

Reports to:

Senior Director of Building & Grounds

Primary Reporting Location:

Assigned School Building

Level:

Compensation:

$19.55/hr

Date Available:

SY25-26

Bargaining Unit & Classification:

N/A

Supervisory Responsibilities:

None

D97 Ideal Team Member Profile

• The ideal team member in District 97 is a visionary and equity-centered leader who inspires excellence and fosters collective responsibility for student success. This individual:
  • Champions the district's vision and drives forward-thinking, innovative practices that anticipate future educational needs.
  • Stewards public trust and resources with fiscal responsibility and ethical transparency.
  • Demonstrates relentless commitment to student success, ensuring that every decision supports equitable opportunities and outcomes for all learners.
  • Organizes and empowers teams to work collaboratively toward shared goals, recognizing the interdependence of roles across departments and schools.
  • Fosters a culture of care, learning, and service, grounded in authentic engagement with students, families, staff, and community members.
  • Models integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality, serving as a role model for ethical and respectful conduct at all levels.
  • Thrives in a culturally, racially, and linguistically diverse environment, showing a deep passion for inclusive practices and building belonging for all team members.
  • Seeks and embraces feedback, especially when it challenges them to grow and improve in service of students and colleagues.
  • Understands the powerful intersection of leadership, learning, and equity, and aligns their work to dismantle systemic barriers.
  • Courageously addresses unprofessional behavior, holding self and others accountable to high standards in service to the community and students.

About the Role

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Director of Buildings & Grounds and Engineer at school level, the Substitute Custodian performs general cleaning and maintenance in school buildings. As a key member of the district's building and grounds department, the Substitute Custodian maintains equipment in functional condition; and provides cleaning and custodial assistance to students, teachers, visitors and others as necessary.

The Substitute Custodian position will ensure that equity is at the center of the district's building & grounds services to positively impact student learning and employee practices as expressed in Board Policy 7:12: Ensuring Racial and Educational Equity.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Checks and secures building at beginning and end of shift for the purpose of ensuring the safety and cleanliness of the building.
• Cleans rooms, hallways, cafeterias, restrooms, offices, stairways, and other areas of building according to school district standards.
• Sweeps, mops, buffs, strips, and waxes floors.
• Cleans rugs, carpets, upholstered furniture, and blinds.
• Washes and dusts walls, ceilings, woodwork, windows, doors, and sills.
• Removes graffiti, cleans glass areas.
• Replaces light bulbs.
• Sets up and breaks down chairs, tables and equipment in meeting rooms, and functional rooms
• Clears snow from entrances and walks, and spreads sand and ice melting chemicals.
• Performs grounds-keeping duties, clears debris and maintains grounds as needed.
• Receives deliveries and assists in unloading trucks and storing supplies.
• Delivers supplies and materials to classrooms, bathrooms and other areas of the building.
• Empties wastebaskets; picks up and removes trash and assists in recycling programs.
• Reasonable knowledge of cleaning equipment and techniques
• Fluency in reading, speaking, and interpreting English
• Must be able to lift, carry, push, and pull over 50 pounds
• Possess good human relations skills
• Can understand and be willing to perform directions provided orally and in writing
• Assists parents and other visitors to school buildings with special events and programs
• Performs other related tasks as assigned by supervisor.

Note: The above description is illustrative of tasks and responsibilities. It is not meant to be all inclusive of every task or responsibility.

Content Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge Of:
  • Proper cleaning techniques and sanitation standards for schools, including use of cleaning agents, disinfectants, and custodial equipment
  • Safe operation and routine maintenance of custodial tools and machinery (e.g., buffers, vacuums, carpet cleaners, snow blowers)
  • Basic safety procedures related to facility cleaning, lifting, snow/ice removal, and chemical use
  • School district expectations and procedures for custodial, groundskeeping, and building maintenance
• Skilled In:
  • Operating, adjusting, and maintaining cleaning equipment and tools
  • Cleaning and maintaining various surfaces (e.g., tile, wood, carpet, upholstery, glass, metal)
  • Floor care procedures including sweeping, mopping, buffing, stripping, and waxing
  • Performing minor maintenance tasks such as light bulb replacement and graffiti removal
  • Snow and ice removal using manual tools and applying melting agents safely
  • Loading, unloading, and delivering materials, supplies, and equipment safely
  • Interacting respectfully and helpfully with staff, students, visitors, and parents
• Ability To:
  • Follow written and verbal directions and safety instructions with minimal supervision
  • Maintain confidentiality, professionalism, and a customer-service orientation in a school setting
  • Prioritize tasks and respond promptly to urgent custodial or safety needs
  • Lift, carry, push, and pull objects weighing over 50 pounds on a regular basis
  • Work both indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions
  • Perform assigned duties with accuracy, reliability, and attention to detail
  • Assist with special school events, including room setup, crowd assistance, and cleanup

Candidate Qualifications:

• High School Diploma

Physical Requirements:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and depth perception.

The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Apply through Frontline:

Applications are currently being accepted for this position via our district website . Please reach out to our human resources department at View email address on click.appcast.io, if you have questions about the application process.

We encourage interested applicants to apply, as we continue to uplift our equity policy. Our goal is to recruit, employ, support, and retain racially and linguistically diverse and culturally competent administrative, instructional and support personnel. Oak Park Elementary School District 97 is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

The mental demands, physical demands, and work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to allow an employee with disabilities to perform the essential functions.