Students may have noticed that there is a new janitor walking the halls of Central High School. The previous janitor, whom students had become accustomed to, left to pursue a job that was more convenient, so Central has welcomed a new member to the building!

It may not seem like an important event, however an alteration in staff is actually a significant thing to for administrators to consider. Anyone who may be looking to pursue a job at Central High School, whether it be a teacher or janitor, is closely evaluated to ensure that they are suitable for work.

“It’s always sad for me to lose somebody that I had gotten accustomed to and closed to, and you always wonder if the new person is going to be what they’re supposed to be, but this gentleman is awesome,” shared Central’s principal, Mr. Finley King.

Many people may not realize how hard it is to clean Central every day. It is a lot of responsibility and requires strenuous work.

“Janitors do [have a lot of responsibility.] Especially our daytime janitor; he’s the only one we have during the day. At night, we have about four that come in and clean the school, but the daytime janitor not only takes care of the cafeteria, but also during the day if there are any spills or if someone gets sick. He also helps me open classroom doors in the morning when substitutes come. Anytime there’s an emergency, he’s there to help, so I rely on that position a lot,” elaborated King.

Richard Owens is our new janitor and is already acclaimed as being a hard-worker and having a great personality. He found out about the job opportunity from his supervisor.

“I started off at Lakeside, and I also worked at East Hamilton. I’m originally from Alabama, but I decided to move to Tennessee,” shared Owens.

Owens had a immediate strong impression of Central’s environment and students, upon his first few days.

“Students might have been surprised that I don’t pick up the trays like Antonio, [the previous janitor], did. I like to see students come into a clean cafeteria and leave it that way as well,” explained Owens. “And it helps them clean up after themselves. It teaches responsibility.”

Central’s students have welcomed the new janitor and have begun to get to know him as well. When you see Mr. Owens around Central High School’s campus, be sure to appreciate his hard work in making the schools environment as clean as it can be.