Every day, hundreds of doors swing open and shut across Carroll County Schools—doors to classrooms, offices, bathrooms, and even the occasional closet. But what happens when one of those doors stops working? That’s the question the Carroll County District Ambassadors recently got to explore
At a recent meeting, Dwayne Smith, the district's Maintenance Director, gave the group a closer look at his department’s behind-the-scenes work. They quickly realized how much effort goes into keeping things running smoothly in just one part of the school system—and the team responsible for it is surprisingly small. Smith’s team consists of just four people: Mark Howard, Kameron Melton, Junie Burgess, and Jeremy Walls. They're aided by secretary Cindy Robbins.
“If we get a call that a door isn’t closing, somebody stops what they’re doing and goes to fix it,” Smith told the ambassadors. “There are a lot of little things involved in our school system as far as doors and safety.”
He also explained that each door has a working machine inside and that machine has to be maintained. Not only do they have to open properly, they have to close properly and meet the Americans With Disabilities Act guidelines.
ADA regulations say it should take five seconds to close the door. “Five seconds is a long time. You could run up behind me and get in the door behind me. We try to keep that as tight as we can, but keep it slow so kids don’t get fingers caught,” Smith said.
The work doesn’t stop there. The four-man maintenance team also manages the hundreds of toilets, sinks, lights, and HVAC systems that keep the district running. They're responsible for everything from mowing athletic fields to maintaining the turf field. Their to-do list is long, and it never seems to end.
“In the 2022-23 school year, we closed 2,728 work orders. That averages to 11 per day. Not too bad for four guys,” Smith said with a smile.
Smith also highlighted some work areas that most would not consider.
Their team has to change the filters in every single room, hallway and closet within the district every three months. It can be a week-long job or it can extend for several more days depending on how many of his team can work on that task.
Monthly playground safety checks to ensure the nuts, bolts and chains are tight, the mulch is in the proper place and that the rubber mats are laying as they should.
Replacing every light bulb in the district with an LED version. This project began in 2020 when school closed during COVID so it was accomplished within a few months. Smith’s team was at work every day during the pandemic. “When we were empty, as far as people were concerned, we got a lot finished. We were here every day,” he said.
The one-woman paint crew of Andria Kyle paints every curb, every line and every handicap spot all new every year.
“It’s like clockwork to watch them work and I’m really proud of the work he does,” said Mark Willhoite, Chief Operations Officer.
The maintenance team may work behind the scenes, but without them, the schools wouldn’t run as smoothly. Their efforts keep everything from doors to playgrounds—and everything in between—in top condition, ensuring a student-centered focus in all schools.