A couple of weeks ago, I presented the School Board’s Draft Funding Request for 2021-22. The slide presentation and budget book materials are available to view on our 2021-22 Budget Development web page. We have been working with the Board since then to continue to refine the funding request. I am very much enjoying sharing an employee highlight from the February 18 presentation with you each week. I am so proud of all of our ACPS employees! The employees I am highlighting represent the best in all of us in working with our students, families, and each other.

Ben began his journey with ACPS in 2014 after emigrating to the U.S. from Ghana. Having been a high school math teacher in Ghana, Ben knew he wanted to find a position serving schools here in the U.S., and we are so fortunate to have him on our team.

As a Custodial Supervisor, Ben oversees custodial functions at eight of our schools, which is already a monumental task in a typical school year. This year, Ben and his staff have had to make major adjustments to keep schools clean and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ben and his crew of custodians open their schools at 6:30 each morning in order to spray every nook and cranny of the building with sanitizer. Their top priority each day as they carry out our cleaning and disinfecting protocols is to ensure that students have a safe and clean environment in which to learn.

The vital work of our custodial crews is at the core of our school division’s ability to offer high-quality teaching and learning, now more than ever. When we spoke with him in advance of this presentation, Ben said, “Our employees are the only asset we have.”

Yes. Our employees certainly are our most valuable asset. Thank you, Ben!