Re: How supportive is your school janitor?
 

Our Janitors are in between, as long as we don't make a mess or anything bad.

However..

One day during build season we wanted to go get some pizza, we got about $50 to spend, but delivery cost $7 and it was raining. we wouldn't send the mutant electric scooter we built for that purpose (pizza box holder and all) out in the rain. One of our guys managed to sweettalk one of our janitors to go and pick up the pizza for us in his car... it was amazing!
Also, we fixed anouther janitor's motorcycle lights because he asked us to, it was an easy job. We did it to keep on his good side, but he gave us $30 for it, mind you he would have paid much more at a repairshop, but he didn't need to give us anything.

Re: How supportive is your school janitor?
 

We are a school of less than 600 so our team members know our custodians.

They are wonderful people and very helpful. The Ohio Association of Public School Employee (OAPSE) was a MAJOR financial sponsor of our team for 3 years thanks to Joanne Johntonny, President.

They support our fundraisers and are flexible when they find out, at the last minute, that we have an assembly, or career fair planned, or media event, and we need the bleachers out (or in) and the tarp on the gym floor and the podiums and the microphones, or the carpet vacuumed because the TV station is coming at 5 a.m. Monday to do a live shot!
We try to let them know in advance, but even when we don't, it gets done and we love them for that!

We have our own entry to the building and don't go in the rest of the school or set off the alarm (mostly), so we're lucky there!

Because we clean our own mess (mostly) and put big stuff in the dumpster ourselves, we can work when they're not there and come and go as we please. That's a plus and a big thank you to them.

I think they realize what an awesome experience FIRST is and even though, by union contract, they could insist that they must be there when we are (and who on Earth would want to work those hours anyway, especially at last minute notice!?), they also realize and respect that what we do benefits the students (and if they were there, our team members would be paying their wages, not us).

So, we have a great relationship with them and love them all for all that they do to support us!