Without a permanent custodian to watch over them, some cleaning crews leave their work undone, principals say.
Some custodians have been able to earn an extra $40,000 a year to oversee the maintenance of schools without a regular custodian, an assignment that does not require them to work extra hours.
In Community School District 5 in Manhattan, three schools have been without a permanent custodian for more than three years, officials said, and one that has been without reliable daily service for two and a half years.
Gail Baptiste, the principal of Intermediate School 308 in Brooklyn, said her school had gone more than three years without a permanent custodian, which means that Dr. Baptiste herself has to keep the staff of four custodial assistants and one boiler room worker in line.
Those schools were under what is called "temporary care management," meaning they were without a permanent, full-time union custodial supervisor, known as a custodian engineer.
"Just be a custodian of the moment.
It must be held at a custodian.
He portrayed himself as a "custodian".
I am more of a custodian.
You're just a custodian of it.
