Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Cintas Recognizes Excellence among School Janitors with Nationwide Contest

  • 01/30/17

Cincinnati, Ohio – Do you know a school janitor who goes above and beyond each and every day for students and staff? Starting today, Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ: CTAS) is accepting nominations for its fourth annual Janitor of the Year contest that recognizes the best-of-the-best amongst school janitors and custodians. Nominations for the $10,000 prize package will be accepted online at www.cintas.com/JOTY through March 1, 2017. Created to shine a spotlight on their hard work and dedication, the contest will award $5,000 to the winning janitor and $5,000 in Cintas and Rubbermaid Commercial products and services to the winning janitor’s school. A $500 cash prize will be awarded to all additional top nine finalists.

“Imagine a school year with no winter or summer breaks and no summer vacation – that’s the life of school janitors and custodians,” said John Engel, Director of Marketing, Cintas. “Often the first to arrive and the last to leave, school janitors work tirelessly year-round to make sure the school environment is a clean and safe place for students, teachers and staff.”

After nearly 500,000 votes were tabulated following last year’s contest, Jerome Lewis of Crestline Elementary in Birmingham, Ala. was crowned the 2016 Janitor of the Year. Described by one student as “a breath of fresh air even when the day stinks,” Jerome captured the hearts of his community as well as nearly 30 percent of the votes.

Cintas’ Janitor of the Year contest is open to all elementary, middle, high school and university janitors and custodians who have worked at their school for at least two years. Nominations must be 500 words or less on why the nominee is deserving of the award.

As a premier sponsor in this year’s contest, Rubbermaid Commercial Products’ Divisional CEO Mike Halak said, “Rubbermaid Commercial Products is proud to partner with Cintas to recognize the Janitor of the Year. We know school janitors play a crucial role in providing a clean and safe environment for students, faculty, and visitors. RCP is committed to delivering solutions that make the cleaning process easier, safer and more efficient.”

The deadline for Janitor of the Year nominations is Mar. 1, 2017. The top 10 finalists will be announced on Mar. 15, at which time the public will be asked to vote for their favorite through Apr. 14. The finalist receiving the most votes will be crowned Janitor of the Year.

Featured

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.

  • Montclair State University Starts Construction on $120M STEM Building

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $120-million Interdisciplinary Science Building, according to university news. The university partnered with HoK Architects for the project’s design, and it’s scheduled to open in time for the 2028–29 academic year.

  • Classical building columns display digital data streams

    The Campus Nervous System: Why Facilities Risk Is Now a Leadership Issue in Higher Education

    Facility performance now intersects with safety, compliance, on-campus experience, institutional reputation, and financial resilience. That places it firmly on the leadership agenda.

  • GeoCam and UCLA: Modernizing Campus Accessibility Mapping

    In early 2025, UCLA partnered with GeoCam to capture and modernize its pedestrian infrastructure data. The goal was ambitious but clear: to produce a high-accuracy, imagery-backed digital map of every sidewalk, pathway, ramp, and ADA-related feature on UCLA’s 419-acre campus.