With around 840 students and about 70 staff members and teachers, there is a lot that goes behind cleaning and fixing the school’s building when it is in poor condition. Tom Wright is the one who is first called almost every time a staff member needs help. He has been in this building for 28 years and in the district for 32 years. Wright was recently out for a long stretch of time because of an injury.

“I had foot surgery and I took that long to get back on my feet again,” Wright said. He was out for 12 weeks recovering. He said that he’s glad to be back and be active.

“It feels good to be able to be back, and being back has kind of helped me out, my foot has gotten better since and I’ve gotten better at walking on it,” Wright said. 

Social studies teacher Mike Freeman, and one of Wright’s close friends, believes Wright is a great asset to this school.

“He’s up here all the time trying to do everything. He’s a jack of all trades, definitely,” Freeman said. They have been friends for decades now.

“Twenty-two years ago we met. For the past 20 years, we’re the first people in the building everyday,” Freeman said. 

Communication Arts teacher Tori Ramsey, definitely enjoys having Wright in the building.

“It was strange not to see him around the building and several times I caught myself going to send him a message or going to say something to someone else about him and realized he wasn’t here,” Ramsey said. She emphasized how important Wright and our other custodians are all together.

“Oh, crazy important. Of course, any staff member is needed to make things run, but Tom and Mike especially are massively important to how the building gets along and how it looks, and whether we can be here at all on many days. Without him and the work that they do, it would be terrible,” Ramsey said.