The Los Angeles Unified School District or LAUSD employs custodians to clean and maintain the more than 1,000 schools and centers in the district. Applicants may choose from two custodial positions: building and grounds workers, and school facilities attendants.

Building and Grounds Workers

Building and grounds workers perform cleaning and maintenance tasks in their assigned area. In school buildings, they might clean and polish floors, scrub walls, replace light bulbs and service soap dispensers, toilet boxes and space heaters. Grounds tasks include sweeping and spraying down blacktop areas, tennis courts and sidewalks; mowing lawns; pruning shrubs; and raising and lowering flags. In addition, they set up rooms for meetings, assist security personnel and secure doors, gates and storage units.

School Facilities Attendants

School facilities attendants clean classrooms, bathrooms, water fountains and locker rooms throughout the school day. They stock supplies such as toilet paper and paper towels, and log a list of supplies that need to be ordered. In addition, they must monitor bathrooms and other areas to prevent vandalism. If the attendant finds vandalism or witnesses inappropriate behavior, she must report it immediately to security personnel or the school plant manager.

Job Requirements

LAUSD requires custodians to have a knowledge of cleaning soaps and detergent and cleaning and sterilization methods. They must be able to recognize and document repair needs and follow both written and oral instructions. Custodians must have a high school diploma or equivalent. Some positions require a valid driver's license. School facilities attendants must also be able to perform basic math to conduct inventories and lift up to 50 pounds. Building and grounds workers must be able to lift up to 100 pounds and operate machinery such as lawn mowers and floor polishing machines. In addition, they must complete a custodial training course or have one year of experience providing cleaning services.

Custodian Salaries

As of 2014, custodian workers with LAUSD earn between $12.05 and $14.92 per hour, depending on experience and time with the district. LAUSD signed a new contract with Service Employees International Union, Local 99, to raise the minimum wage of many workers, including custodians, to $15 per hour. The school district will introduce the pay raise in stages with employees earning the full $15 minimum wage by July 1, 2016.