US school renamed after custodian

A Missouri K-8 school was debating long and hard over what to rename their school, Report informs via the Good News Network.

The decision-makers could have picked any number of famous Missouri natives, or perhaps a national figure that would inspire the kids to strive for similar achievement and recognition.

But no; in the end they picked the person they all decided meant the most to them: Claudene Wilson, the school custodian.

The 64-year-old has been at the Swedeborg District III Elementary School for decades, working not only as a custodian-janitor, but plumber, landscaper, school bus driver, in cafeteria service, and even as a greeter for the kids when they arrive at school.

At a certain point, she told CBS News’ ‘On the Road’ with Steve Hartman, she would be working 13-hour days.

Why did she tolerate such long hours?

“The kids,” she said.

The school board, led by President Chuck Boren, voted unanimously over the summer to designate the school as the Claudene Wilson Learning Center. Boren was in the school’s 8th grade class when Wilson started working there. His son Canaan, now 14, spent his whole childhood learning the same lessons from Wilson that Boren did.

“That’s what makes Claudene what she is,” Boren told CBS. “…These kids get sick, you think they go to the nurse to start with? They go to her. If they had a bad night, they go to her. And she’s there for each and every one of them.”