Aug. 28, 2023 10p
(WGTD)---A couple of concrete slabs at a Kenosha elementary school have become symbols of caring.
Jeffrey Elementary school custodian J.T. Mecozzi said he and a colleague, Rachel Dickey, were bothered by the fact that Jeffrey students had to get on and off of school buses from an unpaved parkway. "During rainy days they'd be walking through muddy, wet grass, possibly slipping. Then in the winter time everything would freeze over--piled over with snow and ice," Mecozzi said. "So they had no safe way of getting on and off the busses that way."
After being told there was no money in the budget to fix the problem, Mecozzi and Dickey took matters into their own hands.
They sold scrap metal from a summertime school construction project, lined up a cement contractor who was willing to pour the cement at a reduced cost and then worked with city hall on permitting and design issues.
The freshly-poured cement landing pads turned into a welcome-back surprise for school staff on their first full workday of the new school year Monday.
KUSD Superintendent Jeffrey Weiss was on hand to personally thank the custodians. "Thank you so much for going above and beyond and doing this for our kids and doing this for our community," Weiss said. "I really appreciate it."
School staff were on hand to participate in the informal dedication and applauded the custodians.
Jeffrey Elementary is located on Kenosha’s south side off of 39th Ave.
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