David Scarmardo – Glen Ellyn School District 41

David Scarmardo understands that a school district’s most important work often happens quietly. Classrooms open on time. Floors shine. Heating systems run through cold Midwest mornings. Technology connects instantly for students who arrive with Chromebooks rather than notebooks. None of this happens by accident. It is the product of planning, maintenance, and coordination that begins long before the first bell rings.

As executive director of buildings and grounds for Glen Ellyn School District 41 in Illinois, Scarmardo leads a 32-member facilities and custodial team responsible for maintaining six schools and one administration building. The work spans everything from regulatory compliance and mechanical systems to capital construction and long-term infrastructure planning. Each year his team prepares buildings that serve more than 3,000 students and hundreds of educators, ensuring that the district’s physical environment supports learning as effectively as the curriculum itself.

Behind the scenes, the work is constant. Summer construction projects worth between $1.5 million and $2 million must be completed in a narrow window. Daily maintenance requires close monitoring of heating, cooling, lighting, and safety systems. Major initiatives such as the new Churchill Kindergarten Center add another layer of complexity.

Planning for the year before it begins

The department’s most intense period begins as soon as the academic year ends. June marks the transition from closing one school year to preparing for the next. Classrooms must be emptied and deep-cleaned. Floors are stripped and refinished. HVAC filters are replaced, safety equipment is inspected, and playgrounds and gymnasiums undergo detailed reviews.

At the same time, district buildings remain active community hubs. Summer camps, YMCA programs, and theater groups rely on the same spaces that maintenance teams are preparing for August.

“June is really when our summer season starts, and it’s a sprint,” Scarmardo says. “We’re transitioning out of one school year while trying to get everything ready for the next one.”

Managing that transition requires careful coordination across dozens of moving parts. Contractors work alongside custodians and maintenance staff. Projects must meet strict inspection standards from the regional office of education, and timelines are tight.

“The bathrooms are clean, the floors are shiny, and the lights are on because someone worked late the night before,” he says. “Those behind-the-scenes efforts make the first day of school feel right.”

Creating safe & reliable learning environments

Daily operations extend far beyond cleaning and repairs. Student and staff safety sits at the center of the facilities mission. Mechanical systems must operate reliably through Illinois winters and humid summers. Security systems must remain functional, and compliance with building codes requires constant oversight.

Preventive maintenance reduces risk and avoids disruptions to the school day. Regular inspections of heating systems, electrical infrastructure, and equipment allow the team to catch problems early.

Educational environments also evolve rapidly as technology changes. District 41 has shifted to one-to-one computing, providing every student with a Chromebook and requiring major upgrades to the district’s digital infrastructure.

“Every student now has a Chromebook, and the buildings have to support that,” Scarmardo says. “The infrastructure behind the walls has changed dramatically.”

Computer labs, once common in schools, have been removed as mobile technology has become standard. Libraries expanded into the reclaimed space, while wiring and fiber networks were upgraded to handle increasing data traffic. At one junior high school, the district recently replaced fiber cables to ensure the network could keep up with classroom demand.

Technology improvements are part of a broader five-year capital improvement plan developed with school principals to maintain fairness across the district’s buildings.

“We want an equitable environment for every school,” Scarmardo says. “Not every building can get a new roof at the same time, but we work hard to spread improvements fairly.”

The Churchill Kindergarten Center

Among the district’s recent initiatives, the Churchill Kindergarten Center represents a defining project for both the facilities department and the community. Illinois’ move to require full-day kindergarten prompted District 41 to rethink how it served its youngest students.

For years, the district offered only half-day programming. As discussions about the statewide requirement intensified, Scarmardo and district leaders began planning a facility to accommodate the new model.

“We had about two years of hearing rumblings that the state was going to require full-day kindergarten,” he says. “That gave us time to start planning and thinking about how we would adapt.”

The result is a 35,000-square-foot addition to Churchill Elementary School, which opened with 12 classrooms designed specifically for kindergarten students. Ten of those classrooms were filled during the first year, with additional space reserved for future growth.

Each classroom measures roughly 1,000 square feet and shares a “Jack and Jill” bathroom with an adjacent room, creating convenient access for students while maintaining supervision. A second-floor flex space allows the district to convert areas into additional classrooms if enrollment rises.

“If numbers surge, we can put up a couple of walls and create additional classrooms,” Scarmardo says. “We built the infrastructure so the building can evolve.”

Cabling, wiring, and adjustable furniture were incorporated into the design to accommodate future technology and learning styles. The building reflects the adaptability that modern education demands.

The project also demonstrated the coordination required from the district’s facilities team as they worked with architects, contractors, teachers, and administrators to deliver a space centered on student needs.

Leading through service & community

Scarmardo’s approach to facilities leadership is shaped by a career that began in landscaping before moving into public service. He spent fourteen years with the Glen Ellyn Park District, eventually serving as superintendent of parks before joining School District 41 in 2012.

The transition felt natural. Parks and schools share a similar mission of creating safe, welcoming environments for children and families.

“There are a lot of similarities between parks and schools,” Scarmardo says. “You’re creating spaces where kids and families can enjoy themselves.”

That perspective shapes how he views his department’s work. Custodians and maintenance technicians often operate behind the scenes, yet their efforts determine how students and teachers experience each school day.

“Our people are the ones who make everything work,” he says. “They don’t always get recognition, but they care deeply about the buildings and the students.”

Moments with students often reinforce the value of that work. During construction at the kindergarten center, one young visitor eagerly asked to measure spaces with Scarmardo’s tape measure and later helped make repairs in the nurse’s office.

Experiences like that remind him that facilities work touches the daily lives of the community in small but meaningful ways.

As Glen Ellyn School District 41 continues investing in its infrastructure, the facilities department remains focused on maintaining safe, adaptable learning environments. From summer maintenance cycles to projects like the Churchill Kindergarten Center, the team’s work quietly supports every school day that follows.