Photo courtesy of D.C. Public Schools

D.C. Public Schools has awarded a custodian with a “staff member of the year” award.

Burt Lancaster learned that he’d received the 2016 Standing Ovation recognition at a ceremony last Thursday at Anne Beers Elementary School in Southeast. He’ll be honored again at system-wide celebration in March.

Lancaster is a Custodial Foreman who is responsible for making sure the school is open on time and “in a ready condition that makes the environment suitable for students, parents, and staff,” according to a statement from DCPS.

“He is a very caring person and he genuinely cares about the welfare of our children and staff that he will do whatever it takes to make our jobs easier,” Anne Beers’ principal Gwen Payton told WUSA 9. She said he’s usually up by 4 a.m. to prepare his team as well as train new hires for the entire school system.

Lancaster has worked at Anne Beers for 17 years and he’s been employed with DCPS for nearly 30 years. He told WUSA that it’s all worth it to “see the kids smile at the end of the day and when you walk in in the mornings.”

Outside of school, Lancaster trains, mentors, and coaches youth on how to interview for entry-level custodial positions, according to DCPS. In the community, he serves in his church and often helps people struggling with drug addictions and homelessness.

Lancaster graduated from HD Woodson High School. He’s married and has four children.

Along with 28 DCPS teachers, administrators, staff, and students, he’ll be honored at the annual Standing Ovation for D.C. Public Schools ceremony at the Kennedy Center on March 13. The award, which is presented by DCPS and the DC Public Education Fund, comes with a cash prize.

This is the second time that the “staff member of the year” category has existed. Last year, it went to Phallon Lattimore, director of school strategy and logistics at Marie Reed Elementary School.