Rick Casto, head custodian at Buffalo High School, has been named Putnam County Schools' Service Employee of the Year. He was chosen from among six service employees who were selected by their peers as outstanding employees.

Casto has been a Putnam County Schools employee since 1985, when he was hired as a substitute custodian. Since then, he served a short stint as a school cook and worked as a custodian in several elementary schools before assuming the head custodian position at Buffalo High. In the summers, Casto works on the summer maintenance crew, performing roof repair.

As part of his duties, Casto has received numerous trainings in building maintenance and safety, health and first aid, and emergency preparedness. He also holds membership in several committees and organizations within the school system, showing his deep commitment to school system improvement. He is a member of the Buffalo High School Safety Committee and the Buffalo High School Improvement Council, which is responsible for analyzing student achievement data and developing a strategic plan for improvement. When he worked at Hometown Elementary, Casto served as a Read Aloud classroom volunteer as well as a member of the school Safety Committee. He has been a member of the Putnam County School Service Personnel Continuing Education Council for three years and a member of the West Virginia School Service Personnel Association for eighteen years.

When he sums up his contributions to the school system, Casto focuses on his commitment to helping others. "I always try to let all personnel and students at my school know that I am there for them... I want them to know they can rely on me," he says. "I always try to go above and beyond my job description, knowing it will make my school a better place," he adds.

Being a role model and friend to students is an important aspect of Casto’s commitment to Putnam County Schools. "One of the greatest compliments to me is to have a student come up to me at Wal-Mart or the grocery store and say they remember me," states Casto.

Casto will be formally recognized along with the Teacher and Administrator of the Year by the Superintendent and the Board of Education at a board meeting in September.