Every inch of FHC’s building requires care, and after Mr. Jeff Tolar left last semester, the infamous Matt Inman traded in his bus keys for the head custodian job and has been working to keep our high school running smoothly ever since. 

Mr. Inman has been driving buses in the Forest Hills district for the past eight years. He primarily drove for FHC, which means many students in the building have known him for years and watched him become a household name. Although the transition from driving buses to managing the whole FHC cleaning crew has been big, nothing is stopping him from working hard to help out staff and students alike. 

“I have been in the district for eight years as a bus driver, and then during the summer, I would work with the maintenance department on the buildings and grounds,” Mr. Inman said. 

As Mr. Inman has racked up more and more hours as head custodian, his impact on FHC has blossomed into something special. Even some of the staff members, like Mr. Brad Anderson, have noticed just how good of a job he has done. 

“Matt has worked in our building for years and helped out in the cafeteria and in other aspects. He’s also worked with transportation and has been a loyal FHPS employee for many years,” Mr. Anderson said. “He knows the district and will be able to transition into the leadership role in our building nicely.”

Central’s old custodian, Jeff Tolar, left to go back to FHN at the end of last semester and made sure that Mr. Inman had everything ready for him to take on the job to keep our building in tip-top shape. 

“It has been really nice,” Mr. Inman said. “Mr. Tolar, before he left, had everything pretty well in shape, and then I had a couple of weeks for Christmas and days off; I have still been able to keep up, which has been really good.”

On top of taking care of the building, Mr. Inman has been reconnecting with the people and students he has known for years and building relationships more than ever. 

“I have a great team to work with, and they do a great job. I have always liked the students, and many of them I have had on my bus over the past eight years because I have always driven out of Central; it is great seeing a bunch of familiar faces walking down the halls,” Mr. Inman said. 

Mr. Inman might be new to the building, but he has known some of the staff for years and has built upon his existing relationships with people.

“I have known Matt Inman since the mid-1990s. He was a really good wrestler at Lowell high school, and our teams were rivals. He wrestled some of the guys I looked up to at FHC and had some great battles,” Mr. Anderson said. “The wrestling community is a small world, and FHC and Lowell in the 90s crossed paths many times.”

Knowing Mr. Inman for years, Mr. Anderson knows how hard of a worker the fellow wrestler is and how it translates to everything he does. 

“Matt has an incredible work ethic and is the guy who gets things done,” Mr. Anderson said. “He’s got an upbeat and positive attitude, and I know he’s going to be a great addition to Ranger Country.”

Not only did Mr. Anderson recognize Mr. Inman for his work, but Mr. Anthony Sultini also highlighted how he had done an amazing job jumping into the fire and testing the waters.

“So far from what I have seen and heard from other people, Mr. Inman is doing a fantastic job,” Mr. Sultini said. “The one time I emailed him, he was just like Mr. Tolar; he got back to me right away, which is always comforting knowing that he is extremely busy but still gets back to you as soon as possible and doesn’t leave you hanging in the balance.”

Just like Mr. Tolar as well, Mr. Inman keeps his word and delivers well-done work in a timely fashion that has significantly helped staff members when they are in a pinch; his hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed and is greatly appreciated.

“As soon as I went outside and saw that he had taken care of the issue that I emailed him about, I noticed how he wasn’t delaying or giving words to give words. He is doing a great job,” Mr. Sultini said. 

Matt Inman has continued to help FHC’s building and students and has adapted to his job well despite being new to some of the parts of the job. He is appreciated by all, and no gesture of his has gone unseen. With the Ranger’s future looking up, it is only a matter of time until Mr. Inman gets the credit he deserves—credit that he deserves for getting his hands dirty and always showing up to work with a determined mindset.

“Everyone has been very welcoming to me in the short time I have been here already. It is for sure a change, but it is a good one,” Mr. Inman said.