Katy ISD has placed cleaning robots in 17 of its schools, spending $1 million to help cover a 100-custodian shortage across the district.
The machines cost about $30,000 each, ABC13 Houston first reported Wednesday. That price roughly equals what a starting custodian earns in a year, according to the district.
The district's 2025-2026 compensation plan lists custodians at pay grade A01, the lowest auxiliary tier, with an hourly minimum of $13.24 and a midpoint of $15.20. At the minimum rate over 261 duty days, a full-time custodian would earn roughly $27,600 a year before any overtime or stipends.
The robots scrub hard surfaces and vacuum carpet for eight hours after students leave for the day.
Chris Elliot, Katy ISD media relations manager, blamed the competitive local job market for the staffing gap. He told ABC13 that new companies keep opening across the area, giving workers options beyond custodial work.
"There are always new companies opening up. There are lots of choices for people. Sometimes it's just hard to fill those custodial positions," Elliot said.
Elliot stressed the robots are not meant to replace human workers. The district is still hiring custodians and accepting applications through its careers page, he said.
About 70 campuses still lack the machines. Whether the program expands to those schools depends on how the initial 17-school rollout performs, according to the district.
Residents interested in custodial positions can apply online at katyisd.org.
