TAMPA, FL -- The printers at Hillsborough County Schools central printing office did not stop, twelve hours a day, for seven full working days.
The staff worked to get 220 thousand packets full of information ready for parents, in English and Spanish.
Ozzie Ordaz is the print shop manager.
"This was definitely an unusual project for us. It was because of the urgency. The information needed to get the parents."
It was the toughest printing job in three decades. Ordaz would know. He started there as a student intern when he was only 19-years-old. The manager at the time said he saw something very special in this young man.
A modest Ordaz said, "He told me he was going to groom me for his job. At first I thought no way he was going to do that. But he said he liked my work ethic and the way I learned. Sure enough, he recommended me for the job. I applied and here I am today."
Ordaz said the shop prints solely for the district, from tests to flyers. But this time the health department footed the printing bill.
"I do not remember in my time a pandemic of this sort. The Health Department and the school district wanted to make sure that parents had everything that they needed. It was our job to make sure that got done. Sure it can be stressful. But, we are up for the job."
Because of the controversy surrounding the vaccine, district officials did not know how many students to expect at the vaccination sites. Long lines show parents may be more comfortable which could mean more packets to print.
Ordaz says that is fine. His print shop is up to the task.
As far as his future as print manager, Ordaz says he plans to be here for a long time to come.
"I enjoy it here so much. I would not change anything for the world."
