Forreston’s Friday nights might be known for touchdowns and cheers, but behind the scenes, much of the magic is orchestrated by a steady hand: Barb Engelbarts. She wears two hats that touch nearly every corner of Cardinal life—Director of Custodial Services for the district, and Certified Food Protection Manager overseeing the Sports Boosters concessions.

Both roles matter more than most may realize. On the custodial side, Barb leads a small but mighty crew: a custodian-and-a-half at Forreston Grade School, a part-timer at German Valley, two evening custodians, and herself. Together, they are the often-invisible force that keeps the buildings safe, clean, and welcoming. “People take it for granted,” she says. “But if our facilities aren’t clean and ready, it makes things harder for everyone. Our job is to make sure classrooms and spaces are safe, so students and teachers can focus on learning.”

During the interview, I suggested maybe custodians are really “in the friction removal business”—smoothing the path so kids can learn without obstacles. Barb laughed and nodded. “That’s exactly it,” she agreed, “Friction removal!”

Her second hat—the one with the aroma of grilled ribeyes and popcorn—belongs to the concession stand. Far more than a “quaint little stand,” Forreston concessions handled 75 events last year. The menu is a local legend: ribeye and pork chop sandwiches, nacho supremes, cinnamon-sugar pretzels with homemade cream cheese frosting, and yes, Dippin’ Dots. “It’s a big seller,” Barb says. Even more inventive creations like the taco cheese dog—hot dog topped with taco meat and cheddar—find their way onto the menu.

Her path into both roles started humbly: as a PTO mom, then a Booster Club helper in 2002. That three-year term snowballed into kitchen work, then a custodial role in 2011, and eventually director in 2015. Saying “yes” came naturally. She admits. “It’s very hard for me to say no,” to which I suggest she has ‘helium hand,’ and to which she agreed. That ‘yes’ has translated into fifteen years of concessions leadership and more than a decade of custodial oversight.

But the job isn’t really about tasks. It’s about people. Barb’s pride in her team is unmistakable, but her pride in the Cardinal family is even stronger. She’s lived it firsthand. When her son faced a serious medical challenge, the community surrounded her with love and support. “We say Cardinal family—and we live it,” she says. That family feeling extends to the kids, too. “I have two biological children, but do you know how many adopted children I have? I try to learn all their names. By the end of the year, I can pretty much tell you every student in the building”.

Barb’s grandsons are now part of that daily rhythm, too. Her oldest, a kindergartner, gets off the bus at school and helps her stock coolers before games. “He was so excited,” she beams. The work that once revolved around her own children now circles forward into another generation.

For Barb, the secret sauce of Forreston isn’t the ribeyes or the polished hallways. It’s not the Pork chop sandwiches or the taco dogs. Ultimately—it’s the people. “Our Cardinal family isn’t just within the buildings,” she says. “It’s the whole community. You can feel it everywhere”.

And perhaps that’s the truest reflection of her life’s work: whether she’s wiping down a classroom, firing up a grill, or greeting students by name, Barb Engelbarts makes sure Forreston is a place that feels like home. For this generation and the next.