NK School Board outsources janitorial work to private firm

New Kent schools have hired a Knoxville, Tenn.-based company to provide janitorial services beginning in July. And under terms of a contract agreed to by county School Board members last week, the firm must hire all of the current 18 custodians who want to continue working for schools, although some could be staying on the job for less money.

School Board members accepted a three-year contract at $586,000 per year with SSC Service Solutions during their April 6 meeting. The contract is subject to annual renewal and includes a 60-day notice requirement should schools wish to terminate the agreement.

A committee made up of school personnel settled on the Tennessee company after reviewing potential applicants.

“The committee was very comfortable with this company based on price level and word from other school divisions,” associate superintendent Ed Smith told the board.

The company operates a regional office in Virginia and takes care of custodial work in several state school systems including Dinwiddie, Spotsylvania, Amelia, and Poquoson, Smith said.

New Kent, meanwhile, budgeted $575,000 for janitorial work next year. The company buying custodial equipment schools already own, Smith said, makes up the difference between contract and budget figures. But those savings are one time only, he added.

No information was released on how many of New Kent’s 18 current employees plan to stay on. Those that do, however, could be taking home less pay and benefits.

Custodians in New Kent are salaried for now. Under the contract, they become hourly workers with only a contract manager, hired to coordinate services as a School Board liaison, receiving a salary. Hourly pay will be in the $7.50-$9 range, Smith said. Pay for supervisors overseeing day and night shifts at each school falls in the $11-$13 per hour range, he added. Salary for the contract manager, who is to be based at the high school, is pegged between $32,000 and $42,000.

“[Custodians] that are new can expect to receive about the same pay, but if they are more senior with around 20 years experience, they can expect to make less with the new company,” Smith told the board.

Smith added that since workers are being converted from salaried to hourly, they can no longer receive sick days. Workers will be offered health insurance through the company, but coverage, he said, “is not as rich” as the school system’s plan. Custodians are to receive 10 paid vacation days and seven paid holidays.

The company, meanwhile, plans to increase the number of custodians at each school, Smith said. More workers are being employed to staff night crews, he added.

“There will be more crews and bigger crews,” Smith said afterward. “The plan is to increase the size of crews, especially at the high school where we have just six custodians now.”

In other business at least week’s meeting, board members voted to accept an agreement with the county concerning shared use of the old middle school’s buildings and grounds.

Buildings labeled as the science lab and new building are to fall under schools’ jurisdiction along with the maintenance building, old bus garage, and psychological services building. Temporary buildings now on site are to be moved to other schools.

The county takes over the main building, destined to become a permanent home for Heritage Public Library’s New Kent branch, along with the computer lab/adult education building.

The county parks and recreation department is to share athletic facilities, including playing fields and gym, on a schedule basis with schools receiving first right. Parks and recreation manages the cafeteria and maintains locker rooms, except during middle school football season.

Also last week, School Board members voted to:

–Increase the fee charged driver’s education students for behind the wheel training from $84 to $100 and impose a $10 fee in all Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes to cover consumables and industry certification testing for next year. Upped from $250 to $350 is a summer school promotion fee for high school and middle school students.

–Accept a contract with Allied Waste Systems for trash pickup twice a week at all schools and a once a week recycling program at New Kent Elementary at a cost of $1,445 per month. Plans call for eventually expanding the recycling effort to all schools. Schools currently pay just over $2,200 each month for trash pickup.