Schools look to outsource: teacher aides, custodians, transportation, food services

[The Straight Story]

The Farmington (MI) Public Schools Board of Education took the first step Tuesday toward possible outsourcing of transportation, maintenance and grounds, snow removal and food services.

Board president Howard Wallach explained that officials moved their meeting to Hunt Auditorium at North Farmington High School, anticipating a larger than normal audience.

The district could save as much as $4 million by privatizing, said David Ruhland, assistant superintendent of human resources and legal services. The current budget for those services is $11.5 million.

In a unanimous vote, officials approved the development and issuance of requests for proposals from contractors for services are currently handled in-house. If the board approves privatization, 240 workers could be laid off when the unions’ contracts end this summer.

http://farmington-mi.patch.com/articles/fps-board-moves-forward-with-rfps


GLEN ROCK (NJ) — School officials said Tuesday that a move by unions not to revisit their contracts led to a vote by the school board to outsource the jobs of more than 50 custodians and teachers aides.

The 7-0 vote came hours after members of the teachers union met in private to consider changes to their health insurance coverage that could have prevented the outsourcing — at least for a year — and help close a $1 million budget gap.

"The vote was to not open the contract; therefore, the outsourcing option became the next step," Glen Rock school board President Rona McNabola said Tuesday. "If they had voted to open the contract, the board negotiating team would have gotten involved."

The board will also be looking at other savings, including downsizing the number of conferences teachers attend to memberships in various associations, McNabola said.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/education/116292824_Glen_Rock_trustees_fault__union_on_outsource_vote.html


District considers contract groundskeeping

UWCHLAN (PA)— Outsourcing some groundskeeping duties may be an option for the Downingtown Area School District, its facilities committee was told last week.

The school board asked the district's facilities department to research potential savings associated with outsourcing snow plowing, grass cutting and athletic field maintenance.

One member of the department retired near the end of last year and was not replaced by the district.

Lee Snodgrass, district facilities director, said the department can continue to meet standards without filling that position.

http://dailylocal.com/articles/2011/02/06/news/srv0000010848163.txt

Iowa
A citizens advisory committee recommended freezing wages, raising property taxes and furloughing employees as ways for the Des Moines school district to make up a $6 million budget deficit in the next school year.

- Outsource transportation, which costs about $550,000 a year, or custodial work, which costs the district about $3.5 million a year, because of workers' benefits.

- Reduce the number of certified staff.

- Cut school programs, including elective courses.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110213/NEWS/102130343/Committee-proposes-ways-to-trim-D-M-schools-budget

[Angry Dragon]

1. I wonder when they are going to cut out sports

[Dappleganger]

4. When pigs fly.

Of course they have cut the arts and real science classes, too. Only things which directly pertain to the FCATs are deemed untouchable.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. My town, Ramsey, NJ, is close to Glen Rock. They too are looking to outsource custodians.

Wrong move for several obvious reasons, one of which is some of these custodians are just that, custodians of the buildings and the children. They look after the kids as much as the teachers do as they are the eyes and ears of the schools. Even if new contracted custodians pass a background check, they have unlimited access to the kids while not having any motivation to protect them.

[Dappleganger]

3. What a shame...

we can really tell the bus system has gone down due to outsourcing in this county and the one next to us. Quite often there are behavioral problems and they don't know how to handle it, then the parents think the school still has their people on the bus which adds more layers to solving real problems. The lack of communication really adds to it.

Our county is adding more sidewalks to neighborhoods within a 2-mile radius of the schools so that the buses won't have to go there anymore. So far there are plenty of crossing guards to help out, but I worry about lack of funding which may drive that number down.

[sufrommich]

5. This has been going on for a decade with very little fanfare.

Support staff in school systems have been losing their union rights for years,they're fired and then given the "opportunity" to work for the private contractor at a fraction of their former wage and no benefits.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. They privatized our custodial services and it was a disaster

It was MORE expensive for the district and mainly because the company that held the contract required the district to purchase supplies only from the company that held the contract. They jacked up the prices for substandard materials and the schools were LESS clean and LESS maintained. For example, the ice melt they made them use didn't even melt the ice. It was a joke.

Another problem was the employees who supervised the maintenance staff were employers of the contractor and not the district, while the employees doing the maintenance were district employees.

They also privatized school meals and the cost was MUCH higher. That only lasted a year while the maintenance contract was in force for 3 or 4 years. The district has since gone back to local control. Maintenance and food quality have both improved.

[sufrommich]

7. By "local control" do you mean these support staff workers

were given back their union jobs? That would be a rarity.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. The support staff workers never did lose their union.

They continued to be district employees. They were supervised by employees of the contractor.