Schools

BOE Tables Vote on Outsourcing Custodians

Officials say it would increase cleanliness, but residents cite maintaining a sense of community and security as concerns.

The Madison Board of Education voted 5-3 at its Tuesday night meeting to table a vote on whether to award to have the company handle most of the district's custodial services next school year, a move some district officials say is the best way to adequately increase staffing levels without raising costs, but essentially would lead to 13 out of 20 custodians losing their district jobs.

Board members said postponing a vote on the measure for two weeks will give them time to review their notes and continue a dialogue with residents.

Board of Education President Lisa Ellis and members David Arthur, Kevin Blair, Thomas Haralampoudis and James Novotny voted to table the vote.

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Linda Gilbert, Shade Grahling and Vice President Pat Rowe said they were prepared to vote on the measure and voted against tabling it.

More than 100 people filled the library Tuesday night to hear a presentation by district Business Administrator Gary Lane and Superintendent Dr. Michael Rossi about what they see as the benefits of outsourcing most of the district's custodial services.

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Many of the attendees, including students, parents and custodians, wore stickers saying "I support our Custodial Professionals," and spoke in support of the custodians and questioned whether bringing in an outside company is right for Madison.

Residents raised concerns about staff turnover within Aramark, which they said they expect partly due to lower wages, and how that would affect employees' interactions with students and parents' comfort levels.

The outsourcing proposal would raise the custodian staffing level from 20 to 36.5, which some administrators said is needed after staffing was reduced over the past few years amid budget cuts.

There are eight fewer Madison custodians this school year than two years before, and teachers also have been cut, the district presentation said.

"While the district has benefited from being able to redirect the funds generated from these (custodian) reductions for academic and co-curricular programs—which is the primary focus of a school district—in 2010-11 the Board still had to let go 10 teachers," the district presentation said. "The 2011-12 budget further reduced district staff by 9.5 certificated staff, 4.5 non-certificated staff and 13 extra-curricular positions. Also, we increased the activity fee."

According to the presentation, outsourcing would increase staff, increase cleanliness, and allow the district to have buildings staffed over breaks and weekends with no or limited overtime costs, which would allow the district to reduce or eliminate fees assessed to outside organizations that use district facilities, the presentation said.

The proposal includes keeping 7.5 employees on the Board of Education payroll at salaries comparable to existing levels in addition to Aramark's employees, according to the presentation. The 7.5 positions would be new positions intended for current employees, possibly to help those close to retirement get pension benefits, district officials said.

Assuming seven of the current custodians apply for and get the new Board of Education jobs, 13 employees would be cut from the district.

Some residents suggested cutting costs spent on administrators instead of cutting custodians, and pointed to districts that used Aramark and then stopped using them as a possible reason to reconsider outsourcing.

Lane said district officials are aware of the human impact of the decision, and pointed to a custodian he knows, saying they talk about their grandchildren.

But Lane said the issue should be looked at intellectually, not emotionally, to determine what is best for the students.


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