Published in the May 25, 2017 edition
By DAN TOMASELLO
NORTH READING — The school system will not be privatizing custodial services in fiscal year 2018, Finance Director Michael Connelly said at last week’s School Committee meeting.
Connelly and Superintendent of School Jon Bernard advertised requests for proposals (RFP) for potentially privatizing custodial services earlier this year as part of an effort to close the school budget gap for FY’18. The gap has since been closed.
The RFP caused anxiety from some parents and custodians. A number of custodians attended the school board’s meeting on May 1, when the School Committee approved the FY’18 budget.
Connelly said five vendors responded to the RFP.
“We have thoroughly reviewed the cleaning service non-pricing and pricing proposals,” said Connelly. “While we were impressed with the experience and quality of services described in many proposal packages; the price proposals did not result in significant savings to the School Department especially when balancing the value of having school employees caring for the related needs of our students, staff and schools. As a result, the administration recommends not pursuing a privatized cleaning contract at this time.”
Connelly said school officials remain “committed to working closely with the custodial staff to maintain all schools properly and meet the high level of cleanliness that we have come to expect in North Reading.”
“We are hopeful that we can work together with our dedicated and hardworking custodial staff and, where appropriate, identify efficiencies that may result in cost savings while producing custodial work of high quality in our buildings,” said Connelly. “The administration pursued this option to be able to identify whether or not significant cost savings existed. We are confident that is not the case, and believe it was a worthwhile exercise.”
Connelly said issuing the RFP “was not an easy decision” for school officials.
“It was one that was done great care, investigation and thought,” said Connelly.
In response to a question from School Committee Vice Chairman Jerry Venezia, Connelly said privatizing custodial services would have saved the district around $65,000.
Venezia said the RFP “was a worthwhile exercise” for school officials to undertake because the district’s budgetary issues are still a major concern even though the FY’18 budget is balanced.
“I hope the custodians and all of the faculty and staff understand that with the budget constraints we are facing every single year now, we are going to have to do these types of things,” said Venezia. “We are not here to provide jobs to people. We are here to educate children. I sometimes think we are not sharing our budgetary concerns with the faculty and staff. They have to understand that something has to give sooner or later. In order to maintain the current staff that we have, we are going to have to negotiate with the unions to find some types of savings.”
School Committee Chairman Mel Webster agreed.
“We have to look everywhere we can to find potential savings,” said Webster. “I appreciate the effort that was made and I agree with the conclusion. It’s not only the money, it’s the quality of work.”
Bernard said school custodians understood the district’s budgetary issues.
“I held an hour-and-a-half meeting with the custodians over April school vacation, and I think they understood the position we were taking by doing it,” said Bernard. “But as a procedural step, it was necessary given for where we were and where we might be again.”
