WASILLA -- A recent School Board decision to once again make custodians district employees is being criticized by some board members who say it will result in dirtier schools and likely end up costing more than has been budgeted.
Board members Colleen Hamblen and Susan Pougher were the sole votes against the measure. Both said they're not opposed to making custodians School District employees. But they criticized the way the contract was handed out as being too last minute with too little information about the costs.
"The way they have it set up is going to make for really, really dirty schools, and the children deserve better," Pougher said.
Both said they fear the district will end up cutting teachers or other staff to pay for custodial work.
Supporters acknowledge costs could be higher with custodians in house and that there will be fewer custodians. But they said they were responding to concerns from employees and residents who complained schools were not as clean or safe under private management.
"The community was overwhelmingly in favor of custodians coming back," said School Board member Erick Cordero.
Custodians had for years been district employees. But in 2006, in an effort to save money, the board voted to outsource the work, giving a private company NANA Management Services, now known as NMS, a three-year contract to do the work. Earlier this year, the board began weighing whether to renew that contract. The board considered the issue multiple times before voting 5 to 2 in June to once again do the work in house. A big portion of the debate was over the cost.
According to district estimates, doing the work in-house comparably to NMS would cost about $7.1 million a year, or about $1.7 million more than NMS was asking. That is due in part to the high cost of health benefits, according to the district.
The board, however, has budgeted only $5.4 million for the work, an amount district officials have said will result in substandard cleaning and mean leaving some schools without custodians during the day.
Both Hamblen and Pougher say they are particularly concerned about a district proposal to split the shifts of elementary custodians during the day which would leave no custodians in elementary schools in the key daytime hours between 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The plan would also cut custodians at schools like Wasilla High School where the number would drop from eight to 5.5 custodians.
The district has hired 95 custodians, or about 30 less than NMS had.
School Board member Myrl Thompson, however, said he was confident the district will find ways to re-organize custodians' shifts so there will be more coverage.
"We were given one option. We've asked for other options," he said.
Cordero has also asked the district to look at finding up to a $1 million more to pay custodial costs without cutting other staff.
But that has also drawn criticism. Hamblen and Pougher said the district doesn't have an extra $1 million. School Board member Sarah Welton, who voted with Cordero, also was dubious.
"I think in the process of finding a million, we will end up laying off other people, and that is not OK," she said.
Cordero still said he's optimistic.
He noted the district recently bought custodial equipment using money from the last fiscal year budget, which could bring down costs this coming year.
Superintendent George Troxel, however, said that's unlikely. Despite the $365,000 purchase, the district still expects to spend about $200,000 more on equipment this coming year, he said.
Thompson added the district could tap federal economic stimulus funds to pay for custodial work although that could also limit funding for teachers and other staff positions.
Another unknown in terms of costs for the district is custodians' salaries. The district estimated a starting wage of $11.55 an hour, but the district is currently in negotiations with the union representing custodians and that figure could go higher.
As it stands, Pougher said she fears that this fall people will start to complain about dirty classrooms, and the School District will respond by taking away funding from elsewhere in the budget -- essentially trading custodians for teachers or other services students receive.
Welton said she is concerned as well. But she said custodians seemed enthusiastic at an orientation meeting Tuesday about getting the job done even if there are fewer of them to go around.
"I think there is a sense that we will make this work and will do a good job. The employees want to be there," she said.
Find S.J. Komarnitsky at adn.com/contact/skomarnitsky or 352-6714.
By S.J. KOMARNITSKY
skomarnitsky@adn.com