The fate of 25 full-time custodians employed with Oxford Community Schools will be decided Monday, April 26 as the board of education is expected to vote on whether to hire a private company to take over the district’s cleaning services.
In an effort to help offset a projected $3.8 million budget deficit next year, school officials are considering hiring the Holland, Michigan-based Enviro-Clean for an annual fee of $910,805, which would remain fixed throughout a proposed three-year contract.
The board’s next meeting is set for 7 p.m. at Leonard Elementary (335 E. Elmwood).
Using a private contractor would save the district $814,635 in the first year and a projected $5.036 million over five years, according to Tim Loock, assistant superintendent of business and operations.
Some of the first-year savings would be offset by costs associated with eliminating the current custodial positions. These include an estimated $62,500 in separation costs (payment for accumulated vacation and sick days, and other costs the district’s obligated to pay per the union contract) and an estimated $75,000 in unemployment costs. If the school board chooses to hire the private firm, the contract would commence July 1, the beginning of the district’s 2010-11 fiscal year.
‘Unless something occurred that we would need to have them come in sooner,? Loock said.
Enviro-Clean, a full-service commercial cleaning service, has been in business since 1975, employs more than 750 people and services 18 K-12 education clients including the Avondale and Troy school districts, which gave positive recommendations. They have a 100 percent retention rate among their school clients.
‘They have not lost one of their K-12 clients to another competitor. They’ve retained every one they’ve contracted with so far,? Loock said.
Enviro-Clean custodians earn $9-11 per hour and pay 50 percent of the health insurance premiums for themselves. For family members, they pay 100 percent of the additional premiums.
‘Typically, they use an HMO (Health Maintenance Organization),? Loock said. ‘The cost is not nearly as expensive, for example, as the Blue Cross plan that we offer employees. The monthly cost per employee is a lot lower (for the HMO). I’m sure it’s not as good a plan either.
As for retirement benefits, Enviro-Clean employees have the option of contributing to a 401(k) plan.
Loock said district custodians currently earn about $13 per hour when they’re hired in and a head custodian earns a little more than $20 an hour.
District custodians currently receive health insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield and they’re part of the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System.
District custodians do not pay any health insurance premiums nor are they required to contribute to their retirement.
If the school board votes to contract with Enviro-Clean, existing custodial employees would be encouraged to apply. The company is committed to hiring locally, according to Loock.
‘That’s typically what they do in other schools,? he said. ‘They hire people that live in the community.?
Before being hired, each Enviro-Clean employee must undergo a background check performed by the Michigan State Police and a Federal Bureau of Investigation fingerprint check.
‘The same regimen that our employees go through when we hire them,? Loock noted. ‘It’s a requirement.?
With Enviro-Clean, custodians would also have to undergo a five-panel drug test, something which the school district only requires for bus drivers.
Also, Enviro-Clean reruns the fingerprint checks annually, again, something the school district currently doesn’t do.
Four times a year, Enviro-Clean employees must also undergo boundary training, which teaches them how to ‘interact appropriately with students and staff,? according to Loock.
‘They do not want any hint of impropriety with their staff,? he said. ‘I suppose in some cases the staff may appear a little more aloof than maybe our staff might on certain occasions, but they can’t afford to have their staff have even the appearance of any impropriety or inappropriate actions . . . They’re going to be cordial. They’re going to be polite. But there’s not going to be any touching or anything like that allowed or encouraged.?
As far as job training, Enviro-Clean employees work side-by-side with a trainer on-site for a week. They’re fully trained in blood-borne pathogens, sanitation and disinfection, personal safety/security, chemical and equipment use, and compliance with federal, state and local laws and regulations.
Each employee also annually receives a minimum of 12 hours of ongoing training.
All Enviro-Clean employees? work is inspected monthly by a supervisor and there are regular site inspections by a company quality manager.
Customer concerns can be addressed through the contract manager or a building comment log book. A monthly report from each school’s principal rating the quality of custodial services in their building would be sent directly to the company’s president.
If contracted with, Enviro-Clean would provide the district with 33.22 full-time employees to work a total of 265.75 hours per day as opposed to the district’s existing 25 full-time custodians who currently work a combined 200 hours on a daily basis.
The district could expect a zero percent absentee rate with Enviro-Clean as the company provides floaters to cover absences and when necessary, the full-time on-site manager does the work.
There would be no additional cost to the district for covering absences.
Oxford currently experiences an absentee rate of approximately 12.8 percent due to employee vacation, sick and personal days.
These absences are typically filled with substitute personnel or by paying overtime to other employees, both of which bear an additional cost.
The alternative is to let the absence go unfilled, resulting in work that’s left partially or completely undone.
‘That’s what our choices are,? Loock said.