Custodial changes coming to Stevens Point schools
By Taylor J. Hale
Reporter
STEVENS POINT — Officials carried a motion to approve ABM as the new custodial and building maintenance staffing agency in area schools at the Stevens Point School District Business Services Committee meeting on April 2.
The district-wide changes may mean new staff at regional schools. For the last five years, the district has used CleanPower for all local contracted janitorial needs. ABM outbid CleanPower, whose request for proposal (RFP) response was roughly $3.5 million for a three-year contract. ABM submitted a bid of $2.8 million.
Contracted staff members make up about 40 percent of the district’s current custodial team. Committee member Christina Scott mentioned her concerns about switching out trusted staff and training new faculty.
“So all of these employees who have worked in our schools for five years, who have worked for CleanPower, we won’t have any of those employees unless they move over to the new company,” Scott said to her peers on the committee.
District Director of Business Services Thomas Owens noted that ABM would hire many current custodial staff members, who would then continue to work their same positions. Owens and other officials mentioned ABM’s respected track record in Milwaukee area school districts. Officials also considered K-tech Building Maintenance for the custodial contract.
The group submitted a bid to the district set at $3.2 million. The district’s current contract with CleanPower ends on June 30. Contracting for custodial services is considered a “budgetary necessity,” and has been a practice in the area for nearly two decades.
Follow the Portage County Gazette on Facebook for more local news: www.facebook.com/pcgazette/
Contact Taylor J. Hale at [email protected] with Portage County news and information.