Plainfield School District 202 Hears Bids for Custodial Services

Correction: This article has been updated to reflect the fact that there was no discrepancy regarding the reasons for possible outsourcing.

Photo 1: District 202 Finance Director Rick Engstrom presents the bid results to the Board. Photo 2: Kids join the protest outside Freedom Elementary School. Photo 3: PASS custodians and supporters protest outside the school.

PLAINFIELD, IL — Three businesses have submitted bids to the Plainfield School District 202 Board of Education to take over custodial services from the Plainfield Association of Support Staff.

The businesses include Wisconsin-based ABM, Aramark and Downers Grove-based GCA Services Group.

While District 202 will hold a public hearing on the bids at its April 25 meeting, the Board of Education heard the bids Monday evening at its regular board meeting.

Also heard at the meeting were several voices of opposition from current PASS members.

Plainfield East Head Custodian Marty Daczkowski said custodians have been under a great deal of stress over the possible outsourcing.

“How long will it take for the company to cut services or raise their rates to make a profit,” Daczkowski said, adding that when quality and loyalty is lost, it negatively impacts the school system.

The bids received would reduce costs between $908,000 to $9.9 million over the next three years, depending on benefits, pay rates and the number of positions employed.

District 202 currently has 190 custodial positions that work either 4, 6, 6.5 or 8 hours daily. If PASS custodians continue to work at the schools, it would cost the district about $27.5 million over three years, according to the district.

The school district asked vendors to provide costs for six different service packages, with the number of employees, hours worked and pay rates being the variables.

The lowest bid for the service package requiring vendors to hire 190 custodial positions at the current pay rates would reduce custodial costs by about $1.6 million over three years, or about $547,000 a year, according to the district

The lowest bid for the service package requiring vendors to hire 140 positions at the lowest pay rates would reduce costs by about $9.9 million over three years, or about $3.3 million a year over what District 202 anticipates spending, the district said.

District 202 is also requiring that all bidders must offer employment to qualified current PASS members before the start of the contract, provide qualified current PASS members with benefits comparable to what they currently receive and continue to require that all custodial staff pass a stringent legal background check as required by law for all employees who work directly with or around children.

According to District 202 Director of Community Relations Tom Hernandez, administration began exploring the possibility of outsourcing custodial services in early February as a way to better manage its finances in light of the state’s unpredictable and inadequate public education funding.

District 202 Board of Education President Michelle Smith said at a February board meeting that “discussion about outsourcing initially arose in response to concerns of a possible strike by custodians during the upcoming PASS negotiations.” During that investigation, the board realized that up to $2 million could be saved. With Monday night's bid presentation, the board has since learned it could save up to $9.9 million over three years.

District 202 Board Member Rod Westfall said he’s heard and read that the Board doesn’t care and there’s a lack of trust, but countered those claims by saying the Board has been “very transparent” with its finances and is audited every year.

“We’re willing to work with you seven days a week to figure out a way to make this happen,” Westfall said. “I promise you that, but we need to work together.”

The Board of Education may vote at its April 25 meeting to accept one of the bids, but is not required to.