District 99 begins exploration of outsourcing custodial, maintenance and grounds work with SSC; staff and community raise safety and pension concerns

Community High School District 99 leaders outlined a proposal to explore contracting SSC Services for Education to manage the district’s custodial, maintenance and grounds (CMG) operations, prompting detailed questions from board members and extended public testimony from CMG employees and community members opposed to outsourcing.

The district presented SSC’s offer as one that would hire current CMG staff “at their current rate of pay, and with similar benefits,” not require staff to interview and provide contractual protections that employees “cannot be released by SSC without cause while the proposed 5 year contract is in effect,” with a possible extension up to the 10‑year maximum allowed by state law, Superintendent Dr. Thiele said.

Why it matters: The proposal would change CMG employees from district employees to employees of a private contractor and, the district acknowledges, change retirement benefits for many staff from the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) to a 401(k) program. Board members, employees and community members said such a change carries both financial and human impacts — including loss of IMRF pension benefits, potential changes in workplace relationships, and questions about continuity of building safety and knowledge.

Details of the proposal and district rationale The administration said the SSC option comes through Compass Group’s family of companies (the district already contracts with Chartwells for food service). The district stressed that prior outsourcing proposals had led to staff releases, while SSC’s proposal includes commitments it characterized as protections for local employees. The district framed the exploration as a potential path to “efficiencies, additional training and resources, career advancement pathways for our staff, and cost savings to the district.” The superintendent said staff questions will be gathered and answered before any board decision and that SSC would meet with staff prior to a final recommendation.

Board members probed legal and operational details. Questions included how accrued sick days and IMRF vesting would be handled, what “with cause” protections would mean in practice, who would staff substitute shifts, and whether the district had sought other savings measures across operations. The administration said it is working directly with retirement systems (IMRF and TRS as applicable) and with SSC to present detailed, personalized options to employees before any contract decision.

Public comment and staff reaction More than a dozen CMG employees and community members addressed the board during the second reception of visitors. Speakers described long-term relationships with students and staff, cited IMRF pension concerns and worried about losing institutional knowledge and the “family” culture of District 99’s in‑house CMG team.

Monica Vandermeid, who identified herself as executive administrative assistant to the supervisor of Buildings and Grounds, said: “Outsourcing to a corporate partner ships away the fundamental core values of these District 99 employees, since they will no longer be District 99 employees.”

Community member Frank Ross, who said his father was a custodian, told the board: “A corporation has to make more money year after year… and they will do that by turning the CMG jobs into understaffed minimum wage jobs with poor or no benefits.” Maintenance mechanic Jeffrey Tews, who said he has a two‑hour commute, said CMG staff “are a family” and asked the board not to change their employment status.

Board process and next steps Board members emphasized they have not adopted a final decision. Several said the administration was fulfilling its charge to explore options and return with details. The superintendent and staff said they will provide additional information at the board’s April meetings, host on‑site meetings between SSC and CMG staff after spring break, and answer individual questions from employees. The board president reiterated that the administration was presenting an option for consideration and that any final vote would come after further review.

What the district will provide next The administration committed to: - Provide written answers about retirement conversion and accrued leave options before staff meetings scheduled in April. - Have SSC meet with CMG staff on‑site following spring break. - Return to the board with further information and a recommendation at future meetings, including public hearings scheduled for April.

Ending No contract was approved at this meeting; the board’s action was limited to permitting the administration to continue exploring the SSC proposal and to publicly vet details with staff and the community.