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Board rescinds custodial award, directs re-bid and approves 90‑day interim contract
Summary
The New Haven Board of Education voted to rescind a previously approved award for part‑time custodial services and to reissue the procurement after staff identified irregularities; the board also approved a 90‑day interim contract to maintain cleaning services while a new RFP is issued.
The New Haven Board of Education voted to rescind a previously approved award for part‑time custodial services and directed staff to reissue the request for proposals (RFP) after an executive‑session review found procurement irregularities.
During an open meeting after the executive session, Superintendent Doctor Negron said the district had identified “anomalies” in the RFP process for part‑time custodial services and that staff did not uniformly follow up with all bidders when questions surfaced about union wages. Negron said the district will put the procurement back out on an expedited schedule to assure a fair opportunity for all potential bidders.
The board then approved, on a separate motion, a 90‑day agreement with SJ Services to provide custodial management so schools would be serviced through the summer while the RFP is reissued and reviewed.
Why it matters: The district said it prizes working with unionized labor and moved to reopen the competition to make the union‑status language explicit and to preserve a consistent procurement record. The interim contract is intended to ensure summer cleaning and readiness for the coming school year while a full competitive process is completed.
Key details and timeline: Doctor Negron told the board the administration intends to reissue the RFP “on an expedited schedule,” with a planned release by July 20, proposals due by August 7, and a target to return a new recommendation to the board at its Sept. 8 meeting. Negron said the district has not yet paid the previously selected vendor, Integrity Concepts doing business as ServiceMaster.
Board debate and votes: Board member Miss Downer moved to rescind the prior award to Integrity Concepts (d/b/a ServiceMaster) and to direct staff to put the work back out to bid; the motion was seconded and carried on a roll call in which the members present voted yes. Wilcox moved the separate 90‑day agreement with SJ Services; that motion carried on a roll call vote in which Miss Downer voted no and other voting members voted yes.
The board’s action follows questions raised during executive session about whether bidders would be required to operate under collective‑bargaining wages and whether the district had followed consistent procurement steps for all vendors. Doctor Negron said staff will revise the RFP language to make union‑wage expectations explicit if that is a requirement and will apply the scoring rubric consistently when proposals are returned.
What the board directed staff to do: Reissue the part‑time custodial RFP on an expedited schedule (planned release July 20; responses by Aug. 7) and return a scored recommendation to the board by the Sept. 8 meeting; in the interim, finalize a 90‑day custodial management agreement with SJ Services to cover summer work.
Next steps: Staff will publish the RFP and return a recommendation after scoring. The board motion to rescind the prior award took effect at the vote. No procurement funds had been paid to ServiceMaster at the time the board rescinded the award, according to board members.
