Board ratifies multiple labor agreements, approves custodial contract and administrative hires

The Board of Education of Harford County approved several contract and personnel items during its March 24 business meeting, including ratification of tentative agreements with bargaining units, a contract award for custodial services, and the appointment of candidates to principal and assistant-principal pools.

The actions came during the board's consent agenda and separate votes. The board voted to ratify multiple tentative agreements covering recognized bargaining units and later approved a contract award for custodial services after a failed motion to postpone the custodial award until May. The board also voted to approve three administrative and supervisory appointment pools (elementary and secondary principal pools, assistant principal pools and a pupil personnel worker pool).

Why it matters: The ratified agreements set multi-year pay and step provisions that affect supervisor and administrative pay ranges, and the custodial contract will change how substitute/short-term custodial needs are filled systemwide. The administrative pools give the superintendent a roster of board-approved candidates for immediate hiring decisions.

Key outcomes - Ratification of tentative agreements (consisting of multiple bargaining units): approved by roll call (8 yes, 2 no). Board members voting yes included Carol Bruce, Miss Kocher, Dr. Mueller, Miss Pizzoke, Miss Perry, Mr. Sewell, Miss Strauss and the board president; Miss Alvarez and Vice President Hahn voted no. The item was presented as Consent Item 1 and was pulled for separate roll-call consideration.

- Custodial services contract (Consent Item 2): after a motion to postpone the vote to May failed on roll call (motion to defer: 1 yes, 10 no), the board subsequently approved the custodial services contract by voice vote. The contract authorizes an outside vendor to provide substitute and supplemental custodial staffing across HCPS; staff said the vendor will need time to ramp up to meet summer cleaning and staffing needs.

- Consent block (Items 3'8): approved (routine contract awards including custodial supplies and grounds equipment, facility utilization assessment, Prospect Mill Elementary roof replacement, and prior meeting minutes) via block vote.

- Administrative and supervisory appointment pools: approved by voice vote. The board approved candidates for elementary and secondary principal pools, assistant principal pools and the pupil personnel worker pool to give the superintendent a 3-year set of board-approved candidates for filling vacancies.

What the board and staff said Board member Miss Alvarez requested a separate roll call on the ratification because she objected to provisions she said raise the bottom salary for the administrators/supervisors bargaining unit to about $121,000 and include a "me-too" clause tying supervisory COLAs to teacher pay. "This bargaining unit has a bottom floor of a 21,000. That means that anybody who starts or moves into this bargaining unit would have a minimum starting salary of a hundred and $21,000," Alvarez said during limited discussion. She asked that the board consider the budgetary implications and pushed for a roll call vote on that item.

Human resources and operations staff told the board the custodial contract is time-sensitive because the chosen vendor is new to the county and would need lead time to hire and prepare for summer cleaning. Chief operations staff noted persistent difficulty filling custodial vacancies locally: "We've traditionally had 30 to 40 vacancies for custodians," a staff member said, and hiring capacity in central office would be strained if the board delayed the contract and tried to convert contractor roles into HCPS hires immediately.

Board procedure and next steps Board members approved items 3'8 as a block, completed the separate ratification roll call for item 1, defeated a motion to defer the custodial contract to May, and then approved the custodial services contract. The administrative appointment pools are in effect for three years to allow the superintendent to fill positions from a board-approved candidate pool.

Votes at a glance (formal recorded outcomes) - Consent agenda (items 3'8): approved (voice/block vote). No detailed roll-call recorded in minutes for the block. - Consent item 1: Ratification of tentative agreements (multiple bargaining units) - Motion: approve ratification of tentative agreements - Outcome: approved (roll call) - Tally: Yes 8, No 2, Abstain 0 - Notes: Miss Alvarez requested separate roll-call vote because of concern over the administrative/supervisory unit minimum salary and the "me-too" clause tying increases to teacher pay. - Consent item 2: Contract award for custodial services - Motion 1 (to defer to May): failed (roll call: Yes 1, No 10) - Motion 2 (to approve contract award): approved (voice vote) - Notes: Staff said delay would affect summer cleaning and the vendor's ramp-up time; operations reported longstanding custodian vacancies and need for supplemental services. - Administrative & supervisory appointment pools - Motion: approve recommended candidate pools (elementary and secondary principals, assistant principals and pupil personnel workers) - Outcome: approved (voice vote)

Provenance (transcript evidence) - Ratification discussion start: transcript segment starting at 4102.675 (Miss Alvarez raising the salary/"21,000" issue) (topicintro). - Ratification vote: transcript segment starting at 4474.5 (roll call for item 1) (topicfinish). - Custodial contract deferral motion and vote: discussion and roll call starting at 4543.185 (item 2 discussion) and roll call at 5060.32 (deferral roll call), final approval around 5095.605'5108.97 (topicfinish).

Speakers (attributed quotes in this article are limited to the following speakers from the meeting): - Miss Alvarez, Board member (first referenced 03:29:xx) - Carol Bruce, Board member (first referenced 121.88) - "Missus Coker" (transcript label), Board member - Dr. Mueller (transcript label), Board member - Miss Pizzoke (transcript label), Board member - Miss Perry (transcript label), Board member - Mr. Sewell (transcript label), Board member - Miss Strauss (transcript label), Board member - Vice President Hahn (transcript label), Board vice president - President Boynton / President Pointon (transcript shows both forms), Board president - Ben Richardson, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources (presented personnel pools)

Authorities referenced - No formal statute citations required for board contract votes in the meeting text. (Board and staff referenced bargaining/collective agreements and local procurement processes.)

Searchable tags: [contracts, labor, custodial, personnel, ratification, Harford County Public Schools, budget]

Sections:{"lede":"The Board of Education of Harford County approved a package of contracts and personnel pools on March 24, including ratification of tentative bargaining agreements, a contract award for custodial services and board approval of administrative candidate pools.","nut_graf":"Board members split over timing of the custodial services award but ultimately approved the contract, while a separate roll-call approval ratified multi-year agreements that members said will affect minimum pay levels for the administrative/supervisory bargaining unit.","ending":"Staff said the custodial vendor will need lead time to staff for summer cleaning, and the superintendent will use the newly approved principal and assistant-principal pools to fill vacancies from a board-approved roster."}