Board approves 10-year addendum with SSC for custodial services; reduction-in-force also approved

The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education voted 7–1 on Oct. 28 to approve a 10-year annual-renewal addendum with SSC for contracted custodial services and a companion reduction-in-force to implement the transition.

The contract addendum presented by Chief Operations Officer Lauren Richards would amortize about $4.2 million the district says it owes SSC and set an annual contracted custodial rate of $16,880,000, starting Jan. 1. Under the proposal, SSC would hire and manage custodial staff at district schools; up to 35 custodians would remain on the district payroll while others would be offered positions with SSC. Richards said employees would remain on WSFCS payroll through Dec. 31 and, if they choose, could meet with SSC representatives and accept offers before a Jan. 1 transition.

Board members pressed staff on termination provisions and operational detail. Richards said the annual-renewal structure lets the board revise or terminate the arrangement with 120 days' notice and that any unpaid amortization would be due on termination. She also described an amortization schedule and said the amortization lowers the annual contracted rate year to year.

Community members and staff packed the public-comment portion of the meeting and overwhelmingly urged the board not to outsource custodial work and not to cut custodial personnel. Speakers described custodians as "student-facing" staff and urged the board to delay a decision so the district could pursue alternatives. Timothy Scott Sr., a custodial representative, said the part-time workers are essential, "The full-timers can't do what we do without those part-timers," he told the board.

Board action: The board first voted to approve the SSC contract addendum (motion: Vice Chair Bohannon; second: Board Member Watts). The motion passed 7–1. The board then approved the reduction-in-force needed to transition custodial staffing; that motion also passed 7–1.

What the vote does and does not do: The board's vote authorizes staff to implement the contract addendum and proceed with the RIF process under district policy. Richards said the district will schedule individual staff meetings, supply an FAQ and offer staff the opportunity to retire and still accept SSC employment. The RIF criteria incorporate additional points for longevity (15, 20 and 25-year thresholds) in the selection matrix. The district will notify affected employees and begin transition meetings immediately while allowing staff time to complete retirement paperwork through Dec. 15.

Budget and debt context: District staff said full in-house custodial services would cost roughly $26 million per year; the SSC addendum (including debt amortization) is presented as a lower annual cost. Richards and interim Superintendent Katie Moore said amortizing the $4.2 million debt into the contract reduces immediate local cash requirements.

Next steps: Staff said it will return with any contract addenda reflecting changes (for example, if a school closes) and will provide periodic staffing updates during the transition.