District plans RFI for custodial contract and RFP for substitute services as part of contract rebid review

Polk County procurement leaders told the board on Feb. 24 they will use formal market‑solicitation tools to review long‑running 'legacy' contracts, recommending a request for information (RFI) for custodial services and a request for proposals (RFP) for substitute‑teacher services.

Michael Craig, senior director of purchasing, described the differences between RFI, RFP and ITN solicitations and said an RFP typically takes six to eight weeks once scope is clear; an RFI can run 4–6 weeks and helps define scope when the market or specifications are uncertain. Doug Harwell (facilities) said the custodial contract (current vendor through July 2027) is a legacy administrative model and staff want market input before deciding whether to continue, rework or bring services in‑house.

Brian Warren (substitute services lead) said substitute services requirements are well defined and therefore an RFP is appropriate; he noted the current arrangement with Kelly Services is an evergreen contract and the district could set a transition timeline if a new vendor is selected. Staff emphasized transition risks: large workforce transfers, equipment needs and minimum one‑year transition timelines to avoid mid‑year disruptions.

Board concerns: Members urged clear KPIs and annual vendor performance reviews, active inclusion of end users on evaluation committees (principals, teachers), and transparency about who applies and how scoring is performed. Miss Miller asked about historical awards made without competitive bids and said she wants principals to retain procurement flexibility where appropriate.

Next steps: Procurement staff plan to post solicitations within two weeks, run RFI/RFP/ITN processes, and return to the board with recommendations and timelines; staff warned that any change of vendor will require up to a year for orderly workforce and equipment transition.