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District pilots contracted custodial staffing with AtWork to fill vacancies
Summary
Doctor Amy Painter proposed a pilot contracting custodial positions with AtWork to address high turnover; she cited hiring 44 custodians in 2024–25 (about 38% turnover) and projected roughly 25% savings when the vendor covers payroll and benefits; the board asked for detailed bill‑rate spreadsheets and a shared HR tracking tab.
Doctor Amy Painter presented an informational proposal to pilot contracted custodial staffing with a local AtWork franchise to address persistent vacancies and turnover among custodial staff.
Painter said the division hired 44 custodian positions in the 2024–25 year (representing roughly 38% turnover of the district’s 118 full‑ and part‑time custodians) and still carried 15 vacancies. The proposed pilot would begin in secondary schools with the most need. Under the model described, AtWork would be the employer of record for the assigned custodians, handling payroll, payroll taxes, worker’s compensation and benefits; AtWork staff would be paid weekly, a feature Painter said can be attractive to candidates. After a 90‑day probationary period an AtWork employee could choose to become an RCPS employee or remain with AtWork.
Frank McMillan, owner of the local AtWork franchise, described national experience and confirmed the company would match the district pay scale and could onboard candidates quickly; he said typical bill‑rate calculations include company margins and benefits. Painter and AtWork said RCPS would still require the district’s background checks and that AtWork employees would be expected to adhere to RCPS policies and work under the direction of school principals.
Board members raised questions about disciplinary records and whether RCPS would maintain visibility into employee performance. Painter said HR would maintain a shared spreadsheet and background checks would be done through RCPS. A board member requested Justin Moyers from finance provide the underlying bill‑rate spreadsheet presented in the fact‑finding work so the board can see the specific cost comparisons.
What happens next: Painter and finance staff will provide the board with detailed bill‑rate/cost spreadsheets and HR will set up tracking; the pilot will proceed only after follow‑up review and any required action at a future meeting.
