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Students, staff and residents urge board to halt plan to outsource custodial staff
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Summary
Dozens of students, staff and residents told the Pascack Valley Regional High School District board that proposed privatization of custodial services would harm safety, continuity and community ties as the district weighs options to close a projected budget gap.
Dozens of students, staff and residents urged the Pascack Valley Regional High School District Board of Education on April 27 to abandon consideration of outsourcing custodial staff, saying long-term employees are trusted members of school communities and that replacing them would harm safety and continuity.
The comments came during the public-comment portion of the board's regular meeting after Interim Superintendent Derek Phillips had outlined the district's procurement timeline and said the district is in a 90-day notification period during which no proposals may be solicited. "We're not working on anything at this time," Phillips said; he explained that an RFP period would follow and that any resolution to contract out services would appear on the board agenda only after review.
Students framed the debate in personal terms. "They are irreplaceable," said Maya Tigwani, a senior, describing custodians who have supported students through performing-arts events and daily school life. Karen Alves, also a senior, told the board she had come to her first meeting to speak for custodians who "are so important to everyone." A district secretary, Nicole Ortiz, delivered a collection of 268 handwritten thank-you cards the student body had prepared for the custodial team.
Teachers and staff spoke in the same vein. "They are the ones that keep everything running behind the scenes," said teacher and coach Anthony Jadilla, urging the board to "find another way to balance our budget that doesn't involve privatization of our staff." Lauren Bielen, who identified herself as vice president of the Pacific Valley Regional School Staff Association, warned that outsourcing could take away employees' jobs and health benefits.
Several residents highlighted safety concerns. "The night staff are our family and the custodians that work there are protecting them," said Neelam Tigwani, noting after-hours theater rehearsals and activities. Speakers also questioned whether private contractors would perform consistent background checks and ongoing oversight.
Board members acknowledged the community's concerns and reiterated the financial pressure driving the review. One board member said the district faces a roughly $2 million increase in costs and that the review was part of "turning over every stone" to address the shortfall; she added, "there's no decisions we've made" and emphasized a goal to protect employees if changes occur.
The superintendent had explained the procedural timeline for any outsourcing move: a 90-day notification to the custodian association, a subsequent solicitation period (about 30 days), and an estimated review window before any resolution would be placed on an agenda. Several public speakers asked the board to pursue alternatives such as using town public works, negotiating with current staff, or delaying action while pursuing state-level relief.
The meeting moved on to consent agenda items after public comment. The board recorded roll-call affirmative votes on the minutes and other consent items; speakers stressed the community's attachment to custodial staff and asked the board to prioritize humane transitions if structural changes become necessary.
The board did not take a final vote on outsourcing at the meeting; Phillips and board members repeatedly described the process as ongoing and estimated additional time before any formal action would be considered.
