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Commissioner urges Dougherty County board to pause custodial outsourcing; superintendent says employees will have options
Summary
A public commenter urged the board not to outsource custodial work, warning of job and benefit loss. The superintendent responded that employees with five or more years will be offered a choice to remain on district payroll or move to the contractor with maintained or comparable pay and benefits, and an informational meeting was scheduled for affected employees.
During public comment at the Dougherty County School System meeting, Commissioner Diane Brown urged the board to reconsider any plan to outsource custodial services, saying outsourcing would cost workers jobs and benefits and urging the board to "put the people first."
"When you outsource some ... some are not going to have no job. Some not going to have no benefits," Commissioner Brown said, asking the board to pause and prioritize workers who maintain school sanitation and safety.
The superintendent responded directly to those concerns and said staff scheduled a meeting the next day for affected employees. He stressed that "no one's on the chopping block" and said the district’s plan includes protections: employees with five or more years of service will be offered a choice to remain on the district payroll or move to the contractor’s payroll; pay "will not be decreased"; employees will be offered health, dental and vision benefits; and a 401(k) with employer match will be available through the contractor.
"Pay will not be decreased. They will be offered health benefits, dental benefits, vision benefits, and an array of supplemental benefits," the superintendent said, adding that weekly pay will replace twice-monthly pay under the contractor and that head custodians and other leaders may be eligible for advancement under the new structure.
The superintendent said staff had performed an analysis of employee impacts and would provide individualized information at the employee meeting, including pay rates, benefit comparisons and opportunities for advancement. He also said employees who are retirement-eligible may choose contractor employment to receive a retirement check plus contractor pay in some cases.
The board did not take immediate formal action on outsourcing during the meeting; staff said a meeting for impacted employees would be held the following morning at Auburn High School cafeteria to discuss details.
