Williamson County School Board to Hire Custodial Monitors

williamson county schools

Last week, the Williamson County School Board voted to adjust the budget in order for the county to hire two additional custodial monitors.

According to Superintendent Dr. Mike Looney, after watching footage of the schools night janitorial staff, some of the contractual workers were seen taking taking multiple breaks in a short span of time, sleeping and smoking e-cigarettes in the buildings.

“I need someone to be in those schools at night to make sure the work is getting done,” Looney said. “I can contract or I can hire and their loyalty would be to us and not to a parent company.”

The funds for these two positions will be transferred from the custodial contract to the additional custodial managers in flex shifts to ensure that the work has been done before the next school day. Williamson County Schools has taken deductions from the custodial contractor’s invoices for the shortcomings each month. The transfer in funds will be used to fund salaries for the two positions, totaling $61,112.

 

Looney said he would rather hire employees for the county, rather than request for more contracted workers because county employees would be held accountable for the amount of work they put forth.

The new employees will focus on two specific schools that have had continuous problems over the last several months.

Before the school board voted, several board members questioned Looney, asking why the contracted company cannot be terminated. Looney responded saying that in order to fire the company, it would take at least another 45 days to have another company on the floor. The conditions of the schools would therefore get worse, before they could improve.

This budget amendment motion passed 7-5. Kenneth Peterson, Dan Cash, Beth Burgos, Candace Emerson and Susan Curlee were the opposed.

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