School board works to negotiate contracts
BY PAM BRANNON Gulf Breeze News news@gulfbreezenews.com

Rogers

There may be a new school bus contractor transporting kids to school next year. That contract, as several other long term contracts for the school district, is now being negotiated between more than one possible bidder, according to Santa Rosa School Superintendent John Rogers. But one contract that won't go up for bid for the district is the Southern Management Custodial contract. The Santa Rosa County School Board approved a five year extension of that contract last week when the custodial service agreed to waive a $205,000 cost of living increase for next year.

Judson Crane, Purchasing Director for the school district, reported to the board that Southern Management had agreed to waive a cost of living increase for next year that is usually included in a new contract. The custodial services contract was up for renewal. Crane said, "By waiving the cost of living increase, it will save the school district at least $205,000. The management of Southern Management said they understood what financial pressure the district is in during these times of cutbacks by the state, and they want to work as partners."

Southern Management's annual report presented to the board showed that the Department of Education recommends school districts to pay custodial workers $13.37 an hour if hired and managed by the district. For the amount of square footage being cleaned and maintained in Santa Rosa schools the Department of Education also requires the district hire at least 193 custodians. The total cost to the district would be just over $7 million, at that cost.

But since the district contracts with Southern Management to provide custodial services, the company showed through its report that they saved the school district over $3.3 million, charging the district not quite $4 million a year for the services rendered. The report shows that Southern Management uses 202 custodians for the school district - more than the required by the Department of Education. They pay those custodians who work for Southern Management $7.88 an hour.

School Superintendent John Rogers had told the board and had earlier last week told the Budget Task Force that several long term contracts that were expiring for the district would be closely reviewed and out up for bid. He said, for example, that Laidlaw Transportation, who recently sold its company to First Student, Inc., had been the bus transportation contractor for Santa Rosa County Schools for the last 10 years. But Rogers said right now a committee from the school administration is working with not only First Student but another company, also, to negotiate a new contract for next year. "We may not change transportation contractors, but we might. The committee has made a couple trips downstate to look at other transportation contractors. Since the contract is up, it gives us the opportunity to perhaps get some new language, also, into a contract that we might need for the upcoming year."

He said the transportation contract issue should be brought to the board by the April school board meeting for a final decision.