In between tears, a frustrated and deflated Sofia Shattuck, summed up in two words the feelings many of her soon-to-be former coworkers shared.“We’re screwed,” Shattuck said.
Shattuck, the long time Birmingham Public Schools bus driver, had just learned that she, along with the district’s custodians and transportation providers would soon be without a job.
In a unanimous 7-0 vote, the BPS School board moved Tuesday, April 1, to privatize all transportation and custodial services in the district, effective next school year.
“We used to be the light house district, now that light is going out,” Birmingham Education Association (BEA) Maureen Martin said. “Privatizing is the wrong way to go.”
The board expects the move to save the district roughly $2.8 million in 2008-09. BPS expects to reach an agreement with an Illinois-based transportation provider in a deal that could save the district $507,070, according to numbers released by district’s Birmingham Deficit Reduction Plan (BDRP). As of press time, a custodial staffing service had not been chosen by BPS, but the districts estimates a $2,293,010 savings.
According to BPS Superintendent David Larson the move was in response to the $7.5 million deficit the district is expected to face in the next two years.
“As our district continues to face this budget crisis, the decisions become more and more difficult,” Larson said in an April 2 e-mail to BPS staff. “Our board is committed to keeping reductions as far from the classroom as possible. "This was a challenging and painful decision,” Larson said. “Our custodians and bus drivers are dedicated staff members who care deeply about our students. It is regrettable that our budget situation has created the need for this action.”
But not all agree that the move will be financially beneficial in the long run.
“They’re going to be sorry,” said one Seaholm custodian was asked to remain anonymous. “They think they’re saving, but they’re not.”
Sofia Shattuck lives in the district but said she will likely no longer be able to afford to live here and will move. She told the Highlander that her understanding is the district has a $15 million “Rainy Day Fund” for times of financial need.
“Don’t you think it’s raining?” Sofia Shattuck asked.
It may not be that simple however.
“The Rainy Day Fund is used for catastrophic events, such as a fire,” Assistant Principal Deb Boyer said.
“The district has already been drawing out of this fund to cover the district’s deficit. The district is unable to draw anymore from this fund to cover the deficit.”
Seaholm Principal Terry Piper emphasized the move was difficult decision for the district to make, but said he has no reason to expect the quality of service to decline with privatized custodians.
“I have a good friend who is the principal over at Avondale,” Piper said. “Their transition to privatization was smooth and successful.”
However custodians at Seaholm were skeptical, telling the Highlander that they heard the Avondale transition was “terrible” and that the school “stays dirty all the time.”
Many of the custodians interviewed for this article expressed frustration and a sense of the district “piling it on.”
The district, according to more than two Seaholm custodians, has directed the current BPS custodians to train their replacements. Less than 24 hours after the vote, six new substitutes were scheduled to begin training Wednesday, April 2nd.
Even with training, opponents claim that the quality of privatized companies is questionable.
“I can guarantee the busses will not be kept up to regulation, nor will the busses be as safe as they currently are,” Groves junior Rocky Shattuck firmly told the Highlander.
Rocky Shattuck said the move is a step back for the district, and will cost the students and family of the district in the end.
He has a personal interest in the movement against privatization. His mother Sofia drives a bus in the district. Because of privatization, it is now a harsh possibility that he will have to finish his last year in high school at a new school, since privatized employees will likely no longer be able to send their children to BPS schools for free.
In addition, supporters of the current custodians and drivers point out that they often do more than their job requires to make a student’s or teacher’s school day a little easier.
It’s not unusual for custodians to help teachers move file cabinets, or let students into buildings after school hours.
In addition, some argue, the level of familiarity with the current custodians and drivers provided a sense of security to many students and teachers.
Few, if any, at Seaholm currently worry about purses, wallets, cell phones or iPods being stolen from their locker room during practice or from a theater seat during rehearsal.
However, opponents of privatization point toward some staffing companies’ large turnover rate, combined with a significantly lower salary as motivation to steal.
“It is a concern that with a 300 percent turnover, the rate of theft may increase,” said one Seaholm staff member who asked not to be identified.
According to one current custodian, a coworker of his found $60 a few weeks ago and turned it in with a note saying “this won’t happen with privatized companies.”
Beyond theft, those who oppose the privatization argue that this quality of service will become a thing of the past when the private companies bring in all new employees who do not have the loyalty and pride in their job that the current custodians and transportation men and women have.
“As a union, the transportation services have been very accommodating,” Sofia Shattuck said. “Let me be clear that the last thing I want to see happen is budget cuts with in the classroom at the expense of the students and teachers. However, I know there are other ways to deal with this issue then to let go over a 150 loyal hardworking employees go who truly care about the students.”
However, not all are opposed to the district’s privatization of the custodial and driving staff.
“I believe it is crucial to cut the district’s budget where possible, and if that means the privatization of the custodial services, then let it be,” said Jim Bart, a long time Birmingham resident and taxpayer.
Bart and others who support the privatization feel for those who would lose their jobs in the event of hiring a private company; however they feel that the district’s financial state should be a top priority to ensure that the students of the Birmingham Schools are not left with the short end of the stick.
“We can rely on the private sector to bring efficiency and order to the services while at the same time bringing the cost down,” said Birmingham resident Kay Martin.
As the Highlander reported in February, the school board began taking bids from private companies offering to deliver services that fulfill the transportation and custodial needs at the schools.
The move began before the contract for the district’s custodians expired December 31, 2007.
