A new contractor will handle the heavy cleaning in Elmore County Schools.
At its Tuesday meeting, the Elmore County Board of Education approved the bid from HES Facilities Management in Knoxville, Tennessee, in the amount of $1,841,966.59 for the next school year. The privately held company handles custodial services for only educational facilities from kindergarten to college across the country. The company will hire approximately two county wide managers, about 11 campus managers and about 44 custodians who will clean Elmore County School mostly after students leave for the day.
“It’s hard to clean a school during the day,” Elmore County Schools facilities maintenance director Mike Czerpak said.
HES representative Chaz Harris said supervisors and managers would meet almost daily with principals and assistant principals about areas of concern. Those would also be communicated to Czerpak. They would also be documented. Supervisors will also use the company’s system to document more than 50 classrooms and other areas of concern via online software with notes and photographs that BOE personnel would have access to.
The contract has an option for continuing the service for two more years.
Custodians employed by the schools would still be on campus during school hours to service necessary cleanups and other duties.
Most of the data of recent ACT and ACAP testing is embargoed, but superintendent Richard Dennis did share some information. He said 11 graders improved the average ACT score by a full point and the top 25% of students scored a 24 or better.
Dennis said 94% of Elmore County third graders met or exceeded benchmarks for ACAP testing. He said of the 52 students who didn’t benchmark, all but three had good cause exemptions to be promoted to the fourth grade.
“All of our teachers in the elementary schools have done an excellent job,” Dennis said
In other action the Elmore County Board of Education:
• Approved April financial statements.
• Approved minutes from the April 15 meeting.
• Approved a facility use agreement for Redland Middle School.
• Approved the personnel action sheet except for one set aside pending a grievance hearing.
• Approved a yearly bush hog bid for 10 properties in the amount of $20,700.
• Approved a bid in the amount of $924,000 to install a HVAC system and electrical necessary for HVAC and commercial laundry facilities.
• Approved a bid in the amount of $1,010,000 for the expansion of the Wetumpka High School cafeteria.
• Approved Literacy Summer Camp, Numeracy Summer Camp and middle and high school summer school.
