Carly Harrington with Knox Schools has provided me with a statement after I have requested some material related to the custodial outsourcing proposal.

“For the last several years, KCS has experienced a critical shortage of custodial staff, and despite efforts to fill these positions, including providing transportation and an 8% raise, we have struggled to hire the staff we need.”

“We continue to look for innovative solutions to help support our dedicated custodians, who work extremely hard to keep our schools clean. One proposal being considered is leveraging a supplemental service provider for a pilot program to help fill persistent coverage gaps in school communities with the highest need.”

“This is intended to be a short-term solution and would not result in a reduction of existing custodial staff. We are continuing our efforts to hire custodial staff to the levels needed.”

I have asked a followup question about why there is only one custodial vacancy according to today’s KCS website. I will let you know the response, when I know.