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stephenville
- 1. Stephenville Independent SchoolDistrict in Texas has six schools with approximately 3,700 students in grades K-12. Located about an hour southwest of Fort Worth, Stephenville is a rural district with close ties to the students and families it serves. The district works hard to ensure a healthy learning environment and holds a solid“Recognized”performance rating from the Texas Education Agency. This rating places it among the top 30 percent of districts in the state. Custodial & Campus Services STEPHENVILLE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT STEPHENVILLE, TX Outsourcing for a “Win-Win” THE DECISION TO OUTSOURCE Part of achieving its mission of excellence involves keeping the facilities clean and the housekeeping staff engaged with the school faculty and administrators. For years, the custodial team was managed and staffed in-house; but in 2007, the district began considering alternatives, said Superintendent of Schools Darrell G. Floyd, Ed.D. At the time, turnover in the custodial department was high, costs were not being efficiently managed, and results were inconsistent. The district felt like it needed to start exploring other options, Floyd recalled.“We took bids, and SSC ended up with the winning bid,”he says. “It has been a win-win ever since.” EASING THE TRANSITION Today, SSC is responsible for cleaning 600,000 square feet, including six classroom buildings and an administrative office for the school district. The custodial team is comprised of 37 employees and includes a number of people who started as district staff before the contract with SSC began. As with any big change, there was some trepidation when the district first partnered with SSC, recalled SSC Contract Manager John Lane, who has been instrumental in the partnership from the start.“Some people thought we were going to take out all the people they knew and replace them with our people,” he explains. Especially in a school district as close-knit as Stephenville, establishing the trust of staff was critical, he said. Once the custodial contract got underway, it quickly became apparent that SSC was committed to supporting
- 2. SSC is amember of Compass Group PLC “I strongly advocate outsourcing custodial services. It helped save us significant dollars and eliminated all personnel headaches in that department. The end result is cleaner buildings for our students and teachers. That’s what we’re after.” DARRELL G. FLOYD, ED.D. Superintendent of Schools the existing staff and helping them meet the district’s housekeeping goals. From the outset, the district’s in-house employees were offered positions with SSC.“We had a little bit of turnover at the front end, but we did not have a lot,”Lane says.“We gave everybody the tools and opportunity to succeed. If they chose not to, they probably did not have the organization’s best interests in mind.” For a handful of housekeeping employees who were close to retirement when SSC came in, special arrangements were made to keep them on as district employees. The custodial partnership is built upon being honest with people and treating them fairly, Lane commented.“We’re not just a support services company,”he notes.“We’re part of the community.” SOLVING OLD PROBLEMS Upon partnering with Stephenville, SSC addressed several key areas to support the district’s goals, including: • Personnel:“In one fell swoop,”SSC solved the personnel problems within housekeeping, Floyd related. With SSC, housekeeping staff members are trained, supported, and held accountable for their work. • Budget management: SSC implemented a fixed cleaning budget that covers both routine and miscellaneous housekeeping needs (such as sporting events).“Board members and administrators appreciate the ability to get a budget and know the budget will cover the cost of custodial services,”Floyd said. • Consistency: In accordance with a disciplined cleaning schedule, SSC ensures that all housekeeping tasks— from cleaning restrooms to buffing floors—are done consistently and thoroughly. •“Easy button”approach: When issues or special needs arise, teachers and faculty can call the SSC on-site manager directly and get matters resolved quickly, without having to make multiple phone calls.“It’s almost like an‘easy button,’Lane related. Additionally, a quality control notebook is in place at each facility, where staff and others can express feedback and concerns. Lane says that people appreciate having the option to provide feedback anonymously in this way. RESULTS For Stephenville, outsourcing with SSC has produced impactful results, including: • Cost savings: Floyd estimates that his district saved over $150,000 in its first year with SSC, but he notes that this figure is actually higher if you take into account the savings related to unemployment insurance, worker’s compensation, and employee turnover/overtime. On average, Lane estimates that outsourcing to SSC saves Stephenville about 20 percent annually in custodial costs. • Cleaner buildings: Cleaning results are measured by a monthly quality control report card, where each of the seven facilities grade SSC on comprehensive criteria, such as cleaning of common areas, cafeterias, and locker rooms. Across the district, SSC consistently receives As and Bs. Of the grades submitted for the last quarter of 2012, for example, SSC received: October November December As 46 41 46 Bs 0 1 1 Notably, these solid grades did not waver in 2012 when Stephenville welcomed new SSC Account Manager Tamra Vancil, who took over for SSC’s Tom McClusky when he moved to a new role within the company. “I just picked up where he left off,”Vancil noted.“The dynamics here are almost unexplainable,”she says.“Everyone just comes together to help each other out.” In summing up the district’s experience with SSC, Floyd concludes,“I strongly advocate outsourcing custodial services. It helped save us significant dollars and eliminated all personnel headaches in that department. The end result is cleaner buildings for our students and teachers. That’s what we’re after.”