Whitfield County Schools hopes raise helps with custodial staffing shortage

Published 2:00 pm Sunday, November 8, 2020

The Whitfield County Schools Board of Education approved an amendment to the system’s contract with American Facility Services for custodial services Monday, authorizing a raise for workers in hopes of lessening a staff shortage.

By bumping pay up $1.30, which increases the annual contract with American Facility Services $250,000 to $2.5 million, “we hope to compete better with local industry,” said Mike Ewton, Whitfield County Schools assistant superintendent for operations and student services. According to American Facility Services, several other Georgia school systems have already executed the $1.30 raise, and “it fixed their problems, so we hope it makes an impact here.”

American Facility Services is “having issues with staffing, and I feel they are making a good-faith effort to fix things, but they’re having a hard time with retention,” Ewton said. “Right now, the day shift is doing a good job, but the night shift is a revolving door, (which had led to) service failures.”

American Facility Services is “having a hard time getting people in, and they’re seven short right now,” said Eric Patterson, director of facilities and maintenance for Whitfield County Schools. “That continues to be a problem, but the management team of (American Facility Services) has been great, (as) the management team is working extra hours to try to cover those empty spots.”

Valley Point Middle School

In addition to addressing custodial shortages, Whitfield County Schools is still awaiting full completion of the new Valley Point Middle School, which opened for students in August.

The building “had a pretty extensive punch list, (but) we’ve gotten it down to a few things,” said Keith Redding, vice president of R.K. Redding Construction Inc. “Most of them should be finished this week.”

That includes a damaged curb that is being demolished and poured back, two missing hand dryers in the press box/concession stand and replacing damaged metal ridge caps on classroom wings, Redding said. Other items are ”to be determined,” such as an archery curtain in the gym that was made too long, light poles for the back parking lot that are on back order, and spots in the parking lots that hold water.

Northwest Georgia Paving is aware of those “bird baths” in the parking lots and will address them as soon as possible, he said. “They are swamped with work right now.”

Other construction projects

The new North Whitfield Middle School, scheduled to open for the 2021-22 school year, is “running really smooth,” with sidewalk concrete more than 90% poured, Patterson said. “I’m really impressed with it so far.”

The new gym at Westside Middle School should be ready by Thanksgiving week, “if not sooner,” he added. “Basically, finishing work is what’s left there, (but) it’s a very nice facility.”