Home Food News Xenia schools set to bring custodial work back in-house

Xenia schools set to bring custodial work back in-house

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XENIA — Xenia Community Schools will bring custodial services back under district management this fall, ending the current contract with ABM when it expires in August.

“It has been a long road to get to the point where we can make this move,” said Superintendent Dr. Gabe Lofton. “I am so proud of the work that has taken place over the past five years to get us into the position to bring another division directly back under district management.”

During the past several years, the district has brought multiple service groups back under district management that have been outsourced for nearly a decade. This included building and grounds (2019) and cafeteria services (2020).

The decision to bring custodial services back under district management will allow better quality-control, as well as more immediate supervision of processes. The end result should be better management of facilities for students and staff, and a consistently high standard for custodial services in every building, the district said in a release.

“While the financial costs will not be significantly different from the current expense of outsourcing, I know that the real-world impact on our students has been significant each time we brought a division back under our own management,” Lofton said. “Our cafeteria services and building and grounds staff take a lot of pride in their work as school employees, and it shows in how they care for the buildings and serve students each day.”

The decision is also one that will help the district connect more fully with the Xenia community, offering good jobs with a trusted local organization that people can take pride in being a part of.

“I am very excited that we are able to bring our custodial staff back into the Xenia Community Schools,” said Joshua Day, XCS Board of Education president. “This opportunity really speaks to the work that Dr. Lofton, the board and XCS has put in the last few years to put us in a fiscal position to make this possible. We get to bring good jobs back into our community and continue to grow our Xenia spirit.”

Initial hiring for the department is planned to begin in May, with multiple positions open for custodians to apply for by early summer.

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