Knox Co. Schools hires private cleaning company amid custodial shortage

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - On Thursday night, the Knox County Board of Education voted to approve a contract with Duncan & Sons Building Maintenance to address a long-standing custodian shortage.

The private company will offer a handful of its employees to help clean at least 17 schools that are in desperate need.

The board will allocate $1 million to the company Duncan & Sons.

“I think our primary focus needs to be on educating. So when teachers have to clean up the rooms we are taking time away from our primary mission,” one board member said.

There are nearly 100 custodian vacancies, according to school leaders, who added that custodians are struggling to keep up with cleaning demands. Leaders admit and agree a pay increase from the starting $10.94 rate, which is advertised online, will help with with retention and employment.

“I’m sure people are at school because they love the kids, but you just can’t ask people to work that hard and not pay them enough to live off of,” Lance McCold, a public school advocate said.

During back and forth discussions, school board member proposed offering current, and future, custodians a $200 “bonus,” but that motion was denied.

Duncan & Sons will offer some of its employees from February through June.

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