School janitors face job jeopardy

Budget calls for drastic drop in personnel

By Louis Medina
Diversity Institute Fellow

03.14.06

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The Metro School Board received the first draft of a proposed 2006-07 budget on Tuesday that could require roughly one out of every six custodians working in the district to be laid off.

Assistant Superintendent Chris Henson highlighted additions and cuts to the $556 million budget during a board meeting at West End Middle School in Nashville.

Afterward, Henson said 651 custodians are employed by Metro schools, and laying off 100 of them would save the school district almost $3 million.

"The buildings are not going to be as clean," he said. "Of course, we're not going to leave the schools without enough help to get the job done."

The budget also includes a reduction of 21 school bus driver positions, about the yearly average number of vacancies in the driver pool, Henson told the board. Three currently vacant mechanics positions would also be cut, Henson said.

Those reductions will save another $1.1 million, the budget showed.

"We try to keep the cuts as far from the classroom as we can," Henson said.

Henson's presentation to the board marked the first time the new budget was presented publicly, Board Chairperson Pam Brinkley Garrett said.

Schools Director Pedro García said he had not yet received complaints from custodians.

A public hearing on the budget will take place March 28 at the school board building on Bransford Avenue.

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