District officials admit that they collect bids for outsourcing service jobs only to qualify for “Best Practices” money
The recent behavior of the Goodrich Board of Education affirms the old adage, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.”
At its recent meeting, the Goodrich school board announced that it was collecting bids from private companies for the district’s custodial, maintenance, transportation and secretarial work in order to qualify for $200,000 in “Best Practices” aid from the state.
The $100-per-pupil “Best Practices” aid is given to schools that meet certain cost-saving business practices.
The Goodrich board needs that money to help balance its books, but made it clear that it has no intention of outsourcing any of those jobs. The district is essentially forfeiting hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential savings to protect its service workers.
“The law does not say you have to outsource,” said Superintendent John Fazer, according to the Flint Journal. “The law says any area that you can bid for services, you need to bid for services. We’re not even considering privatization right now.”
While Goodrich is technically following the state’s “Best Practices” law, it is distasteful to hear the district admit that it is merely engaging in a charade. By taking the “Best Practices” money without seriously considering how the potential savings could help students, Goodrich is making a mockery of the new law. It is gaming the system.
It is curious that a district that recently laid off 14 teachers seems completely uninterested in saving money. Why is that?
“I want to go on record that I oppose any outsourcing at all,” said Timothy Zirnhelt, vice president of the board, according to the Journal. “Everybody knows everybody, and that’s the way Goodrich has always been.”
While we commend Zirnhelt for his loyalty to Goodrich’s service workers, taxpayers are left to wonder if the district’s priorities aren’t misplaced. Schools exist to educate students, not to take provide lavish health insurance and pension plans for their adult employees.
Goodrich students have already seen their educational experience diminished by the recent 14 teacher layoffs. Since the district is digging in its heels against outsourcing, taxpayers are left to wonder if any of those jobs might have been saved by trimming non-instructional labor costs.
We believe it is time for the adult workers to make significant concessions so the students won’t have to keep settling for less and less.
We would prefer that nobody loses his or her job, but student needs must be put first. Anything short of that should be unacceptable.
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