Farmington Board of Education Considers Privatizing Services
FARMINGTON HILLS (WWJ) - The Farmington Board of Education is meeting Tuesday night to consider a proposal to privatize a number of support services like transportation, custodial, maintenance and nutrition.
Officials say the move could save the district $4 million a year, but unions are mobilizing to stop the move.
Such a move could impact bus drivers like Christy Swayze, who has been with the district for 27 years and currently drives special needs students. She said parents and students are against the proposed privatization.
"We've had children come to the board meeting and speak, you know, saying that they don't want this to happen. They've had the same bus driver from elementary school all the way up to high school and they want to keep that," Swayze said.
Swayze thinks the move would erode the family atmosphere of the district.
"The parents shouldn't have to worry, the grandparents shouldn't have to worry about who's in the schools. We just don't know who's going to get in there and like I said, it's always been word of mouth and family that has worked for the district," Swayze said.
District officials say they invited unions representing support employees to submit bids.
The school board will listen to recommendations but is not expected to vote on the privatization measures yet. The board meets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at North Farmington High School.
