In March 2018, the Sun-Times’ Lauren FitzPatrick first reported on widespread filthy conditions at dozens of Chicago public schools served by private janitorial firms.
The problems were so alarming — in one Bronzeville school, rats and rodent droppings were found — that the district ordered an inspections “blitz” at some 220 schools. Those inspections were never fully completed, FitzPatrick reported, yet at the 125 schools where inspections did take place, 91 schools failed. To make matters worse, some janitors later told FitzPatrick that supervisors “cheated” to pass the cleanliness audits, by alerting cleaning staff ahead of time of upcoming inspections and telling them where to make sure and clean.
Yet Chicago Public Schools renewed, more than once, its multimillion-dollar contract with the private janitorial firm Aramark (and, initially, Sodexho Magic). The district had first contracted with the firm in 2014, in a privatization push that was supposed to save money. Many janitors who had been employed by the district lost their jobs, though some were rehired by the private firms. Principals lost any supervisory authority over custodial staff, and had to report problems to private managers to handle.
Over time, along with complaints of dirty schools, janitors reported that they weren’t given enough cleaning supplies. The district’s facilities chief was eventually ousted because of the problems. Principals, teachers and parents sometimes stepped in to clean buildings themselves.
Now CPS seems poised to end the privatization push, and that’s likely for the better. CPS officials plan to ask the Board of Education next week to give the green light to proposals that would get rid of Aramark, whose contract,with the district expires June 30, the Sun-Times’ Nader Issa and WBEZ’s Sarah Karp reported.
Will a return to district-run custodial services guarantee sparkling-clean schools? No. But after 10 years and $900 million in contracts, if Aramark hasn’t fully made the case for privatization as the better option, then CPS has to shake things up.
The union that represents school custodians, SEIU Local 73, is applauding the proposed move. If their members can now get enough supplies, and have the power to do a better job than under Aramark, more power to them.
CPS Chief Operating Officer Charles Mayfield hit the nail on the head: “At the end of the day, the student is what’s most important. That environment has got to be safe and clean for success and academic learning.”
CPS has plenty of challenges ahead, on any number of fronts. Something as basic as keeping schools clean shouldn’t be one of them.
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