This School Board has some tangible evidence by which to make a decision regarding the outsourcing of custodial services, but their Director of Maintenance Russell (Russ) Tysinger has failed in his duty to properly inform them of previous and continuing problems of an outside contractor that already has a foot in the door, as they wondered aloud what outsourcing might look like. He has failed to paint a realistic picture for them.. why he would he choose to omit pertinent information is for someone else to figure out.

Superintendent Margaret Smith and Director of Maintenance Russ Tysinger got a YES nod to outsourcing custodial services on February 13, 2013 by three Volusia County School Board members and with a willingness that may rise to the level of eagerness, these five are now leading an assault on nearly 500 families and their livelihood. This move toward outsourcing Volusia County Schools custodial services began last summer (2012), which makes it all the more disturbing and raises concerns on several levels.

If this School Board decides to look the other way and be led blindly into an outsourcing contract, I would Immediately revise the School Board contract with Russ Tysinger to forbid him from jumping ship and going to work for WHOEVER (wink, wink..) gets the contract.

I would also eliminate Russ Tysinger's desire to hold on to his band of gypsy supervisors that will be paid to essentially evaluate themselves.. a luxury that Aramark has held for some time.. a luxury that was handed to them by Russ Tysinger and something he will want desperately. If this School Board eventually votes to approve a contract to outsource, they should hire an independent and unbiased third party company to evaluate the cleanliness of our schools with the money saved from cutting the supervisors that have nothing to do, supervisors that he moves around constantly in his funny little payroll game.

This relationship with an outside contractor was structured for many years so that area supervisors employed by Volusia County Schools were paid for with our tax dollars but were supervised by the outside contractor Aramark. A very odd organizational structure that left us twisting in the wind when we needed help. Russ Tysinger and his maintenance department have repeatedly failed to hold Aramark accountable to their obligations under the contract.

Does anyone know why that would be?

Aramark fell under the umbrella of the VCSB Maintenance Department and it has always been a struggle and at times impossible to get the proper amount of cleaning supplies and equipment from Aramark. There is not a system in place to track the amount of product that they are supplying, (or the value of what they were providing) nor is there a system in place to evaluate the equipment or service they are or have been providing by having good documentation.

Don't listen to me.. and don't listen to Russ Tysinger. Go ask the educators that are serving as Principals, or better yet ask the Assistant Principals that serve in the role as the Facility Manager of their schools and ask them what their experience has been. Ask the Head Custodians in any of the schools across the county... ask the people who have dealt with Aramark on a regular basis.

These School Board members don't need to wonder aloud what outsourcing might look like and what kind of service will be provided, many of us already know already know, and it is all there for you to evaluate.

Apparently your Director of Maintenance Russ Tysinger doesn't want you to know.