THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 20, 1994 TAG: 9410180216
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: JON GLASS
LENGTH: Short : 37 lines
Marriott to clean up schools
Superintendent Roy D. Nichols Jr. signed a $722,036 contract last week with Marriott Management Services Corp. of Newark, Del., to oversee cleaning of Norfolk's schools.
The agreement ends a five-year relationship with ServiceMaster Inc. of Chicago.
With the Marriott contract, the school system in the 1994-95 year will spend about $500,000 less than had been budgeted for custodial services, Nichols said. ServiceMaster was paid about $1.2 million last year.
School Board members hope to use the savings to air-condition more schools or for classroom instruction.
The contract with Marriott runs for three years with an option for two more. But Nichols said the School Board made clear to Marriott it is interested in returning to in-house management of cleaning services. The ServiceMaster contract was the first time the school system had fielded out custodial management to a private company.
Custodians will remain employees of Norfolk schools. Marriott will supply cleaning equipment and oversee the work force. Nichols said Marriott officials can do the job with fewer people but staff reductions will occur through attrition.
``I don't think we're going to go out and lay off people,'' Nichols said.
The contract requires that savings resulting from staff cuts be split with the school system, Nichols said. by CNB