SIKESTON — The Sikeston R-6 School District awarded its contract for custodial services to a new and local provider during its regular monthly meeting Tuesday in the gymnasium at Wing Elementary.
Lorrie McClenton, director of R-6 building and grounds, said 10 companies were represented March 30 at the pre-bid meeting. Of those 10, nine bids were received and opened on April 25. The companies that submitted bids were: SG360, HES Facilities Management, ABBCO Service, MFM Industries, ABM Industries, Cotton Pickin’ Clean LLC, Marcis & Associates, ATS Facility Services and Walsh Services.
“Our committee reviewed the five lowest bid proposals and interviewed three of the companies,” McClenton told the board of education during Tuesday’s meeting. “The committee unanimously decided to recommend that we award the contract to Cotton Picking Cleaning of Scott City, Missouri, in the amount of $1,269,195.36 annually, to be paid monthly at $105,766.28.”
The 12-month contract will be for the 2022-2023 school year, beginning July 1, with an annual option to renew for up to five years total, she said.
“We feel this company was the best fit for our district because they are local and able to provide a quick response time when support is needed; they are literally 30 minutes away,” McClenton said. “They came highly recommended from other local districts. They supply better equipment/supplies than we currently have, and they have an outstanding wage and benefits package that will help with employee quality and retention.”
McClenton said currently other school districts Cotton Picking Cleaning works for are Portageville, Oran and Dexter. CPC will offer higher wages for the district’s employees; the other proposals offered around minimum wage for the workers, R-6 Finance Director Cheryl Essner pointed out.
ABBCO based in St. Louis had been the district’s current custodial services provider since 2015.
Other action by the Board on Tuesday included awarding the district’s audit services bid to the sole bidder and current provider, Van de Ven LLC of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The price for the 2022 audit of $31,660 is the same as the previous year, according to Essner. The price will increase to $33,245 in 2023 and $34,900 in 2024.
The Board also approved the amendment to the renewed the fixed price food service management contract with Fresh Ideas for one year for the 2022-2023 school year, starting July 1. The cost to the district is $3.269 for lunches, $2.002 for breakfasts, 87 cents for after-school snacks and the meal equivalent factor for a la carte sales and catered events is $4.19.
The Board approved the 10-month agreement for the district to rent space at Southeast Missouri State University in Sikeston to conduct educational services for grade-level students with autism. The contract begins Aug. 1 and runs through May 31, 2023, at $1,200 per month.
For more on Tuesday’s school board meeting, see the weekend edition of the Standard Democrat.