by Mariann Kronyak, NJEA Communications Consultant
Teachers, students, staff and community members packed the Pascack Valley board meeting on April 13 to oppose privatizing custodial services, delivering more than 100 letters and urging the district to seek alternatives.
The Pascack Valley School community — teachers, students, support staff and residents — turned out in force to oppose the school district’s plan to outsource custodial positions. More than an hour and a half of public testimony, plus over 100 hand-delivered letters to the Board of Education, made clear the depth of local concern about privatization and its potential impact on students and families.
Community speakers describe custodians as essential to safety, continuity and school culture
Speakers repeatedly emphasized that custodians do far more than clean buildings. Paul Hildon, a paraprofessional and president of the Pascack Valley Regional Support Staff Association, thanked the board for its work but warned that outsourcing would be a mistake. He argued that custodians must be included in the district’s sustainability planning and that any marginal savings would not offset the roughly $2 million budget gap driven by rising health premiums.
Students shared personal testimony about the custodians’ role in school life. Charlie, a junior at Pascack Hills, said, “Our club wouldn’t work without them. Custodians have families — replacing them is like losing a parental figure.” Another student, wearing an American-flag tie, called custodians “unsung heroes” and praised them as role models who deserve a place in the school community.
Dante, a senior at Pascack Valley, described the custodians’ loyalty, familiarity and nonjudgmental support: “We will lose vital connections — that love translates to heart and soul — traded for a few lines on a balance sheet.”
Unanswered questions about the process prompt calls for transparency and alternatives
Several attendees asked the board when layoffs (RIFs) would be announced and how decisions would be made. Board members directed questioners to email the superintendent and said answers would not be provided during the public session, a move that frustrated speakers seeking transparency.
The salutatorian returned to the meeting after receiving an award earlier that night, explaining that custodians often work later than students and staff and he could not leave without speaking on their behalf. Sean Bucchan urged the board to “find an alternate solution,” expressing “utmost respect for the custodians.”
Speakers told stories about custodians’ daily work and the safety they provide through personal relationships with students. Many warned that contracting with a private company might appear to save money on paper but would come at the cost of community cohesion, school safety, and long-term support for students.
Community volunteers offer to help find solutions
Throughout the meeting volunteers offered to form a committee to explore alternatives to privatization. Several community members and staff proposed collaborative approaches to reduce expenses without eliminating district custodial jobs, calling for the board to engage stakeholders in a transparent process before making irreversible decisions.
What’s next?
The Board of Education received the letters and heard testimony, but attendees left seeking clearer answers on the timeline and criteria for any staffing changes.
For now, the April 13 meeting underscored the extent to which custodial staff are valued by students, staff and families across the Pascack Valley district — and the community’s willingness to organize to protect those positions.