Fort Wayne schools outsourcing 200 custodian jobs

East Allen Times:

FORT WAYNE — The state's second-largest school district is cutting the jobs of more than 200 custodians by hiring a private company.

The Fort Wayne Community Schools expects to save about $4.4 million a year as it responds to state funding cuts that previously led it to issue layoff notices to 311 teachers.

The School Board voted 6-1 Monday to approve a three-year contract with Sodexo, a French-based company with operations across the country, that will cost about $7.2 million a year. Much of the savings will come from having 24 fewer custodial positions and reducing pay by as much as $6 an hour....