Litchfield board to hire its own school janitors

10/20/2005

HILLSDALE, Mich. The Litchfield school board is scrambling to re-establish the district s operation of janitorial and maintenance services because its contractor is planning to stop doing that work next month.

Steve Banbury, president of Wolverine Builders and Maintenance Co., has informed the board that he is canceling the firm s contract with the district Nov. 2. He said he holds no ill will toward the district, but cannot fulfill the contract s terms for $170,000 a year, the limit set by the board.

The board plans to hire a maintenance supervisor and four custodians and reassume the cleaning and maintenance of the school buildings and grounds. Former Superintendent John Chandler convinced the board to contract for the work three years ago, and after an initial contract with another company failed, the Wolverine agreement was put in place.