Illinois lawmakers are calling for state intervention in Cook County School District 130 after teachers reported dirty bathrooms, overflowing garbage and other unsanitary conditions following the district’s decision to replace union janitors with a private company.
The Illinois State Board of Education told NBC 5 it is looking into the complaints.
State Rep. Bob Rita, whose district includes Blue Island, joined state Sen. Bill Cunningham and state Reps. Justin Slaughter and Mary Gill in urging the education board and Illinois Department of Public Health to investigate.
“I was disgusted and appalled,” Rita told NBC 5 Thursday. “It’s unacceptable, and the school board has failed, and we need to get these schools cleaned immediately.”
The lawmakers’ call follows an emotional school board meeting Tuesday night, where teachers, parents and former custodians pressed district leaders to address conditions and bring back the union workers.
Last month, the district voted to dismiss about 30 janitors represented by SEIU Local 73 and replace them with a private custodial company. District officials said delays in completing required background checks have slowed the transition, leaving teachers, principals and other staff helping with cleaning.
Teachers said bathrooms were dirty, garbage was piling up and some floors had not been mopped since the start of the school year.
“The schools are filthy, and I just find this disgusting,” one speaker said during Tuesday’s meeting.
In a joint statement released Wednesday, the lawmakers cited teachers’ reports of mold exposure, mice and other animal infestations, overflowing trash and bathrooms lacking soap and toilet paper.
“We are calling for immediate intervention and investigation by the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health to act to protect students and teachers where the School District has failed,” the statement read.
Rita also urged district leaders to return to negotiations with SEIU Local 73 and bring union custodians back to work.
“Hearing these parents, the teachers, the community asking and begging the school board to resolve this, it’s unacceptable,” he said.
School board members defended the decision to change custodial services, saying cleanliness problems predated the layoffs. One member said she had seen photographs of dirty bathrooms and classroom floors before the switch.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the board president acknowledged frustration with the transition to HES, the new custodial provider, and said the company had been expected to begin providing services Sept. 7.
“This process is taking longer than expected,” the board president said.
The board president said workers must complete the district’s required background checks before being permitted to work around students.
“Our focus must be on getting the appropriate staffing in place, holding our new provider accountable, and ensuring our schools are clean and safe,” the board president said.
District leaders also thanked teachers, principals, maintenance workers and other staff for helping fill the gaps. Some teachers, however, told the board the situation could not continue.
“Our students cannot sustain it. These teachers cannot sustain it. The principals cannot sustain it,” one speaker said.
NBC 5 contacted the Illinois Department of Public Health and district officials for additional information about how they are addressing the complaints.
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