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| Partners Tony Sparano, left, and Peter Mango show off their Signal 88 Security vehicle. (Photo courtesy of the Daily Local News) |
Local reporter Debbie Wygent includes in her summary of Monday night's Octorara school board board meeting the announcement that Octorara and Signal 88, a Parkesburg based security firm headed by former school board member and East Fallowfield police chief Pete Mango, had signed a one year agreement.
The agreement calls for Mango's firm to provide traffic and road crossing services previously provided by the Parkesburg and West Fallowfield police departments.
The money quote from Debbie's article:
The board also approved a contract with Signal 88 Security for traffic security along Highland Road during peak bus times in the morning and afternoon each Monday through Friday. Signal 88 will be paid $34.88 per hour, at a cost not to exceed $20,000 during the school year. The company is a venture of Peter Mango, a retired police officer and former school board member. Superintendent Tom Newcome said the contracted rate is lower than those of local police departments and was one of his cost-saving recommendations to the board.
Read Debbie's entire summary of Monday's board meeting here.
10 comments:
West Fallowfield Township never provided traffic and road crossing services. Since West Fallowfield is the local police department for the High/Middle/Intermediate schools they can not contract with the school district for these services. Also not sure what other "local" police departments he is refering too. There are only 2! Parkesburg and West Fallowfield. Atglen and Highland both have contracts with Parkesburg PD.
The school better check with local police departments to see if security firms are legally allowed to direct traffic. If not they are still wasting money.
At almost 35 dollars an hour can't they hire a crossing guard to do the same thing for abou thalf the price???
Seems awfully convenient that a former school board member got the contract for this service doesn't it?
And doing some simple math lets figure what the school is going to spend.
1.5 hours in the morning and 1.5 hours in the afternoon to direct traffic for buses = 3 hours*$34.88*180days of school=$18835. So our school is spending $20000 to direct traffic?? Can't they cut that figure in half and hire a crossing guard? 3 hours*$15*180=$8,100!??!??!?!
The security firm can't enforce anything. All they are gonna have time for is directing traffic! $34.88 averages out to about 3 hours/day of service if it is not to exceed 20 grand for the school year.
While state law does not mandate competitive bidding for "professional services", it certainly is within the School Board's right, and responsibility, to do so to protect the taxpayer's money and to ensure that there is not even the appearance of cronyism. Yet again, an example of a weak board following whatever the School Administration dangles in front of its eyes.
I am bothered by the fact that the school is constantly reducing the services to children's educational services and at the same time giving out contracts to former employees and board members, i.e. Mr Weagley w/sports, Mr. Mango with Traffic and I believe the owner of the cleaning business we now contract w/ is a former employee also.
We have at least 4 assistant principals at the Jr/Sr high and the OIS. Why aren't they directing traffic twice a day?
Eric, Judi, I share your concern about money being directed away from the school's education mission, but I don't believe there's anything underhanded or dishonest in awarding the contract to Security 88. That said the district would be wise to bid out contracts not only to ensure they're getting the best price, but to remove any appearance of cronyism is how Octorara tax payer's money is spent.
I agree that principals (or other staff members) could be directing traffic twice a day. But, at least the security firm will cost LESS than it did to use the Parkesburg Police to direct traffic. So it's a step in the right direction. Now, lets encourage the Octorara administration to go one step further and require their staff to do traffic patrol.
Didn't Gene Lambert direct traffic, along with Cliff Blantz before the construction started?
With administrators making 6figure salaries, I really dont think it would be a good use of their time to direct traffic. About as wasteful as OIS administration "babysitting" Our Lady of Consolation students at the end of the day who are transferring buses. I think they have much bigger fish to fry - having said that, I'm sure there are plenty of people who would be happy to direct traffic for 3 hours a day for much less than $34 an hour.
Ken, I agree I don't think anyone is being dishonest here, but there are more issues around the slippery slope of cronyism than outright dishonesty. The district has very clear policies requiring competitive bids for repairs over $10K, and I witnessed them spend a good 10 minutes discussing the potential of saving PENNIES by having bus drivers turn off their engines at each pick up, yet, when it is proposed to pay a crossing guard $35 an hour, up to $20K, no one batted an eye. Go figure.
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