Duval Schools bring custodians in-house with cost-saving pilot

Duval County Public Schools is shifting custodial services from contractors to in-house district employees, a transition that has already begun at three Jacksonville schools and is projected to generate more than $3 million in annual savings once fully implemented.

The pilot program launched this fall at Spring Park Elementary School, Matthew Gilbert Middle School, and Andrew Jackson High School, where custodians now report directly to their school sites as DCPS employees rather than working for outside contractors.

What's happening

The October 26 announcement marks the start of a multi-year transition that will bring custodial positions across the district onto the DCPS payroll. The three pilot schools span elementary, middle, and high school levels, giving district leaders a test bed for the operational model before expanding to additional campuses.

The district expects the move to deliver more than $3 million in annual savings through operational efficiencies, though startup costs are higher during the initial phase. DCPS says long-term savings will outweigh those early investments as the program scales.

Jim Culbert, Chief Officer of Operations and Technology Services, said the change is designed to strengthen the connection between custodial staff and the schools they serve. "Our custodians are often among the first people to arrive and the last to leave each day, and their work has a direct impact on every school," Culbert said in the announcement. "By bringing these positions in-house, we're able to strengthen that connection and make them an even more integrated part of the DCPS team. "

Among the custodians participating in the transition is Malecia Simmons, who joined DCPS as a Lead Custodian after 26 years serving district schools in custodial roles through contractors. Culbert highlighted employees like Simmons as representing "the dedication custodial teams bring to our schools every day. "

What it means for school budgets and operations

The shift from contracted to in-house custodial services is one of the largest operational changes for Duval schools in recent years, touching every campus and potentially reshaping how the district allocates its facilities budget. School districts in Florida have historically used a mix of in-house staff and private contractors for custodial, maintenance, and food-service work, with cost and control trade-offs driving each decision.

By bringing custodians onto the district payroll, DCPS gains direct management over scheduling, training, and assignment of staff to match campus needs. That flexibility could prove valuable in a district with more than 160 schools serving over 130,000 students, where building ages, student populations, and maintenance demands vary widely from campus to campus.

The projected $3 million in annual savings would come from eliminating contractor overhead and profit margins, though the district will now shoulder costs such as benefits, workers' compensation, and human-resources administration that were previously handled by the vendor. The net savings figure suggests DCPS has determined those in-house costs will remain below what it has been paying for contracted services.

Where those savings land in the district's budget will be a question for future budget cycles. The announcement does not specify whether the funds will be reinvested in facilities, redirected to classroom priorities, or used to offset budget pressures elsewhere. In recent years, Duval schools have navigated enrollment shifts, facility aging, and state funding formulas that tie dollars to student count, making every operational efficiency a potential hedge against future shortfalls.

How the change affects students and school communities

For students and families, the most immediate impact will be continuity. Many custodians, like Simmons, have worked in Duval schools for years or even decades through contractor agreements. The transition formalizes their role within the district rather than replacing staff, meaning familiar faces are likely to remain on campus.

District leaders emphasized that custodians play a front-line role in school culture, often arriving before teachers and staying after students leave. In elementary schools especially, custodians frequently interact with students in hallways, cafeterias, and during after-school programs, making them a visible part of the daily routine.

The shift to direct employment could also strengthen accountability and communication. When custodians report to school principals rather than an off-site contractor supervisor, campus leaders have clearer lines of authority to address maintenance concerns, coordinate with teachers on classroom needs, or adjust cleaning schedules around school events.

For the custodians themselves, the change brings them under the same employment framework as teachers, bus drivers, and other DCPS staff. That typically means access to the district's benefits package, retirement plan contributions, and employee policies. It also integrates them into the district's professional-development and training systems, which could standardize practices across schools.

Parents and community members who track school budgets may see the savings as a sign of operational discipline, or they may ask whether service quality will remain consistent as the district takes on management responsibilities previously handled by contractors. The pilot at three schools offers a testing ground for those questions before the program rolls out districtwide.

What the pilot schools tell us

The three pilot sites span the district's geographic and grade-level range. Spring Park Elementary is located in the Riverside area along the St. Johns River, serving a neighborhood school population. Matthew Gilbert Middle School sits on the Northside, a part of Duval with a mix of established residential areas and ongoing development. Andrew Jackson High School, also on the Northside near the Trout River, is one of the district's larger high schools.

By selecting one elementary, one middle, and one high school, DCPS can test the model across different building sizes, student counts, and facility demands. High schools typically require more extensive custodial staffing due to square footage, athletic facilities, auditoriums, and cafeterias that serve hundreds of students per lunch period. Elementary schools, while smaller, often have unique cleaning needs around younger students and shared learning spaces.

The pilot phase allows the district to identify operational challenges—scheduling, supply ordering, supervision structures, payroll integration—before committing to a full rollout. Lessons learned at these three campuses will inform how DCPS phases in the program at additional schools in the coming years.

What happens next

The district has signaled that the transition will be gradual, with additional schools brought into the in-house custodial model over multiple years. No specific timeline or list of next-phase schools has been announced.

Parents, staff, and community members interested in how the program performs can expect updates through district communications and board meetings as the pilot progresses. Budget impacts and operational results from the three pilot schools will likely be reviewed before the district commits to expanding the program further.

Future district budget proposals will show how the projected $3 million in savings materializes and where those funds are allocated. For a district managing aging facilities, new school construction to keep pace with growth in areas such as the Westside and Southside, and state-mandated programs, every line item carries weight.

The move to in-house custodial services positions Duval County Public Schools alongside other large Florida districts that have opted for direct employment models in facilities management, a shift that trades the flexibility of contract renewals for the potential cost savings and operational control that come with bringing services onto the public payroll.