More than 30 schools in Memphis-Shelby County Schools’ northwest region will begin 2026 without custodians to clean them, following a decision Monday night by the district’s school board.¶
Members failed to approve a $7.2 million contract with ABM Industries to clean all district buildings in the region for the 2026 calendar year. The board currently has no other meetings scheduled this month to approve a different vendor for the northwest region.¶
District leaders say the group narrowly won a bidding process over 11 other vendors to provide custodial services for the region, but multiple board members have expressed reservations in recent weeks about ABM Industries. The district fired ABM years ago following complaints of poor performance, and Board Member Towanna Murphy says other school districts have reported problems as well.¶
“We fired em. They were poor, they didn’t do well for us,” said Murphy during a discussion about the proposed contract earlier this month. “The last thing we need is another ‘Fresh Start event’ to happen where we have to rush and put people in position to clean these schools.”¶
Custodial Contract History¶
The “Fresh Start event” Murphy referenced occurred last year, when the board terminated a contract with Fresh Start to provide custodial services to the northwest region, and temporarily contracted with existing vendors Service Master Clean, LLC, and ParCou, LLC to split cleaning services in the region for 2025.¶
Board Member Keith Williams was among those who voted against approving ABM’s contract on Monday. He questioned why district staff chose ABM’s bid over the two existing vendors.¶
“My concern…what will these people do that we are not having done today, and what happens to the group who’s there cleaning now,” said Williams. “Whatever is there that this group is so super?”¶
Board Member Amber Huett-Garcia was one of two who voted in favor of the ABM contract. She also expressed concern about the group’s prior history, but said she trusted interim Superintendent Dr. Roderick Richmond’s administration to keep schools clean.¶
“Yes, there were improvements that needed to be made,” said Huett-Garcia. “I’m going to trust you to hold this group accountable to keeping our schools clean, and that is what I care most about.”¶
