Robert Souza
Anonymous
Forum Replies Created
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In reply to: On call pay or stipend?
Hey Tony,
Been at this for a bunch of years. Best deal I received from another district for being on-call was a new maintenance truck but that too came with a hook. It was my daily driver to and from work only and I was obligated to use it to plow during storms. I have always been told that administrators are a 40-hour salaried position and additional hours when needed were to be expected.Not sure if that helps but know that you’re not alone.BobIn reply to: Vape Detectors
We installed vape detectors about 2 years ago. Pretty easy to install and program. Administration (Principal & Vice-Principal; his assistant and IT Director) monitor the alarms. The VP and/or his assistant respond if an alarm is activated. The sensors kept them pretty busy when first installed but the alarms slowed considerably once word got out that the bathrooms were being monitored. They still nab a few kids once in awhile. It did reduce the amount of vaping in the bathrooms but the kids do find work arounds as George mentioned.
Bob S, Old Colony, RVTHS
In reply to: Chemical Waste Disposal
In reply to: Fluorescent light distributor
In reply to: Maintenance Question
In reply to: Security Cameras
We have cameras that cover the corridors, entrances and common areas like the gym and cafeteria in the facility; there are cameras that cover the parking lots and grounds as well. Cameras have been in place for 10+ years; we recently added some to cover blind spots and upgraded others. No pushback.
Bob S, Old Colony RVTHS
In reply to: Clothing allowance
Mike~
We supply uniforms to my crew through a uniform vendor (Clean Rentals). They are supposed to wear at all times when on duty during the school year and is optional during the summer break. Hi-Vis winter coats, winter gloves & rain gear are provided; they give me their sizes and I order. The maintenance and custodians are reimbursed up to $250 annually for shoes upon submission of receipts. There are no restrictions on type of shoe- safety toe or otherwise.
Bob Souza, Old Colony RVTHS
In reply to: Security Camera Upgrades
Eric,
We use Hikvision cameras and NVR’s. This isn’t top shelf but it is decent. The system is pretty basic but it does what we need it to and it didn’t break the bank. Picture quality is good and can be viewed from anywhere; our Town departments have access as well. A local outfit did the simple install but we could have done it in-house as it’s pretty much a plug and play type system.
Bob S, Old Colony RVTHS
In reply to: Grounds Crew
Denise,
Hope this helps. Reach out if you need anything else.
>Do you have a school based grounds crew?
Yes, school based.
>how many FTEs?
1 FTE
We hire an hourly temp person (Budget of $18K) to work April vacation through Sept 1st (8hrs day, Mon – Fri as monies allow). They assist with spring sports and routine landscaping/ lawn and turf maintenance to prep for graduation. Over the summer they assist the groundskeeper with projects and/or perform maintenance tasks as assigned.
>general working hours of grounds crew?
8 hrs/day, Mon – Fri. On call for weather emergencies or others and work the entirety of storm cleanup.
>number of school buildings?
1 school building
>do they care for close in grounds only or adjacent fields as well?
Groundskeeper is responsible for the maintenance of entire campus including the striping and prep of athletic fields, signage, arborist duties, irrigation system operation & maintenance, pot hole maintenance, excavation, etc. He also is a licensed pesticide applicator and applies herbicides on the campus lawns and turf fields. There are times when he lines and preps a Town baseball field when we play on it.
>do they handle plowing of snow at the schools?
Yes, plowing and ice treatment. We all share in this responsibility.
>estimated annual grounds budget (labor and materials/equipment)?
$71K base salary grounds keeper (receives differential for the requirement to hold both a backhoe and pesticide license) $18K to cover hours for temp help +/- $18K for materials including lime, fertilizer, seed, paint, stone, mulch and ice melt. Obviously material costs are volatile and will go up or down depending on several factors.
>does another department in the Town assist you with grounds maintenance and/or snow removal?
The Town has assisted with bigger projects and from what I understand, in a rare case several years ago, the Town assisted the maintenance crew with a loader to open parking lots after a series of snow storms.
Bob, Old Colony RVTHS
In reply to: Hybrid meeting
Jim,
We tried a few different solutions for hybrid meetings but this one seems to work best.
https://owllabs.com/products/meeting-owl-3
Bob Souza, OCRVTHS
In reply to: Pottery Kiln
In reply to: Electrostatic Sprayers
Steve,
We have Victory and Ryobi and were using them with an abbreviated spray schedule at the start of school. We tapered off the applications as we went through September. If there is an increase in COVID /FLU absences we will most likely restart a schedule of spraying. I guess the clock is ticking on when it will hit again.
Bob, OCRVTHS
In reply to: Locker Installation
In reply to: Drinking Water
In reply to: Electrician
James,
We have a licensed electrician as part of our maintenance team. Besides the obvious instant gratification of having someone on staff for urgent repairs, the on-staff position is totally worth it and will save you some serious dough. Salary is based on the maintenance pay scale and I believe we add a $6000-8000/year stipend for the license. I can confirm pay rates if you are interested.
Bob Souza, Old Colony RVTHS
