School district proposal to privatize telecommunications services opposed

Fearing for their jobs, Clark County School District's support staff on Thursday protested a $306,000 contract that would allow the district to privatize telecommunications services.

"Any privatization of a job is unacceptable," said Bo Yealy, president of the Education Support Employees Association, the union that represents support staff workers. She spoke during a School Board meeting.

Because of the district's budget crisis, as many as 10 positions in the district's telecommunications department could be eliminated this summer. The positions include four to five technicians, a work planner and office staff, workers told the Review-Journal.

The cuts would be in addition to the four telecommunications jobs eliminated in 2009 because of budget cuts.

District administrators want to take advantage of a federal program that would reimburse the district for up to 85 percent of the cost to maintain telephones at 71 schools that primarily serve low-income students.

The condition is that the district would have to contract out those services, which School Board member Linda Young said she found odd because President Barack Obama has stressed the preservation of jobs.

The board decided to postpone awarding a $306,000 contract to Morse Communications so staff can research the federal guidelines and see whether the potential contractor is interested in hiring district telecommunication workers.