Portage Township school board drops plan to outsource instructional technology services

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Updated: March 17, 2012 10:22AM

The tension in the air at the Portage Township school board discussion meeting Wednesday night cleared immediately when Associate Superintendent Ric Frataccia recommended that no action be taken on a proposal to outsource the school’s instructional technology department.

Clearly pleased with the decision were instructional technology employees at the meeting whose jobs were hanging in the balance.

The request for proposals issued in January was to solicit technology firms that could provide information technology services to the school system. Frataccia made clear that bidders would have to agree to accept, at least on a probationary period, the displaced employees.

Ultimately none of the three organizations responding to the request for proposals could save the school district money, so all three bids were dismissed.

“We will redesign the existing department to make it more cost effective. We may move employees around to make it more effective, may change hours of operation, may look to outsource certain personnel,” Frataccia said.

Superintendent Michael Berta weighed in on the decision by noting, “It is incumbent on this position to continuously seek improvement.”

“We were trying to give our current employees a chance. We tried to be humane but at the same time try to improve the corporation,” Berta said.

Board trustee Cheryl Oprisko opposed outsourcing any employees and recommended the establishment of a study committee to more closely look at any needed change to the department.