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Unlike other districts, SD62 not cutting back on carpet cleaning

Sooke School District adds more custodians because of portables
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The addition of portables at several sites in the Sooke School District has prompted SD62 to add custodians. Another district in the region has cut back on cleaning services. (Gazette file photo)

Rick Stiebel/News Gazette staff

There are no cleaning shortcuts being swept under the rug in the Sooke School District.

Responding to questions regarding the recent news that teachers in School District 61 had filed a grievance because of cutbacks to carpet cleaning, superintendent Jim Cambridge said that wasn’t the case in the Sooke School District.

“We’ve had no cutbacks or complaints about cleaning,” Cambridge said. “We actually added custodians this year because of the addition of portables.”

READ MORE: Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association files grievance over carpet cleaning cutbacks

Custodians in School District 61 were told last month to cut back on the amount of times area rugs and carpets in kindergarten and Grade 1 classes are vacuumed.

Custodians reported the change to teachers, which prompted the Greater Victoria Teachers Association (GVTA) to file a grievance citing health and safety concerns.

Carolyn Howe, health and safety officer for the GVTA, filed the grievance under article D26 of the district’s collective agreement, which relates to health and safety.


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editor@goldstreamgazette.com