Lora Williams finds herself making a similar plea every year: Baltimore County?s bus drivers and custodians need salary upgrades.
But this year, Williams told board members that the county has not upgraded the pay scale for custodians in more than 25 years
“Most of our custodians take on additional 40-hour-a-week jobs to support their families,” said Williams, president for the local American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union.
“We?re asking Baltimore County Public Schools to rectify this disparity.”
In Baltimore County, custodian pay starts at $9.37 per hour and maxes out at $11.40 per hour, Williams said.
Though support personnel are eligible for longevity and cost-of-living adjustments, the wages are low compared to most other Maryland counties, which typically start custodians at $10.82 per hour, she said.
School bus attendants in Baltimore County start at $8.66 per hour, compared to about $11.77 per hour elsewhere.
Bus drivers on average start between $13.89 and $17.65 per hour in Maryland, but start at $11.85 in Baltimore County, said Williams.
School officials said comment for this article would be “inappropriate,” citing upcoming contract negotiations.
