FAYETTE COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — As the Fayette County Board of Education prepares to vote on ending its contract with the local health department for their nurse services, a health official with the department says the move is "a mistake." The school system says the move won't compromise student health.
In a meeting of the Fayette County Board of Health executive committee Thursday afternoon, interim chief administrative officer Jack Cornett didn't mince words.
"The school system clearly made a choice to go after the low-cost bidder," Cornett said.
According to the Fayette County Public Schools request for proposals, they got ten bids to provide nursing staff services, including from the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department at just over $4.5 million. The department has provided those services for decades. Maxim, the contract winner, bid the lowest at just over $3.1 million.
"That strategy did shock us a little bit. In our opinion, again, this is our opinion as the Health Department, I would not have simply focused on the low-cost bidder, but again, this is the school system's decision, and they may have a rationale we don't understand," Cornett said.
According to the RFP document, cost was 30% of each vendor's total score. The technical proposal and interview made up another 30% each, then 10% was based on references. Maxim scored highest at 391.4. LFCHD came in fourth at 241.1.
"It is a bit confusing to us. From our vantage point, quite frankly, we view it as a mistake, but it is their mistake to make," Cornett said.
The decision still faces a vote by the members of the Fayette County Board of Education. If it passes, the new contract would begin July 1, 2024. FCPS chief communications and public engagement officer Dia Davidson-Smith said the decision would not compromise student health care or employee access to employment. She said between 54 and 58 school nurses would be affected and that Maxim is willing to interview them and rehire them.
"We're going to everything we can to help the nurses get placed properly. Like I said, they've got a wealth of background in school health, so I don't think that's going to be any problem at all," Cornett said.
The board will vote on the new contract on December 14.
