Board President Elvin Pradia speaks at the meeting.

The Iberia Parish School Board approved a recommendation from its finance committee to require two janitorial services to go through the RFP process to decide which one will become the custodian of Belle Place Elementary School.

The resolution, which was discussed at the finance committee meeting last week as well as the Iberia Parish School Board meeting last month, has been met with much confusion and frustration by members of the school board who have questioned the process from the beginning.

Originally, maintenance supervisor for the IPSB Harry Lopez made the recommendation for Wilson’s Janitorial to be awarded the contract along with several other schools two weeks ago. However, during that meeting Leonard Brown with L. Brown Janitorial Services contested the award after he revealed to the board that he was told he would be getting the contract following work he performed for the school.

After several board members questioned the process, the board decided to separate Belle Place Elementary School from Wilson’s contract removal and discuss the issue at a finance committee.

The committee recommended last week that both services go through an RFP process for the contract. Board member Brad Norris said that regardless if L Brown Janitorial Services was promised the job by an unauthorized employee, neither company had filled out an RFP for the contract. Instead, both merely submitted quotes for the job.

At Wednesday’s meeting, the board voted to comply with the finance committee’s recommendation, although confusion continued about the RFP process and whether they had already filled them out.

“The RFP has been done, all we need is whether we want to use the RFPs or not,” Board President Elvin Pradia said.

Board member Raymond “Shoe-Do” Lewis said he requested a look at the RFP before the meeting but had received it.

“I’m not here for gamesmanship, this board needs to start holding being accountable,” Lewis said. “We have an obligation to the people we serve to get things right. I want to see bids, I want to see competition, let’s move forward.”