Amherst County Public Schools School Efficiency Review. Prismatic Services, Inc. August 14, 2014

Transcription

1 Amherst County Public Schools School Efficiency Review Prismatic Services, Inc. August 14, 2014

2 Presentation Outline School Efficiency Review (SER) Process Report Overview Findings Estimated Costs and Savings Next Steps

3 SER Goals 1. Identify opportunities to reduce costs in non-instructional areas to allow the division to channel any such savings into instruction. 2. Identify best practices so they can be shared with other divisions in the Commonwealth.

4 Protocols Draft Review SER Process Initial Visit Peers and Best Practices Fieldwork

5 Report Overview One chapter per functional area Findings that lead to a commendation or a recommendation only Not a review of what goes on in the classroom

6 Perspective: Other SER Reports by Prismatic Bedford County net savings, estimated $5.4M over five years (included school closures) Fluvanna County net savings, estimated $3.8M over five years Halifax County net savings, estimated $17.8M over five years (included school closures)

7 Report Overview 73 Recommendations 50 Commendations Chapter Findings Commendations Recommendations 2 Administration Ed Services Delivery Human Resources Facilities Financial Management Transportation Technology Food Service Total

8 Divisional Administration Commendations: ACPS holds efficient school board meetings and has good superintendent/board relations. The superintendent keeps the division s focus on its primary mission: the delivery of quality instruction to all students. The superintendent, central office staff, and principals exhibit admirable levels of collegiality and communication. There is an effective process for maintaining and updating policies.

9 Divisional Administration Recommendations: Improve utilization of Pleasant View and Temperance elementary schools. Improve the central office organization. Gradually add instructional positions back, as budget allows. Train a backup user on PowerSchool. Prioritize positions to be added back, as budget allows. Encourage vote on elected versus appointed school board. Continue work on bettering relationship with county board. Record critical work processes, particularly those done by single staff members. Train school board in planning, goals, and program evaluation. Adopt strategic plan using SMART goals and balanced scorecard. Provide program evaluation training. Find ways to involve parents more in ACPS.

10 Educational Service Delivery Commendations: The ACPS board and superintendent promote educational leadership with well-written policy and an efficient working relationship. ACPS is effective in meeting students needs. ACPS annually reviews curriculum, seeking input from teachers. ACPS awards high school credit to eighth graders. ACPS provides exemplary special education services to its students. ACPS provides exemplary services for talented/ gifted students. ACPS provides exemplary and comprehensive ESL support. ACPS ensures a congenial environment for delivery of educational services to at-risk students.

11 Educational Service Delivery Recommendations: Update the organizational chart to reflect true job responsibilities and add a full-time mathematics instructional supervisor. Review data to meet the schools academic needs effectively over the next six years. Review the needs of each school, assign assistant principals equitably, and restore supporting personnel. Hire two mathematics specialists to be shared by the sites that are under school improvement. Grant teachers administrative access to information in order to perform the tasks that were formerly completed by administrators.

12 Human Resources Commendations: The HR department does exemplary work. The ACPS board, superintendent, principals, and the leadership team provide an abundance of opportunities to show employee appreciation. The commitment of employees as measured by their time-in-service is remarkable. Despite limited PD funding, ACPS principals and central office instructional leadership teams are commended for their obvious commitment to staff and teacher development.

13 Human Resources Recommendations: Implement document imaging system for records. Reduce funding of the tuition reimbursement program. Discontinue the employee assistance program. Transfer responsibility for paying teacher license renewal fees to the individual teacher. Reformat and review current job descriptions, update missing information, and publish them online. Provide an online employee handbook. Reinstitute the plan to increase the number of ACPS teachers who are NBCT. Ensure transparency of budgeting and use of funds for professional/staff development. Revise details in the administrative salary schedule.

14 Facilities Use and Management Commendations: ACPS has an exemplary community use of facilities program. Maintenance staff demonstrates commitment and dedication. ACPS has a realistic and actionable capital improvement projects (CIP) list. Custodians are commended for consistent cleaning. ACPS has an effective energy conservation policy.

15 Facilities Use and Management Recommendations: Design and implement a 5-year facilities master plan. Prepare new policies: minimum expenditures for preventive maintenance and maximum allowable deferred maintenance. Fund best practice levels of reactive/preventive maintenance. Perform initial building condition assessment. Add a preventive maintenance team of four tradespeople and technicians. Reinstate the full-time painter position. Create three new custodial positions. Establish a chief custodian position. Select Option III of the AMERESCO performance contract. Implement the security package described in the CIP.

16 Financial Management Commendations: The CFO performs most finance functions without any support staff and is well respected by all levels of staff and county administrators. The division effectively maintains an up-to-date list of positions. The division is working to require mandatory direct deposit. ACPS prepares a detailed budget document and places it on the division s website for easy access and transparency. The division uses the services of the county s purchasing agent and consolidates purchasing needs to realize cost savings.

17 Financial Management Recommendations: Move payroll from HR to Finance. Give the CFO an assistant. Develop form to standardize employee compensation data. Return excess school fund balances to the school board. Expand budget documents by using graphs and charts. Include more detail in the budget calendar. Develop a guide and train staff on managing activity funds. Document procedures for all critical financial functions. Require schools to reconcile activity fund reports timely. Develop manual and training for finance/budget-related duties. Establish desk procedures for staff and cross-train them. Develop process to verify the division s fixed assets. Develop list of and control assets valued at <$5k. Document purchasing procedures for division staff. Bid out food services maintenance yearly.

18 Transportation Commendations: ACPS staff explains each awarded contract to employees. Route change logs help maintain up-to-date route plans. Buses are kept clean inside and out. Status of commercial driver licenses is reviewed often. Bus drivers are trained properly and regularly. There is good oversight of any lost contract time for bus drivers. ACPS provides additional training to its drivers on all types of buses. ACPS uses routing software much more efficiently than the average. Field trips are processed in an efficient manner. ACPS provides VDOE and VDMV training from certified professionals. The department fosters a safety attitude in all areas. ACPS mandates frequent/routine preventive maintenance inspections. ACPS has an efficient purchasing plan for parts and services.

19 Transportation Recommendations: Hire one support person. Provide more computers and training to transportation staff. Coordinate training from the special needs department on each student s exceptionality and IEP. Provide the dispatcher with formal training on the routing software. Develop a bus replacement policy and identify funding needs. Purchase a shed or shipping container to house some of the items currently stored in the work bay area. Send mechanics to annual mechanic certification training.

20 Technology Management Commendations: The superintendent, director of academics, and technology staff recognize the importance of developing a strong cohesive instructional technology infrastructure. The ITRT team hosts the Summer Technology Academy (STA), offering teachers and staff innovative strategies for integrating technology into the curriculum. ACPS has a robust educational technology plan aligned with the SOQ and the division s strategic plan. The technology department staff is commended for the support they provide to the users.

21 Technology Management Recommendations: Bring back the ITRT position that was lost in Form a technology committee of ACPS and county departments to investigate ways to reduce paper flow and rekeying of data. Fund a technology plan that allows for increased technology usage. Create SOPs for mission-critical areas in technology. Develop a comprehensive disaster recovery plan. Refresh the network infrastructure at Madison Heights and Central.

22 Food Services Commendations: The supervisor encourages training and certification by SNA. The department has an online, up-to-date policy/procedure manual. ACPS has closed campuses at all schools during meal times. ACPS has an exceptional preventive maintenance program for kitchen equipment. The division has the necessary technology infrastructure in place to support the kitchens and lunchrooms. Nutrition Advisory Council (NAC) student groups give feedback on the meals and educate students about nutrition and good health. Two walk-in freezers are used to store USDA commodities until needed for meal production, resulting in cost savings and efficiencies in ordering and inventory.

23 Food Services Recommendations: Increase food service productivity. Review the admin assistant s job and update position description. Charge for indirect costs. Reduce costs at Pleasant View and Temperance elementary schools. Prepare monthly financial reports for each school site. Pay cost of the vehicle used by the maintenance/delivery person for food services activity. Develop a detailed equipment inventory and status database. Increase number of applications for free and reduced-price meals. Increase student participation rates, focusing first on breakfast.

24 Costs and Savings Overall: 73 recommendations 31 recommendations with fiscal impacts (conservative estimates) 21 places to spend 10 places to save

25 Costs and Savings Bottom Line: $15.4M in Costs New positions: Educational services delivery: $154k Facilities/maintenance/custodial: $349k Financial assistant for CFO: $41k Technology training assistant: $60k Fund facilities maintenance: $1.9M Big one-time expenditures: Create facilities master plan: $150k Develop a tech. disaster plan: $50k

26 Costs and Savings Bottom Line: $1.5M in Savings Mostly from food services: $1.2M over five years Other big savings: Return unexpended school funds to school board: $158k in one-time savings HR reimbursement and funding efficiencies: $144k over five years

27 What next?

28 Questions?