Santa Paula Elementary School District Report

Santa Paula Elementary School District Staffing Review April 10, 2012 Joel D. Montero Chief Executive Officer Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM April 10, 2012 F. Paul Chounet, Ed.D., Superintendent Santa Paula Elementary School District 201 S. Steckel Santa Paula, CA 93060 Dear Superintendent Chounet: In November 2011, the Santa Paula Elementary School District entered into a study agreement with the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT). Specifically, the agreement states that FCMAT will complete the following: 1. An organizational and staffing review of the district’s central office departments and workflow. The review will consist of the following departments: Superintendent’s Office, Curriculum & Instruction, Business Services, Personnel, Special Education, Migrant, Food Service, Technology and Maintenance/Operations. The district oper- ates under the Merit System and Personnel Commission as the governing body for the purposes of hiring applicants for classified positions. 2. The Team will provide comparative staffing data for districts of similar size and structure and provide recommendations to improve the efficiency that may reduce costs of the district. The district comparison will include at least six comparable school districts and may include comparable school districts utilized in the collective bargaining process by the district. 3. The Team will review job descriptions for all department positions, interview staff and make recommendations for staffing improvements. All recommendations will include estimated and calculated values for any proposed position reductions or enhancements to the organizational structure. 4. The Team will evaluate the current work flow of the central office and provide recom- mendations for improved efficiency, if any. This report is the result of those activities. Thank you for allowing us to serve you, and please contact us if there anything else we can do for your district. Sincerely, Joel D. Montero Chief Executive Officer FCMAT Joel D. Montero, Chief Executive Officer . . 1300 17th Street - CITY CENTRE, Bakersfield, CA 93 . 301-4533 Telephone 661-6 . 36-4611 Fax 661-63 . 6-4647 422 Petaluma Blvd North, Suite. C, Petaluma, CA 94952 Telephone: 707-775-2850 Fax: 707-775-2854 www.fcmat.org Administrative Agent: Christine L. Frazier - Office of Kern County Superintendent of Schools i TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of contents About FCMAT .........................................................................................iii Introduction ............................................................................................1 Background ......................................................................................................1 Executive Summary ........................................................................3 Findings and Recommendations .....................................................7 Organizational Structure .............................................................................7 Central Office Departmental Staffing .....................................................9 Staffing Comparisons .................................................................................37 Subsequent Events ......................................................................................41 Appendices ....................................................................................................43 santa Paula eleMentary school District ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM iii ABOUT FCMAT About FCMAT FCMAT’s primary mission is to assist California’s local K-14 educational agencies to identify, prevent, and resolve financial and data management challenges. FCMAT provides fiscal and data management assistance, professional development training, product development and other related school business and data services. FCMAT’s fiscal and management assistance services are used not just to help avert fiscal crisis, but to promote sound financial practices and efficient operations. FCMAT’s data management services are used to help local educational agencies (LEAs) meet state reporting responsibilities, improve data quality, and share information. FCMAT may be requested to provide fiscal crisis or management assistance by a school district, charter school, community college, county office of education, the state Superintendent of Public Instruction, or the Legislature. When a request or assignment is received, FCMAT assembles a study team that works closely with the local education agency to define the scope of work, conduct on-site fieldwork and provide a written report with findings and recommendations to help resolve issues, overcome challenges and plan for the future. Studies by Fiscal Year 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 92/93 93/94 94/95 95/96 96/97 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11* 10/11** *Projected **Actual santa Paula eleMentary school District seidutS fo rebmuN FCMAT also develops and provides numerous publications, software tools, workshops and professional development opportunities to help local educational agencies operate more effec- tively and fulfill their fiscal oversight and data management responsibilities. The California School Information Services (CSIS) arm of FCMAT assists the California Department of Education with the implementation of the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) and also maintains DataGate, the FCMAT/CSIS software LEAs use for CSIS services. FCMAT was created by Assembly Bill 1200 in 1992 to assist LEAs to meet and sustain their financial obligations. Assembly Bill 107 in 1997 charged FCMAT with responsi- bility for CSIS and its statewide data management work. Assembly Bill 1115 in 1999 codified CSIS’ mission. AB 1200 is also a statewide plan for county office of education and school districts to work together locally to improve fiscal procedures and accountability standards. Assembly Bill 2756 (2004) provides specific responsibilities to FCMAT with regard to districts that have received emergency state loans. iv ABOUT FCMAT In January 2006, SB 430 (charter schools) and AB 1366 (community colleges) became law and expanded FCMAT’s services to those types of LEAs. Since 1992, FCMAT has been engaged to perform nearly 850 reviews for LEAs, including school districts, county offices of education, charter schools and community colleges. The Kern County Superintendent of Schools is the administrative agent for FCMAT. The team is led by Joel D. Montero, Chief Executive Officer, with funding derived through appropriations in the state budget and a modest fee schedule for charges to requesting agencies. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 1 INTRODUCTION Introduction Background Located in Ventura County, the Santa Paula Elementary School District has a five-member elected governing board and serves approximately 3,600 students in kindergarten through eighth grade at six elementary and one middle school. The district’s enrollment has remained steady since the 2006-07 fiscal year. Approximately 53% of its students are English learners, and 83% are eligible for free and reduced-price meals. The district maintains class sizes at 26-to-1 in all schools except the three elementary sites designated as Quality Education Investment Act (QEIA) schools, where class sizes are maintained at 20-to-1. The district is awaiting the decision on a waiver filed with the State Board of Education that would allow an increase of 22-to-1 in QEIA class sizes. Special education classes are capped at 14, according to the collective bargaining agreement with the certificated staff. According to the 2011 adequate yearly progress (AYP) report, the district has been in program improvement (PI) since 2004-05, with one school in year five of PI, one in year four, and three in year one. Two elementary schools are not in PI. All schools and local educational agencies that do not make AYP are identified as being in program improvement under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The ESEA requires all states to implement statewide account- ability systems based on challenging state standards in English language arts and mathematics, annual testing for all students in grades three through eight, and annual statewide progress objec- tives ensuring that all groups of students reach proficiency by fiscal year 2013-14. Assessment results are disaggregated by socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, disability, and limited English proficiency to ensure that no group is left behind. Local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools that fail to make AYP toward statewide proficiency goals are subject to improvement and correc- tive action measures. Once in PI, a school or LEA that fails to make AYP will advance further in PI status. In September 2011, the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) received a request from the district for management assistance. The study agreement specifies that FCMAT will complete the following: 1. An organizational and staffing review of the district’s central office depart- ments and workflow. The review will consist of the following departments: Superintendent’s Office, Curriculum & Instruction, Business Services, Personnel, Special Education, Migrant, Food Service, Technology and Maintenance/Operations. The district operates under the Merit System and Personnel Commission as the governing body for the purposes of hiring applicants for classified positions. 2. The Team will provide comparative staffing data for districts of similar size and structure and provide recommendations to improve the efficiency that may reduce costs of the district. The district comparison will include at least six comparable school districts and may include comparable school districts utilized in the collective bargaining process by the district. santa Paula eleMentary school District 2 INTRODUCTION 3. The Team will review job descriptions for all department positions, interview staff and make recommendations for staffing improvements. All recommen- dations will include estimated and calculated values for any proposed position reductions or enhancements to the organizational structure. 4. The Team will evaluate the current work flow of the central office and provide recommendations for improved efficiency, if any. Study Guidelines FCMAT visited the district on December 13 and 14, 2011 to conduct interviews, collect data and review documentation. This report is the result of those activities and is divided into the following sections: I. Executive Summary II. Organizational Structure III. Central Office Departmental Staffing IV. Staffing Comparisons V. Appendices Study Team The FCMAT study team was composed of the following members: Julie Auvil, CPA Eric Smith FCMAT Fiscal Intervention Specialist FCMAT Consultant Bakersfield, CA Templeton, CA Leonel Martinez Toni Smith* FCMAT Technical Writer Division Administrator, Human Resources Bakersfield, CA and Special Services Kern County Superintendent of Schools Bakersfield, CA *As a member of this study team, this consultant was not representing her employer but was working solely as an independent contractor for FCMAT. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Executive Summary Like many school districts in California, the Santa Paula Elementary School District has experienced significant cuts to personnel due to California’s continuing budget crisis, which has resulted in a loss of $28 billion for K-12 education over the last four years. Recent reduc- tions included decreases in the number of reading coaches, teachers on special assignment, instructional assistants, clerical assistants, library assistants, the human resources clerk, the senior accounting technician and the director of categorical programs. The district was able to rehire many teachers that were laid off in the spring of 2011; however, the decreases previously made to classified personnel and the cuts of May and June 2011 were sustained for the 2011-12 fiscal year. Several district office administrators and support staff have long tenures with the district. However, the district has had an unprecedented rate of turnover in the highest ranks of administration, which includes the positions at the superintendent and assistant superintendent level since 1989 (the details are attached to this report as Appendix A, Chronology of District Administrators). During those 22 years, there were nine superintendents (including acting and interims superintendents, six with terms of one year or less), six assistant superintendents for educational services and five directors of special projects. The district had several different super- intendents in some years. Four people have served as assistant superintendent of business services since 2001, and five have been director of technology since 1998. This constant turnover has created an organizational culture of confusion and disorder among the district office staff and has resulted in an unclear vision of the district’s direction. The classified staff members are reluctant to make any work-related changes because new administrators may reverse them, and they fail to operate as a team. The district office staff assumes that the district turnover in administration will continue. Because of the constant change in administrators, the district decided to conduct an independent and external review to determine whether any district office efficiencies may be achieved that would reduce operational costs and determine whether staffing changes are appropriate. The district should be staffed according to basic theories of organizational structure and standards used in other school agencies of similar size and type. The district structure should reflect the generally accepted theories of organizational structure, which include span of control, chain of command, and line and staff authority. Based on a review of comparison districts and interviews with the staff, Santa Paula Elementary is overstaffed in the following areas and should consider the proposed recommendations: • Eliminating the position of the special programs assistant and transferring those duties to the special education and student support services administrative secretary and/or district office receptionist. • Eliminating the teacher on special assignment (TOSA) program specialist position in the Special Education and Student Support Services Department and transferring those duties to the executive director. • Eliminating the position of attendance accounting specialist and transferring those duties to the accounting technicians and business services administrative secretary. • Eliminating the .3 full-time equivalent (FTE) accounting technician and transferring those duties to the remaining accounting technicians. santa Paula eleMentary school District 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • Eliminating the .625 FTE data services specialist, and transferring those duties to the data services specialist in the Technology Department. The district should also consider reestablishing the position of district office receptionist. Eliminating this position may have initially provided cost savings; however, operational efficiency was adversely affected. The district office is not physically configured to allow the public to be served by the executive assistant to the superintendent as is the current practice. The executive assistant is regularly involved in confidential matters, and allowing the public access to this posi- tion’s desk could create a breach of confidentiality. During FCMAT’s review, school-site employees raised concerns regarding the district office staff. Chief among these was that these staff members are not cross-trained to complete essential tasks when employees are absent. While several district employees have experience in and knowledge of other job duties, little or no cross-training occurs in some of the district’s key functions, and this could place the district at risk. Redistributing duties among the accounting technicians in the Business Services Department will assist the district in providing cross-training opportunities and allow other duties to be absorbed if some positions are eliminated. Site personnel also indicated that calls placed to some district office staff members are never answered or are answered only by voice mail. Further, interviews indicated that clerical staff members are often heard saying that a request for assistance is not their responsibility. FCMAT observed a definite lack of cohesiveness and communication throughout the district office. This has been exacerbated by the fact that many management decisions were not clearly commu- nicated, resulting in staff misunderstandings. Meetings that involved the district office staff, members of the various departments, and personnel from several departments were not held to improve communication or build a cohesive district office. The district has a unique arrangement, with the superintendent overseeing the certificated functions of the Human Resources Department and the human resources director-classified completing the classified functions and with each supervising one classified employee. This has effectively created two separate human resources departments that do not always communicate with one another, allowing critical department functions to be ignored. The human resources director-classified has not attended collective-bargaining sessions for many years and does not participate in the superintendent’s monthly bargaining unit meetings. In many instances, certifi- cated job postings were used as job descriptions, and job descriptions were inaccurate concerning organizational reporting responsibilities and chain of command. The job descriptions contained in old board policy either were not updated in many years (some as long as 40 years) or did not agree with job descriptions produced using current industry standards and practices. The department could increase cohesiveness, provide for increased sharing of workloads, and create additional cross-training opportunities by performing the following: • Combining classified and certificated personnel functions under a director of human resources. • Returning all the appropriate duties to the Human Resources Department. • Involving the human resources director in collective bargaining as well as bargaining unit monthly meetings. • Reclassifying the human resources assistant to a human resources technician. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The district should also consider restructuring the Curriculum and Instruction Department and the Special Education Department. In FCMAT’s analysis, the assistant superintendent of educational services position has only a few employees who report directly to that position and the executive director of special education and student support services’ duties includes areas such as child welfare and attendance, School Attendance Review Board (SARB), and expulsions, which are normally the responsibility of educational services. Further, the executive director has an excessively large span of control when compared to industry standards. A review of the organizational chart found that it does not clearly identify the administrator who supervises the site principals. The Curriculum and Instruction Department documents salaries and wages for positions with multiple funding sources, which should comply with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-87, and allows districts to collect time studies every fourth month (or three times per year). District personnel reported that they collect this information semiannually, which violates OMB Circular A-87, placing the district at risk of losing state and federal revenues. The district should immediately review its procedures to comply with OMB Circular A-87. The district has entered into a collaborative arrangement with the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley to operate its after-school program, ASPIRE. However, the district has experienced problems in finding substitutes when club employees do not report for work. In addition, both the 2008-09 and 2009-10 independent audits contained audit findings focused on students that were released early from the program without an early release form, and administrative charges in excess of those allowed. Therefore, the arrangement with the Boys and Girls Club should be reevaluated. The district is also at considerable risk in technology-related functions and should provide imme- diate attention to this area. Even though the district’s financial and student information systems are housed at the Ventura County Superintendent of Schools and supported by the county office technology staff, the district does not have an updated, off-site system for backup, recovery or archiving e-mail or general data files in the event of an emergency. In a catastrophe, the district could lose all the data stored in these systems, rendering it unable to function without applying considerable resources to the problem. The district’s student information system, Zangle, serves the Business Services, Educational Services and Technology departments, but is not managed by any of these departments No one department has been assigned responsibility for the software and; therefore, no department is assigned with overseeing it and making essential decisions on the software. The district staff indicated that some Zangle application modules have not been utilized or the district has had separate code developed to address specific issues; however, the director of technology has no knowledge of these decisions or documentation to support the changes. The district should assign oversight of this software to one department to provide consistent management and direction. santa Paula eleMentary school District 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 7 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Findings and Recommendations Organizational Structure A school district’s organizational structure should establish the framework for leadership and the delegation of specific duties and responsibilities. As the district’s enrollment increases or declines, the organizational structure should adapt as necessary. The district should be staffed according to basic, generally accepted theories of organizational structure and the standards used in other school agencies of similar size and type. The most common theories of organizational structure are span of control, chain of command, and line and staff authority. Span of Control Span of control refers to the number of subordinates reporting directly to a supervisor. While there is no agreed-upon ideal number of subordinates for span of control, it is generally agreed that the span can be larger at lower levels of an organization than at higher levels because subordinates at the lower levels typically perform more routine duties, and therefore can be more effectively supervised. Chain of Command Chain of command refers to the flow of authority in an organization and is characterized by two significant principles. Unity of command suggests that a subordinate is only accountable to one supervisor, and the scalar principle suggests that authority and responsibility should flow in a direct vertical line from top management to the lowest level. The result is a hierarchical division of labor. Line and Staff Authority Line authority is the relationship between supervisors and subordinates. It refers to the direct line in the chain of command. For example, the assistant superintendent of business services has direct line authority over the director of finance, and the director of finance has direct line authority over the Finance Department staff. Conversely, staff authority is advisory in nature. Staff personnel do not have the authority to make and implement decisions, but act in support roles to line personnel. The organizational structure of local educational agencies contains both line and staff authority. The purpose of any organizational structure is to help district management make key decisions to facilitate student learning while balancing its financial resources. The organizational design should outline the management process and its specific links to the formal system of communica- tion, authority, and responsibility necessary to achieve the district’s goals and objectives. FCMAT’s review of the district’s organizational chart found that the district office has charts for each of its departments, but no chart that depicts the entire organizational structure. Additionally, the chart depicting the office of the superintendent is unclear concerning those who have line responsibility to the superintendent and shows that “School Operations” and “District Leadership Team” are in the chain of command. It is unclear what positions are included in these two phrases, and the district should revise the organizational chart for the office of the superin- tendent to reflect position titles. santa Paula eleMentary school District 8 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Recommendations The district should: 1. Develop an organizational chart that encompasses the entire organization. 2. Revise the organizational chart for the office of the superintendent to reflect all position titles that report to this position. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 9 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING Central Office Departmental Staffing Superintendent’s Office Superintendent - The superintendent is in the first year with the Santa Paula Elementary School District and arrived in July 2011 from a district of similar size in Kern County. The district has experienced extraordinarily high turnover in district-office management, especially in the superintendent position. According to a district chart, Santa Paula Elementary has had nine superintendents in the past 22 years and several different superintendents in some years. Each superintendent had a different concept of how the district office should be structured and oper- ated. However, most stayed less than a year, leaving the district with a partially implemented staffing plan, a lack of clear direction, and staff members who were confused by where their posi- tion would fit into the next superintendent’s plans and how long this administrator would stay. The district office staff assumes that the district turnover in superintendents will continue based on the historical trends for this position. The district should provide continuity in leadership and stability to its staff and students by endeavoring to hire administrators for the long-term. With this history of administrative turnover, the organization and staff are in a continual state of confusion and disorder. Effective communication is essential in providing a sense of stability and effective leadership during these difficult economic times in K-12 education. Without open and regular communication, inaccurate information may circulate and be assumed accurate. During interviews, many district staff members indicated that there is a lack of communication from and within the district office. Staff meetings are not held at the district office and some departments. Some departments do not participate in cross-department meetings or receive information about decisions that affect them. The superintendent should initiate regularly scheduled district office staff meetings and require monthly meetings in all district departments as well as cross- departmental meetings (as is applicable). This will improve communication, both verbal and written, and provide a consistent avenue of reliable information, and promote openness regarding decisions. The constant turnover has also prompted district office staff members to ignore policies and procedures since there are no lasting consequences for doing so. FCMAT interviews indicated that both staff members and administrators have concerns about the following actions: • Staff members are unwilling to take direction from high-ranking and mid-level administration. • Staff members are unwilling to work together. If one person is overloaded, no one else will offer to help. • Staff members are unwilling to help the public or site personnel in the following manners: • Telephones routinely are not answered. • Clerical staff members often state that certain tasks are not their responsibility. • There is indifference about a fellow staff member’s request to help the public in instances where the requestor lacks the expertise to provide assistance. • Punctuality Some administrators reportedly allow these actions, and others enforce policy and procedure, but these top administrators and mid-level managers typically leave before they can follow through with enforcement measures. As a consequence, many employees reported low morale. santa Paula eleMentary school District 10 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING The superintendent should work with the administrators and managers on team-building at the district office. The superintendent should also clarify and emphasize to employees at all levels the district’s expectations regarding policies/procedures and the consequences of not following them. The superintendent is responsible for the managerial duties of the district’s certificated personnel functions. In FCMAT’s experience, it is very unusual for a superintendent to be assigned these duties in a district of this size, especially since the district has a personnel or Human Resources Department. Staff members are confused about who handles certificated issues and raised questions about the human resources technician’s level of authority in the absence of the superintendent. They are also unsure whether the certificated functions of the Human Resources Department comply with annual employee notice requirements. Certificated personnel duties should be transferred from the superintendent to the human resources director-classified. Executive Assistant to the Superintendent - The executive assistant to the superintendent has been with the district for 23 years, 14 in the present position. According to the job description, the basic function of this position is to “perform highly complex and responsible secretarial and clerical duties; perform a variety of administrative assistant responsibilities to relieve the Superintendent of a variety of administrative details; coordinate communications and informa- tion; interpret policies and regulations to officials, staff and the public; coordinate the creden- tialing program for the District and participate in other aspects of the certificated personnel program.” Many of the executive assistant’s typical duties are confidential, and this position has knowledge of information regarding governing board closed-session discussions, employee nego- tiations, student discipline and employee discipline. This position absorbed the duties of the district office receptionist when that position was eliminated approximately 18 months ago. Among those duties is greeting district office visitors, directing them to the appropriate person, and possibly assisting them with their needs. Allowing the public access to the executive assistant’s desk may affect the confidentiality of any information left on the desk or computer screen. This can become an even greater concern if the executive assistant leaves the work station. The district should consider reinstating the receptionist position and assigning this position with duties that would assist the executive assistant to the superin- tendent and other district office departments such as human resources, business services and special education. The estimated cost for this change would be approximately $47,000 per year, including salary, statutory benefits and the health and welfare benefits cap, which is paid by the district. The estimate was calculated using step one of the salary schedule for the receptionist clas- sification under the assumption that the district would hire a new employee. If a current district employee is chosen for this position, the cost may increase to include a higher step on the salary schedule as well as a possible longevity stipend. Recommendations The district should: 1. Endeavor to hire administrators for the long-term to provide continuity in leadership and stability to staff and students. 2. Initiate regularly scheduled district office staff meetings as well as require monthly meetings in all district departments to improve communication and create a consistent avenue of information as well as provide openness regarding decisions. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 11 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING 3. Work on team-building in the district office. 4. Clarify and emphasize to employees at all levels the district’s expectations regarding policies/procedures and the consequences of not following them. 5. Transfer the managerial duties relating to certificated personnel from the superintendent to the head of the Human Resources Department. 6. Consider reinstatement of the district office receptionist position. Educational Services Department Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services - The assistant superintendent of educational services has been in the position since August 2011 and reports directly to the superintendent. The person in this position has 30 years of experience in education with one year as director of special education and five years as an assistant superintendent of educational programs, including special education and categorical programs, in another Ventura County school district. According to the district’s job posting for this position, which was provided to FCMAT instead of a formal job description, this position develops, implements, maintains, and evaluates the K-8 curriculum and supervises and evaluates the support services personnel that deliver educational services. The district is in its third year as a program improvement district with most of its schools in various years of program improvement status. The assistant superintendent’s focus is on working with the English language learner (ELL) subgroup to improve Academic Performance Index (API) test scores. This is particularly the case for Isbell Middle School and Blanchard Elementary School, which report the lowest API scores in the district at 745 and 757, respectively. Because of budget reductions, the district has significant resource constraints that have made it even more difficult to improve API scores. According to interviews with the administration, the district still uses 2003 instructional materials and is in need of materials that comply with current teaching standards and focus specifically vigorously on ELL students to improve ELL test scores. The assistant superintendent of educational services has also identified professional development for site principals as a high priority in efforts to raise API scores. The job posting for the assistant superintendent of educational services included extensive knowledge of categorical programs as a requirement, and both the assistant superintendents of educational services and business services have extensive experience in the use of categorical funding. However, there are no joint meetings of the two. Regular meetings of this kind would provide a forum for collaborating on ways to maximize the district’s limited funding and meet its goals. For example, the assistant superin- tendent of educational services has determined that Title II dollars are available for professional development, but this funding cannot be used to purchase instructional materials. Proposition 20 Lottery funding is one categorical resource that can be used for instructional materials. FCMAT’s review of a district-provided year-end closing spreadsheet, which monitors categorical resources, found that both Title II and Prop 20 Lottery funding reported either deferred revenue or a fund balance available in the 2011-12 fiscal year. Meetings between the assistant superintendents from educational services and business services would help determine whether these two resources are available and would help meet district goals, or the funding has already been committed. These meetings would also serve as a communication bridge between the departments and promote more collaboration in the district office. santa Paula eleMentary school District 12 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING A review of the Educational Services Department organizational chart indicates that the assistant superintendent of that department has relatively few employees who report directly to that posi- tion. Moreover, it is unclear from the district’s organizational chart whether site administrators are supervised and evaluated by the superintendent or the assistant superintendent of educational services, even though the assistant superintendent of educational services works with the princi- pals in using benchmark data to improve student achievement. School operations are included under the office of the superintendent, but it is unclear whether this means site administrators, custodial/grounds or other site personnel. A school district’s organizational structure should establish the framework for leadership and the delegation of specific duties and responsibilities. Based on the organizational chart provided to FCMAT, the assistant superintendent of educa- tional services’ span of control is somewhat limited and includes supervision and evaluation of only two full-time and five part-time positions. In districts of this size, it is not unusual for the assistant superintendent of educational services to have either full or partial responsibility for supervising and evaluating site administrators. Administrative Secretary - The administrative secretary for the Educational Services Department has five years of experience with the district, four in the current position. According to the district’s job description, the basic function of the position is to “perform responsible, technical and complex secretarial services to assist with administrative and clerical support detail for an assigned District-wide function; plan, organize and coordinate office activities and coordinate flow of communications; apply extensive knowledge of district policies and exercise indepen- dent judgment.” Essential functions listed in the job description for the position include the following: • Perform responsible technical and complex secretarial duties in support of an assistant superintendent or director; plan, organize and coordinate operating procedures, communications and administrative support functions to relieve the administrator of routine administrative and clerical details; ensure smooth operations of an assigned office. • Communicate with district personnel or parents on confidential or sensitive issues according to established guidelines and procedures; apply extensive knowledge of district policies and exercise independent judgment; expedite transmittal of information and facilitate implementation of policies and programs; ensure timely communications. • Research and compile information and compute statistical data for federal, state and district reports, departmental budget and special projects as assigned. This position reports directly to the assistant superintendent of educational services, and job duties include supporting that position by answering phones, typing and filing, preparing depart- ment purchase requisitions and assisting the English language development (ELD) coordinator and the coordinator of migrant education/ASPIRE. The administrative secretary helps administer the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) test, orders and receives instructional materials, orders various assessments according to the district assessment calendar, and coordinates the Supplemental Educational Services (SES) providers for program improvement sites. Data Services Specialist - The data services specialist (DSS) has 10 years of experience with the district and has been in the current position for three years. This specialist is responsible for extracting student information out of Zangle, the district’s student information system, and using the Online Assessment Reporting System (OARS), an interface program that allows users to extract data from Zangle to a meaningful format. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 13 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING The data services specialist is a .625 FTE, 11-month position that reports directly to the assistant superintendent of educational services. According to the position’s job description, the position is under the direction of the director of technology or assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and assessment and the DSS duties are to coordinate and process the district’s categorical compliance; ensure proper entry of data for multiple programs; compile and account for complex reports for submission to the county office and state. The DSS supports the school sites by scanning sheets generated by Zangle into OARS and gener- ating OARS reports for instructional staff. Scanning information into OARS daily was previously performed at the sites, but was transferred to the district level because of school site staffing reductions. Data scanning and report generation are labor intensive, and the quality of reports generated from OARS depends on the integrity of student data entered into Zangle. Although the primary reason for using OARS is to facilitate data-driven decision-making, interviews with district staff indicated that problems with data integrity may impede the district from fully meeting this objective. The data services specialist indicates that 80 percent of the job involves responding to special requests from teachers, site administrators or district office administrators to prepare specific reports using OARS. Some district staff members do not run their own reports because they find it easier for someone else to perform the task, and there has been little training of personnel. However, running some reports require a greater level of expertise. The district should consider requiring all OARS-trained personnel to run their own reports and provide additional training to include routine reports as well as those that are unique. Zangle’s English language (EL) application module allows district staff members to track English language learners in the student information system, but the district does not utilize this function. Staff members provided different reasons for this, and some indicated that custom computer language was written to track this information in another section of Zangle. The district should fully investigate the Zangle EL module to determine whether it should be acti- vated or whether the district’s current method for tracking EL students meet its needs. The remaining 20 percent of the data services specialist’s time is spent preparing, processing and reminding employees to sign the categorical multifunded/single-funded report sent to employees semianually. In this process, the business office sends the data services specialist a report gener- ated from the financial system that depicts the account code string for each multifunded and single-funded position in the district. Once the data services specialist receives this information, the multifunded positions are copied to an Excel spreadsheet and sent to the employees in these positions along with the activity report for categorically multifunded personnel. The data services specialist follows up to ensure the paperwork is returned to the district office and semiannually sends the affirmation of categorical compensation form for personnel occupying single-funded and multifunded positions. This process is extremely cumbersome but could become more efficient through automation. The district’s financial system can sort by name and resource code and export the data to Excel. This would eliminate the necessity for the data services specialist to manually sort through a financial report to create an Excel spreadsheet. Once the Excel spreadsheet is received, each position could be imported into a separate template entitled activity report for categorically multifunded personnel before being distributed to employees for signature. Additionally, while the semiannual certification complies with the OMB Circular A-87 proce- dure for single-funded positions, the certification is not for multifunded positions. Specifically, santa Paula eleMentary school District 14 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING districts are allowed to use a substitute system approved by the United States Department of Education. California has obtained approval of a substitute system for all of its LEAs. This system is entitled “Substitute System for Time Accounting” and can be found in the California School Accounting Manual (CSAM), Procedure 905-8 for LEA’s use. Under this system, information is to be collected every fourth month (at least three times per year). Per CSAM 905-10, “[u] nless the LEA uses this approved substitute system, PARs must be prepared at least monthly for employees working on multiple cost objectives whenever federal funds are involved.” The data services specialist also administers many aspects of the district’s Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program, including preparing letters, managing student files, and notifying parents and teachers of those accepted into the program. Many of these duties were absorbed by the data services specialist when the GATE coordinator position was eliminated. A review of job descriptions found that these duties are among those listed for the administrative secretary. The duties related to the GATE program should be reassigned accordingly. The district employs two data services specialists, a part-time position in the Educational Services Department and a full-time position in the Technology Department. The Technology Department position is now assigned to correct student information contained in Zangle. However, once that process is complete, the district should consolidate these two positions for an annual savings of $32,300 from the reduction of the part-time position. The calculated savings includes the position’s salary and statutory benefits, but does not consider the effects of “bumping” that may occur with a reduction in force or include any cost for health and welfare insurance benefits since the position does not qualify for district-paid benefits under the classified collective bargaining contract. English Language Development (ELD) Curriculum Specialist - The English language develop- ment curriculum specialist has eight years of experience with the district and is in the first year in this position. A large part of the ELD coordinator’s time is dedicated to administering the California English Language Development Test (CELDT). Approximately 2,000 students are tested using 14 to 16 retired teachers as proctors. These proctors must receive continuous training and their records must be monitored to ensure they are qualified to administer the tests. The results of CELDT testing are entered into the district’s Zangle system and extracted for analysis using OARS. This is a continuous process since the district’s ELL population is dynamic and changes almost daily. The ELD coordinator spends a considerable amount of time training principals on the home language survey, meeting with various ELL related committees, and managing the district’s classes in English as a second language for district parents who do not speak English. FCMAT’s review of the 2008-09 job posting for this position found that it did not indicate to whom the position reports. Additionally, the district’s organizational chart did not include this position. Recommendations The district should: 1. Develop a job description for the assistant superintendent of educational services position. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 15 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING 2. Encourage and facilitate meetings between the assistant superintendents for educational services and business services to ensure that adequate funds are budgeted to meet the district’s educational goals. 3. Revise the organizational chart and/or job descriptions to specify who super- vises and evaluates site administrators and consider fully or partially assigning this task to the assistant superintendent of educational services. 4. Consider requiring all OARS-trained personnel to run their own reports and provide additional training in OARS to include routine reports as well as those that are unique. 5. Investigate the Zangle’s EL module to determine whether it should be acti- vated or the district’s current method of tracking EL students meets its needs. 6. Automate the process of preparing the activity report for categorically multi- funded personnel by sorting by resource code and exporting data directly from the district’s financial system to an Excel spreadsheet template for multi- funded employees to sign. 7. Review and revise the system for recordkeeping of multifunded positions to comply with OMB Circular A-87 and CSAM Procedure 905-8. 8. Reassign the duties regarding the district’s GATE program to the educational services administrative secretary. 9. Consolidate the two data services specialist positions at the district office into one full-time position. 10. Review the job posting and job description for the ELD curriculum specialist to ensure they are aligned with one another regarding to whom the ELD curriculum specialist reports. 11. Revise the district’s organizational chart to include the ELD curriculum specialist. Business Services Assistant Superintendent of Business Services - The Business Services Department is overseen by the assistant superintendent of business services, who has been with the district nine years. The person in this position previously worked as the director of finance before separating from the district and returning as assistant superintendent approximately two years ago. As is the case at most districts, the assistant superintendent of business services oversees several departments and the following positions report directly to this administrator: the administrative secretary, the director of budget and finance, the director of child nutrition, the director of technology, and the director of maintenance & operations. At many districts, transportation reports to the assistant superintendent of business services; however, Santa Paula Elementary does not provide home- to-school transportation services and contracts with an outside provider for special education transportation. santa Paula eleMentary school District 16 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING This assistant superintendent is also part of the district teams for classified and certificated union negotiations. Article 6.2 of the CSEA unit’s collective bargaining agreement requires employees working six to eight hours to receive full family coverage for health benefits, up to the cap amount included in Article 6.1. Employees working between four and six hours per day and hired after March 1, 1989 cannot receive health care coverage paid by the district. In an effort to make health benefits more accessible to classified employees, the district should consider negoti- ating so that part-time staff members pay a prorated share of insurance coverage based on their FTE if they elect to partake of health benefits. This would apply only to staff members hired after this provision was enacted. The current staff could still receive insurance according to the current provision up to the cap amount contained in the contract for those working 6-8 hours per day. The Business Services Department is one of the many sites/departments affected by the district’s most recent layoffs in June of 2011, and duties from the eliminated positions were reassigned to other business services employees. Because of these eliminations and the redistribution of job duties, some job descriptions may need to be submitted to the personnel commission for review and approval of modifications. The district should also review job descriptions for all depart- mental positions to ensure that staff members work within the scope of these documents. Several staff members indicated that they had not received a copy of their job description, and that the job duties of eliminated or vacated positions are not clearly assigned to other employees, which can result in necessary tasks that are not completed and deadlines that are missed. The district should provide each staff member with a copy of his or her current job description as well as establish a policy to provide employees with a copy of the appropriate job description when they change positions or their job description is modified through the personnel commission. An additional consequence of staff movement is the loss of specialized knowledge held by the prior employee. This was the case when the prior attendance accounting specialist retired, requiring the district to regain that knowledge and train the successor. Desk manuals that include step-by-step procedures for each position’s duties are important to ensure proper internal controls and provide a better understanding of job responsibilities. The district should develop these manuals for each district office employee and ensure that each includes a step-by-step procedure for all assigned duties. Employees from throughout the district indicated that communication is lacking. Many attrib- uted this lack to negativity in the district office including the Business Services Department. To fill this need for information and promote greater involvement among staff members, the depart- ment should implement regular staff meetings, allowing the assistant superintendent and staff to contribute to the agenda. The assistant superintendent of business is assigned to coordinate employees’ due process or Skelly hearings and interactive process meetings for employees with work-related injuries. Meetings regarding work related injuries or workers compensation claims are usually coordinated by the Human Resources Department. This is also the case with Skelly hearings; however, because the district is under a merit system, transferring these duties to the human resources director could create a conflict of interest. Therefore, duties related to interactive process meet- ings for employees with work related injuries should be transferred to the human resources director-classified. Administrative Secretary-Confidential - The administrative secretary-confidential has been with the district since 2008 and in the current position for one year. This position reports to the assistant superintendent of business services and is to “perform responsible, technical and complex secretarial services to assist with administrative and clerical support detail for an assigned Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 17 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING District-wide function; plan, organize and coordinate office activities and coordinate flow of communications; maintain confidentiality of privileged and sensitive information; apply exten- sive knowledge of District policies and exercise independent judgment.” Many of this position’s duties, such as designing and revising forms, establishing files for the assistant superintendent of business services and developing a desk manual, show initiative and may have been neglected by predecessors. One of those duties is compiling the district’s student registration packets. This task was the responsibility of the administrative secretary-confidential in their previous position. Because of familiarity with the process and the vendor who performed the printing function, this individual is continuing to execute these duties. However, linking a duty to a person instead of a position prevents the district from building capacity and may conflict with the current position’s job description. The duties related to the preparation of the district’s registration packets should be reassigned to the Education Services Department. The district’s title for this position as well as the job’s description indicates that it is considered “confidential.” It is a common mistake for a district to assume that a position is confidential because it has access to information that the public cannot or should not see such as some portions of personnel files. Under Government Code section 3540.1, a position is confidential only if it has access to the employer’s collective bargaining information which would result in the district having a confidential position and that the employee holding that position could not be part of any bargaining unit. If, the administrative secretary-confidential has access to this type of information, takes or maintains notes in bargaining sessions or strategy sessions, or types and maintains drafts of bargaining positions, the district should identify this in the job description to clarify that it is a confidential position and not subject to being part of one of the district’s bargaining units. This position also updates the Business Services Department’s Web page; however, this does not appear to be within the actual duties assigned. Interviews with Technology Department personnel found that the executive assistant to the superintendent is assigned to update district office information on the district’s Web page, and school-site office managers are responsible for information on their sites. The duties to update the district office information should be reas- signed to the executive assistant to the superintendent. Director of Budget and Finance - The district recently rehired the director of budget and finance after a 2 ½-year absence to work in a neighboring district. The person in this position was previ- ously with the district for six years as senior accounting technician and has more than 16 years of accounting experience. The position’s basic function is to “plan, organize, control and direct District-wide accounting operations and activities including the preparation, development, monitoring, review, processing, analysis, maintenance and adjustment of District budgets, funds and accounts; coordinate and direct personnel, communications, and fiscal record-keeping and reporting functions to meet District accounting needs and assure smooth and efficient fiscal activities; supervise and evaluate the performance of assigned personnel.” Five business services employees report to this director, including the attendance accounting specialist, three full-time accounting technicians, and one part-time accounting technician. Processing purchase requisitions and budget transfers is very time-consuming for this position. Under district procedures, requisitions are submitted using a multipart paper process and the district’s Escape accounting system generates a paper purchase order (PO) from the requisi- tion for signature and further processing rather than allowing Escape to generate an electronic recquisition and PO. The sites/departments do not have online access to review their budgets or santa Paula eleMentary school District 18 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING to prepare draft transfers of funds before submitting requisitions to the Business Department. This requires the Business Services Department to prepare a paper budget transfer. Not providing sites/departments with read-only access and origination authority over these processes creates additional duties at the district office level, and the district should consider automating the budget and requisition/PO systems through the Escape software. The Business Department provides services that in some districts are provided by the Human Resources Department such as employee health benefit functions. This includes handling open enrollment, making health benefit changes, and providing health benefit information to new hires, which is being handled by the director of budget and finance. A review of the director’s job description indicated this is not included as one of the representative duties. Therefore, the func- tions of handling open enrollment and making changes in health benefits should be transferred to the business services accounting technicians and providing health benefit information to new hires should be transferred to the human resources assistant/technician positions. Accounting Technicians - The four accounting technician positions work under the same job description although their specific areas of focus are specialized. One full-time position performs certificated payroll functions (having previously been senior accounting technician), one full-time position performs classified payroll functions (having previously performed certificated payroll duties), another full-time position performs accounts payable functions, and a part-time .30 FTE position handles purchasing functions. While this structure appears to work for the department, it results in a disproportionate workload on each position and does not allow for cross-training. The accounting technicians have not proactively been willing to assist each other during peak workloads and have not been directed to do so except for the accounts payable technician who backs up the purchasing technician. To help balance workloads between the two accounting technicians who process payroll, allow cross-training between positions, and promote teamwork, the district should consider combing certificated and classified payroll and dividing the payroll by employees’ last names to ensure an even division of pay warrants is processed by each accounting technician assigned payroll duties. Interviews with staff members indicated the district has issues with inaccurate and incomplete timesheets, resulting in a significant amount of time spent correcting these errors during payroll processing. This generates overtime costs for the accounting technicians handing payroll in some months. A review of each timesheet at the site/department level would help expedite the payroll process. The district should provide sites/departments with training in implementing a procedure so that all timesheets are reviewed for completeness and accuracy by a designated on-site staff member and initialed by the reviewer before they are submitted to payroll. Another cross-training opportunity that will help equalize workloads is to train the accounting technician responsible for accounts payable to handle payroll, health and welfare benefits, and prepare journal entries so that she is able to help others when needed (such as during vacations or other employee absences) and when she has a light workload. Through the duties performed by the accounting assistant in child nutrition services, the busi- ness services accounting technician processing accounts payable receives a significant amount of assistance in processing of invoices for child nutrition. The district does not have a transportation department, which leaves the district office and school sites for which to process and batch vendor payments. The district should consider eliminating the .30 FTE accounting technician position performing purchasing functions, generating an estimated $15,350 in annual savings. This estimate includes the current employee’s salary and statutory benefits, but not the effects Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 19 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING of “bumping” that may occur with a reduction in force. The estimate also excludes any cost for health and welfare insurance benefits because the position does not qualify for these under the current CSEA contract. The Business Department also provides services that are in many districts the responsibility of the Human Resources Department. Those services include employee absence tracking for sick leave, extended sick leave, vacation and workers’ compensation absences, and workers’ compensation claims coordination and processing. The district should consider reassigning these duties to the Human Resources Department. A sound internal control structure requires job duties to be segregated to adequately protect the district’s assets. No single employee should handle a transaction from initiation to reconciliation, and no single employee should have custody of an asset and maintain the records of related trans- actions. As the district goes through the process of revising and moving job duties among its employees, strict attention will need to be paid to this principle to safeguard the district’s assets. Attendance Accounting Specialist - The attendance accounting specialist has been in that position two months, but has six years of experience with the district. She is responsible for some duties that may more appropriately belong to educational services such as California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CalPADS) and Medi-Cal Administrative Activities (MAA) reporting. This position also handles other job duties that are more tradition- ally aligned with other positions in the Business Department such as performing student atten- dance accounting, completing accounts receivable, reconciling bank statements, issuing revolving fund checks, processing nonsufficient funds (NSF) checks, reviewing associated student body (ASB) and food services bank deposits, and processing journal entries for food services. Many of these duties are not included in the job description, and this position does not normally exist in districts of comparable size. This position should be eliminated at an annual savings of $75,000 with its duties disbursed as follows: • Transfer CalPADs reporting to the data services specialist in the Technology Department. • Reassign MAA reporting to the district receptionist or the administrative secretary in the Special Education and Student Services Department. • Transfer student attendance accounting to the business services administrative secretary. • Distribute the remaining business services duties such as handling accounts receivable, reconciling bank statements, issuing revolving fund checks, processing NSF checks, reviewing ASB and food services bank deposits, and processing journal entries for food services among the accounting technicians and/or the business services administrative secretary. The savings estimate includes the current employee’s salary, longevity stipend, statutory benefits and the health and welfare benefit cap, which is paid by the district, but not the effects of “bumping” which may occur with a reduction in force. Recommendations The district should: 1. Consider negotiating a provision requiring part-time classified staff members hired after the provision is negotiated to pay a prorated share of insurance coverage based on their full-time equivalence (FTE) if they elect health benefits. santa Paula eleMentary school District 20 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING 2. Review current job descriptions for all departmental positions to ensure that staff members work within the scope of their job descriptions, modify job descriptions as necessary, and submit modifications to the personnel commis- sion for review and approval. 3. Provide each staff member with a copy of his or her current job description, and establish a policy to provide employees with a copy of the appropriate job description when they change positions or their job description is modified through the personnel commission. 4. Develop desk manuals of employee duties for each desk in the district office, and ensure that each employee includes a step-by-step procedure for all assigned duties in their desk manual. 5. Hold regular Business Services Department staff meetings, allowing the assis- tant superintendent and staff to contribute to the agenda. 6. Transfer the duties related to interactive process meetings for employees with work-related injuries to the human resources director-classified. 7. Return the duties related to preparing the district’s student registration packets to the Education Services Department. 8. Identify the specific duties that the administrative secretary-confidential performs which are confidential and include these in the job description to clarify that it is a confidential position and not subject to being part of one of the district’s bargaining units. 9. Return the duties related to updating district office departments’ Web page information to the executive assistant to the superintendent. 10. Consider automating the budget and requisition/PO systems through the Escape software. 11. Consider transferring the director of budget and finance’s duties related to open enrollment and health benefit changes to the accounting technicians responsible for payroll. 12. Consider reassigning the director of budget and finance’s duties related to providing health and welfare benefit information to new hires to the human resources assistant and human resources technician positions. 13. Consider combining certificated and classified payroll and dividing the payroll by employees’ last names to ensure that an even division of pay warrants is processed by each accounting technician assigned to these duties. 14. Provide the sites/departments with training so they can implement a proce- dure to ensure that all time sheets are reviewed for completeness and accuracy by a designated on-site staff member and initialed by the reviewer before they are submitted to payroll. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 21 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING 15. Train the accounting technician responsible for accounts payable in payroll, health and welfare benefits, and preparation of journal entries. 16. Consider eliminating the .30 FTE accounting technician position performing purchasing functions. 17. Consider reassigning the duties of employee absence tracking for sick leave, extended sick leave, vacation and workers’ compensation absences, and workers’ compensation claims coordination and processing to the Human Resources Department. 18. Review its segregation of duties as it moves job duties among its employees that no single employee handles a transaction from initiation to reconcilia- tion, and no single employee has custody of an asset and maintain the records of related transactions. 19. Eliminate the attendance accounting specialist position and distribute its duties. Food Service Director of Child Nutrition Services - The Child Nutrition Department is led by a director who has been in that position for more than four years and reports to the assistant superintendent of business services. The director is supported at the district office level by an accounting assistant and part-time warehouse worker/delivery driver. The position is also responsible for 28 staff members working at the site level including site coordinators and child nutrition assistants. The department supports all district sites, the ASPIRE after-school program as well as two other small school districts in the area with 2010-11 enrollment totaling 192 students. The department is transitioning to using more meals prepared from scratch to improve nutritional quality. It uses this cooking method Tuesdays and Thursdays at Isbell Middle School and Thursdays only at all elementary schools. The approximate breakdown of meal preparation type is as follows: 50% prepackaged, 25% scratch cooking, and 25% a combination of prepackaged and scratch. Preparing meals from scratch is more labor intensive and time consuming. The director plans to add Tuesdays to all elementary schools scratch cooking schedule effective February 2012 and will determine the impact on current work schedules adding hours as they are needed. Even though the goal is scratch cooking for all meals, it is unclear whether this method can be expanded to all five days of the week because of space and equipment constraints at some schools. The human resources aspect of the child nutrition program operates efficiently and effectively. Permanent staff members are long-term, the program appears to have very little turnover, and the number of trained substitute staff members is sufficient to cover for staff absences. However, financial statements indicate that the program engaged in deficit spending in the 2009-10 ($50,547) and 2010-11 ($134,274) fiscal years. Additionally, FCMAT noted that the 2010-11 unaudited actuals reflect an ending fund balance for the cafeteria fund that is in excess of the maximum allowed under 7 CFR 210.14. This section of the Code of Federal Regulations provides that “[t]he school food authority shall limit its net cash resources to an amount that does not exceed 3 months average expenditures for its nonprofit school food service…” While the program had a sufficient fund balance to absorb these losses and they may have been to decrease the fund’s balance, measures should be taken to ensure the program balances its budget each fiscal year and complies with federal limitations on net resources. santa Paula eleMentary school District 22 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING Accounting Assistant - The accounting assistant for the Child Nutrition Department reports to the director of child nutrition and has held this position for 17 years. This is a full-time, 10½-month position that performs bookkeeping duties related to food services for seven schools and two other school districts and works with the child nutrition site coordinators daily. The assistant performs a wide variety of technical bookkeeping and financial record-keeping duties as well as answering phones and questions. The primary job duties are listed as follows: • Receive, review, input and reconcile daily sales receipts from school site cafeterias; prepare sales reports. Cash is received and counted daily. The amount of cash is minimal since it is mostly for extra milk purchased by students and purchase of adult meals. • Maintain warehouse and cafeteria inventories of available district goods and supplies, including calculating the value of district inventory; reconciling inventory reports with the results of physical inventories. • Match invoices to purchase orders, and forward invoices to accounts payable for processing. • Prepare bank deposits and reconcile bank statements. Bank statements are reconciled monthly. • Prepare and submit the monthly child nutrition reimbursement claims, including quarterly financial reports on special grant funds and sales taxes. • Calculate labor costs and reconcile payroll and employee absence records. • Enter financial data to county office system. However, the configuration of the duties for this position provides that the same person is responsible for opening the cash bags, counting and depositing the money as well as reconciling the bank statement. Adequate internal accounting procedures should be implemented and neces- sary changes made to segregate job duties and protect the district’s assets. No single employee should handle a transaction from initiation to reconciliation, and no single employee should have custody of an asset, such as cash, and maintain the records of its transactions. Warehouse Worker/Delivery Driver -This 4.5-hour, 10-month (or .5625) FTE position reports to the director of child nutrition services. The driver previously retired from private industry and has been with the district six years. The district’s position control system lists two warehouse worker/delivery driver positions; however, the three-hour position reporting to the Maintenance and Operations Department is vacant, and the district is in the process of hiring a permanent employee. This position’s primary duties are related to filling paper and canned goods orders from the district’s warehouse, collecting and delivering of food at school sites, delivering child nutrition services money bags from school sites to the district office, and delivering school supplies twice daily as well as helping move teachers from one site to another in the summer. Recommendations The district should: 1. Review and revise the budget for child nutrition to ensure it is balanced and complies with federal limitations on net resources. 2. Implement changes to the accounting assistant’s procedures of handling of cash to accomplish segregation of job duties and protect the district’s assets. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 23 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING Technology Department Director of Technology - The director of technology, who reports to the assistant superintendent of business, has been with the district for 15 months and previously served as the director of technology at a unified school district. The district’s Technology Department consists of the director of tech- nology, a network technician, a vacant network technician position and a data services specialist. The district has approximately 1,000 personal computers, resulting in a minimum of four computers for every classroom. Approximately 60 percent of these computers are five to eight years old. The district’s network is nearing obsolescence with components such as routers and switches being six to 12 years old. The district’s technology staff reports that some component of the network is replaced every two months. The district receives its connection to the internet through the county office of educa- tion; however, internet filtering is performed at the district level. The district maintains a Microsoft Exchange Server that allows district staff members to access e-mail accounts remotely. The district’s financial system and student information system, Escape Technologies and Zangle, respectively, are housed at the Ventura County Superintendent of Schools and supported by county office technology staff. The district lacks an updated, off-site back-up system in case of a catastrophic loss for its e-mail and general data files. The district should work with the county office to develop more effective back-up, recovery and archiving systems for electronic data to avoid the potential for catastrophic loss. Zangle, the district’s student information system, services the various needs of the Business Services, Educational Services and the Technology departments; however, no department has been assigned oversight responsibility of the software. No single department is assigned to oversee the system or make decisions regarding the software. For example, no one knows why the English learner module is not used, and one explanation was that special computer code was written for the software. The director of technology was unaware of this. To provide consistent management and direction, the district should assign responsibility for this software to one department. The district receives a 90% discount under the schools and libraries portion of the universal service fund, more commonly known as E-Rate, and accepts E-Rate reimbursement for data and phone services. However, the district has not engaged in E-Rate projects, such as design and installation of new network cabling, active equipment (switches, routers, etc.), wireless LAN, IP telephony, and WAN. Given the district’s existing networks’ rapid rate of decline, the district should leverage its available resources with E-Rate funding to replace its network through E-Rate projects. Network Technician - The network technician has been with the district for 10 years, all in the same position. This is the district’s only network technician, and while the district has an unfilled network technician position, the budget for that position has been utilized for the data services specialist’s position. The network technician’s duties include working on servers, network components, and the district’s phone system. Even though the district’s dependence on technology has significantly increased during this technician’s tenure, the number of network technician positions decreased from four to one. Based on the number of computers in the district, the district’s decaying technology infrastructure, and the limited number of personnel in the Technology Department, the network tech- nician’s time is devoted largely to crisis management. For these reasons, the district should consider immediately filling the other network technician position. The estimated cost for this additional tech- nician would be approximately $70,700 per year, including salary, statutory benefits and the health and welfare benefits cap, which is paid by the district. The estimate was calculated using step one of the salary schedule for the network technician classification under the assumption that the district would hire a new employee. If a current district employee is chosen for this position, the cost may increase to include a higher step on the salary schedule as well as a possible longevity stipend. santa Paula eleMentary school District 24 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING Data Services Specialist - The data services specialist has been with the district seven years and in the current position since August 2011. Duties include opening help desk tickets entered into the district’s technology work order system, Helpdesk.com, importing student pictures into Zangle, resetting passwords and providing technical support for Parent Connect, a program that allows parents to remotely view students’ test scores. However, most of this position’s time is devoted to correcting student information entered into Zangle because of the poor quality of data in the system. The poor quality stems from older information stored in the Zangle system, with little focus on accuracy in the past. The sites have been provided with training to enter current data accurately and the clean-up of the information should allow the district to move to the next phase of its process with Zangle, which is to start using the household module. The district’s Education Services Department also employs a part-time data services specialist. Once the clean-up of the Zangle data has been substantially completed, the district should consider consolidating the duties of the two positions, resulting in an annual savings of approxi- mately $32,300, as reflected in the curriculum and instruction department section of this report. The calculated savings includes salary of the part-time position, statutory benefits and the health and welfare benefit cap, which paid by the district, but not the effects of “bumping” that may occur with a reduction in force. Recommendations The district should: 1. Work with the county office to explore more effective backup, recovery and archiving systems for electronic data to avoid the potential for catastrophic loss. 2. Assign the Zangle software under to one department to provide consistent management and direction. 3. Leverage its available resources with E-Rate funding to replace its rapidly decaying network through E-Rate projects. 4. Immediately fill the vacant network technician position. 5. Consider consolidating the duties of the data services specialist in the Education Services Department and the Technology Department upon substantial completion of the Zangle data clean-up project. Maintenance/Operations Department Director of Maintenance and Operations - The director of maintenance and operations has been with the district and in that position for five years. Before then, the employee was a Division of the State Architect (DSA) inspector with a larger, unified district for eight years. The depart- ment’s staff includes one skilled maintenance technician, three skilled maintenance workers, one maintenance worker, two groundskeepers and a .5 FTE clerical assistant. The director reports to the assistant superintendent of business services and is responsible for the Maintenance, Operations and Warehouse departments. The job description indicates this position is to “supervise and evaluate the performance of assigned staff” which would include custodians within the operations department. However, site principals usually perform this func- tion at the Santa Paula Elementary School District, and the assistant superintendent of business services supervises and evaluates the custodian assigned to the district office with the director of Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 25 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING maintenance and operations serving only in an advisory capacity. As a best practice, the director should supervise the custodians, with input from the site principals, to ensure consistency in cleaning methods, supplies used as well as observance of uniform personnel policies. Additionally, the district’s only remaining ”warehouse” facility is a storage area for food service, and a ware- house department no longer exists. The district should consider either modifying the director’s job description or modifying its practice to conform to the job description. Work orders are processed and prioritized through the district’s automated computer program, Net Facilities. Although the director assumes responsibility for training maintenance and grounds staff, custodians are trained monthly by a company representative from Hillyard, which is the district’s vendor for custodial supplies. This training encompasses a large variety of topics including everything from blood-borne pathogens to the proper maintenance of material safety data sheets (MSDS). When working with vendors and purchasing products/equipment that do not require a formal bidding process, an effective business practice is to annually review quotes from different vendors to ensure that the district receives the lowest available price. The training the vendor provides to custodians serves as an additional motive for maintaining that business relationship; however, the district reviews quotes only sporadically and usually when the vendor requests a review of its product catalog, which is not necessarily on an annual basis. The Maintenance and Operations Department should solicit quotes from at least three vendors annu- ally to analyze the price of custodial supplies and ensure that the district receives the best price. The director of maintenance and operations indicated that he is responsible for both the routine restricted maintenance account and the deferred maintenance five-year plan, but does not receive budget reports or monitor department spending. Instead, the business office monitors the department’s budget and notifies the director when a budget transfer or purchase-order increase is necessary. Although this approach results in timely budget adjustments, maintaining budget accountability is one of the director’s essential job duties in the job description and all depart- ment heads should have an intimate knowledge of their budgets to be successful in that job duty. The district should ensure that all budget mangers, including the director of maintenance and operations, are accountable for their departmental budgets and provide the training as necessary to accomplish that goal. During fieldwork, FCMAT observed that the responsibility for risk management was spread across several district departments or was not being performed at all. For example, FCMAT could not locate the district’s Senate Bill (SB) 198 injury and illness prevention plan, asbestos hazard emergency response act (AHERA) plan or disaster preparedness plan. These plans are required under state or federal law. The district should consider hiring a risk management consultant to determine where it may be out of compliance with state and/or federal law and take measures to comply. The district office encompasses approximately 5,000 square feet divided among three buildings and shares its custodian with several elementary schools. During the district’s last round of budget reductions, the custodian assigned to the district office was reduced to two hours per day, and several district staff members indicated that the level of custodial service at the district office is inadequate. The California Association of School Business Officials’ staffing formula for departments recommends a .28 FTE position or 2.25 hours per day for an area of 5,000 square feet. Therefore, the district has allocated sufficient time to this position; however, based on the concerns generated by district staff, the district could consider performing a time study to deter- mine if additional time is warranted. santa Paula eleMentary school District 26 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING Clerical Assistant II - The clerical assistant II is a .5 FTE position has served in this position for four months. The person filling the position has been with the district 11 years, the last nine in a full-time child development position. She was offered the current position in accordance with 39-month rehire rights after being laid off. The duties of this position include scheduling substitute custodians when regular custodians are absent, requisitioning custodial supplies and processing work orders by phone, e-mail or through the district’s automated work order system, Net Facilities. The clerk assistant II also keeps the director’s calendar, files completed work orders by school site, purchases supplies for the Maintenance Department and ensures invoices are signed by the appropriate personnel before forwarding them to accounts payable. The district employs many people in the classification of clerical assistant II at several sites as well as in the Maintenance and Operations Department. Consequently, the job description specifies that “[i} ncumbents in the Clerical Assistant II classification require specialized knowledge in a specific area, based upon assignment; performs the more complex and advanced clerical support duties; and receives limited supervision within a framework of standard policies and procedures.” Because the clerical assistant II position resides in many departments, employees can be unclear concerning what job duties are the responsibility of their specific position. The district should consider revising the clerical assistant II job description to include specific examples of the duties performed at sites and departments to clarify issues about working out of class. Warehouse Worker/Delivery Driver - This is a three-hour, 12-month position (or .375 FTE) that reports to the director of maintenance and operations. The warehouse worker/delivery driver position is filled by a substitute; however, the district is in the process of hiring a permanent employee. This employee is assigned to collect and deliver the mail from each site, deliver parcels and packages as well as complete a daily route to the post office. If a substitute driver is unavail- able, this position was designed to allow for the warehouse worker/delivery driver who reports to the director of child nutrition to perform these daily duties and vice versa. Each warehouse worker/delivery driver position visits each school site daily, one driver providing services for child nutrition, and the other collecting and delivering mail. To increase efficiency, the district should investigate the possibility of combining the two services in one daily route. Each hour decreased from the routes would save the district approximately $20 per hour per day. This estimate includes the hourly salary at step one and statutory benefits, but does not include the effects of “bumping” that may occur with a reduction in force or include any cost for health and welfare benefit insurance premiums. This is because the position does not qualify for district- paid benefits under the current CSEA contract. Recommendations The district should: 1. Consider modifying the director’s job description to current practice or conforming practice to the job description based on the discrepancies between the two. 2. Ensure that the Maintenance and Operations Department solicits quotes from at least three vendors annually to analyze the pricing of custodial supplies and ensure that the district receives the lowest price. 3. Ensure that all budget managers, including the director of maintenance and operations, are accountable for their departmental budgets and provide training as necessary to accomplish that goal. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 27 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING 4. Consider hiring a risk management consultant to identify where it may be out of compliance with state and/or federal law and take measures to comply. 5. Consider performing a time study of the district office custodial position to determine if additional time for this position is warranted. 6. Revise the clerical assistant II job description to include specific examples of the duties performed at both sites and in departments to dispel confusion about tasks that may be considered as examples of working out of class. 7. Investigate combining the daily deliveries of food, etc. for Child Nutrition Services and mail services in one route. Personnel Department The district operates under a merit system. This is a system of laws contained in Education Code Sections 45240-45320 that provides for a method to manage classified personnel with efficiency and economy while providing for selection and retention of employees, promotional oppor- tunities, training and other employment related matters on the basis of merit, fitness and the principle of like pay for like work. This system is administered by a personnel commission; an independent body of three people authorized by the state to establish and maintain the district’s position classification plan, adopting guidelines to analyze jobs and develop valid employment examinations and adopt rules and procedures to carry out classified personnel administration. The Human Resources (HR) Department staff consists of the classified human resources director, the human resources assistant, and the certificated human resources technician. Human resources functions are separated by certificated and classified duties, with the certificated functions headed by the superintendent and the classified by the human resources director-classified. The certifi- cated human resources technician reports directly to the superintendent. The superintendent is responsible for handling certificated employment issues beyond the scope of the technician’s job duties and responsibilities. Human Resources Director-Classified - The human resources director-classified has been in the Human Resources Department for 23 years,18 as director, and reports to the personnel commis- sion because the district is governed by the merit system. This position has one employee in its chain of command, the human resources assistant, and is responsible to “plan, organize and direct the classified personnel program in accordance with State and federal laws and the merit system rules; administer human resources policies and procedures related to classified personnel.” The division of duties between classified and certificated employee functions effectively creates two Human Resources Departments. Each department focuses on its own employee group, which allows them to run parallel with one another, but they do not communicate effectively or operate as a team. Based on other districts of similar size, the department would be more effective as a team of three, the HR director, HR technician, and HR assistant. The district should also consider assigning the HR director to oversee both classified and certificated personnel functions with the position designated as .50 FTE classified director reporting to the personnel commission and .50 FTE certificated director reporting to the superintendent. During interviews, some staff members questioned the validity of the district’s merit system. Some indicated job offers were based on relationships instead of qualifications and raised other questions about whether established policies are followed. A lack of knowledge and openness related to internal HR processes and procedures may be the cause of these issues. One of the santa Paula eleMentary school District 28 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING easiest ways of keeping employees informed is to post merit system procedures, personnel commission agendas, and personnel commission meeting minutes in the HR section of the district’s website. Recently passed legislation, assembly bill (AB) 1344, requires personnel commission agendas to be posted to the website as of January 1, 2012. The district should take additional steps to ensure these agendas are posted as required as well as facilitating under- standing and openness regarding the merit system by posting procedures and current actions to the website. As another measure to support openness in hiring/promotions, the district should consider implementing a policy requiring managers to contact each promotional candidate that was not selected to provide some feedback concerning this decision. Many districts schedule informal monthly meetings to address and resolve any issues with their bargaining units as they arise and before they reach a grievance. These meetings help create a more personal communication bridge between the district’s administrators and union representa- tives and can reduce the amount spent on legal fees related to personnel issues. While these meetings occur at the district monthly, the district should ensure that the HR director is included as well as the superintendent and that each group develops an agenda to be exchanged at the beginning of each meeting to ensure that everyone’s concerns are addressed timely. The HR director should be present at certificated and classified collective bargaining negotia- tions. This has not been the case in the past. It is extremely unusual for the head of the depart- ment assigned with day-to-day enforcement of employment contracts to be absent from these discussions. In a district document listing personnel commission office staff functions, one of the job duties performed by this position was assisting management in discipline matters. The HR director is one of two district office administrators that have been with the district for more than 20 years, providing a great deal of continuity and familiarity with individual employee performance issues. For this reason and because of the usual duties of an HR director, this is the logical position to guide and assist administrators in performing employee disciplinary duties. However, FCMAT’s interviews with district administrators indicated that while the HR Department sends letters to the affected employees, the HR director does not provide a great deal of assistance with disci- plinary issues. This is either because the employee involved is certificated and therefore not under the director’s authority, the potential of confrontations with union representatives, or the diffi- culty in relaying negative information to employees. Allowing inexperienced administrators to deal with unfamiliar disciplinary actions can create significant legal issues and is another example of why the district should combine the classified and certificated functions of human resources. The superintendent’s responsibilities prevent this position from devoting the necessary time and level of detail to this type of task, while the HR director has 23 years of experience in this field. The HR director should be closely involved with all employee discipline issues regardless of whether the district transfers the certificated HR duties from the superintendent and combines all personnel issues under the HR director. Based on the HR director’s withdrawal from the disci- plinary process and the length of time that may have elapsed since she actively participated, the district may need to provide additional resources and training. The district should provide the HR director with training and support in conflict resolution and dealing with difficult personali- ties to enable resolution of personnel-related management-level issues with staff members and union representatives. Many employees indicated the district has a lack of teamwork, and this affects the HR Department. However, another issue is this department’s lack of collaboration with the personnel performing payroll functions. The HR Department and the payroll functions in the Business Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 29 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING Services Department are unavoidably linked. Without notification from HR that an employee exists, payroll cannot be processed for that employee, and the two areas must also work together to create a sound position control system for budgeting purposes. Consequently, it is vital for these departments to work closely with one another. Human resources and payroll should conduct regular monthly meetings to better communicate, resolve any issues, and promote a sense of teamwork. Human Resources Assistant - The human resources assistant has spent 14 years in the district’s Human Resources Department, starting as HR Clerk and assuming the current position in 1998. This position reports to the human resources director-classified and is assigned with “a wide variety of administrative support duties related to classified personnel.” The district has approximately 190 classified employees, and they are a very fluid group, with hiring occurring throughout the year. Because the district is governed by the merit system, many processes and procedures must be followed concerning classified personnel recruitment, employment, disci- pline, and separation from employment. Because only two district employees handle all issues related to classified personnel, this desk can become extremely busy. The district previously employed a part-time human resources clerk to assist; however, this position was eliminated in layoffs. The HR clerk has recently returned to the district for a short-term assignment to help the HR assistant with a backlog of work. While the district employs a human resources technician, this is a higher job classification which reports to a different supervisor. Along with the division created between classified and certificated duties, this prevents the HR assistant from obtaining help from the HR technician with that position’s work overload. Many job duties performed by the HR assistant fall outside the scope of the position, particularly when the HR director is absent. The district’s contract with the HR assistant’s bargaining unit allows employees to work outside their classifications with provisions for additional compensation once the duties have been performed for a prescribed period of time, and the district compensates them in accordance with the contract. However, when an employee regularly works out of his or her classification for an extended period of time, the district should consider reclassification. Along with the HR director being assigned to manage classified and certificated human resources employees, reclas- sification of the HR assistant position to an HR technician position would enable HR employees to balance the workload more equitably. The change will also create cross-training opportunities to provide the district with continuity in services when an employee is absent. The district should reclassify the current HR assistant to an HR technician. During interviews with the HR assistant, FCMAT found that the following job duties could be streamlined to improve efficiencies at this desk: • Instead of sending tuberculosis expiration notices to employees monthly, these could be sent every six months. • Instead of mailing job announcements to anyone who submits a job interest form, the district could publicize that all job announcements will be posted on its website, at the district office, and at work sites in compliance with bargaining unit agreements. • The Technology Department could be directed to provide e-mail accounts and access to them through district equipment to all district staff members. This would allow the Human Resources Department to convert some processes from manual to electronic by performing the following: • Posting all job announcements to the HR website and informing staff of the posting by sending an all-staff e-mail. santa Paula eleMentary school District 30 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING • Sending other personnel related information to the staff via e-mail, e.g., annual work calendars, annual employee notices, and TB expiration notices. • Consider negotiating with the classified union to designate an employee’s hire date to determine seniority instead of the current practice of using hours in a job classification. Human Resources Technician-Certificated - The human resources technician-certificated was hired by the district for this position approximately 10 years ago and reports directly to the superintendent. The position is to “…coordinate and participate in the daily operations of the certificated personnel office…” The district employs approximately 220 certificated staff members; however, hiring needs in this area are cyclical, resulting in job duties that require less time and resulting in less work. The HR technician meets with the superintendent once per week to apprise him of certificated personnel issues. The superintendent is the point of contact for certificated personnel complaints and issues with both staff and union representatives. With the divided structure of the Human Resources Department, the district staff indicated there is a need for improvement in the handling of certificated personnel matters. Many are unsure who is responsible for certain tasks and are unclear whether annual notices were provided to certificated employees. Consolidating the Human Resources Department under one administrator who is trained in human resources functions would resolve many of these issues. The division of labor is disproportionate, with the HR assistant having an excessive number of duties compared to the position of HR technician. Although the HR technician often has the time to assist, it is difficult to resolve this issue without a common administrator overseeing both positions. HR staff members have experience and knowledge in their areas of responsibility, but there is no cross-training between certificated and classified functions. This prevents work from continuing when an HR staff member is absent, hampers customer service, and hinders teamwork. Regardless of whether the district consolidates the HR Department under one admin- istrator, the two HR staff positions should be reviewed to provide necessary cross-training and divide workloads more equitably. Some job descriptions provided to FCMAT were included in the district’s board policies. For example, those for the positions of children’s center director, nurse, and psychologist were last reviewed between August 1972 and February 1976. The line responsibility for these three posi- tions is no longer in the district’s organizational chart. The district should review its board poli- cies to ensure that any containing job descriptions are updated. Recommendations The district should: 1. Consider assigning the HR director to oversee both classified and certificated personnel functions. 2. Ensure that personnel commission agendas are posted to the district’s website in accordance with AB 1344. Along with posting procedures and current actions to the website, this will ensure clearer understanding and openness concerning the merit system. 3. Implement a policy requiring managers to contact each nonselected promo- tional candidate to provide some feedback on the decision. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 31 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING 4. Include the HR director in the monthly informal meetings with bargaining units in addition to the superintendent attending. Each group should develop an agenda to be exchanged at the beginning of each meeting to ensure that everyone’s concerns are addressed timely. 5. Require the HR director to participate in certificated and classified labor negotiations. 6. Involve the HR director in all employee discipline issues. 7. Provide the HR director with training and support in conflict resolution and dealing with difficult personalities. 8. Schedule regular monthly meetings between human resources and payroll. 9. Reclassify the HR assistant to an HR technician. 10. Ensure cross-training between the certificated and classified HR technicians. 11. Streamline HR duties to improve efficiencies as described above in this report. 12. Review the workloads of the HR assistant and HR technician to more equi- tably divide assigned tasks. 13. Review its board policies to ensure that any containing job descriptions are updated. Special Education Department Executive Director of Special Education & Student-Family Support Services - The executive director of special education and student support services has 25 years of experience with the district and has been in the current position since fiscal year 2000 (except fiscal year 2008 when she served as assistant superintendent of student services). The executive director reports directly to the superintendent and has worked under 13 different superintendents. It is unusual for this position to report directly to the superintendent. The district should consider restructuring the chain of command so that the position instead reports to the assistant superintendent of educa- tional services. This position is ultimately responsible for the district’s special education programs, its six state preschool classes, child welfare and attendance, intra- and inter-district student attendance permits, School Attendance Review Board (SARB), expulsions, Medi-Cal LEA and Medi-Cal Administrative Activities (MAA) billing and health services, including school site health special- ists and the district nurse. When the AB 602 special education funding model was signed into law during fiscal year 1998- 99, the district decided to retain programs for most of its severe needs special education students (such as the severely handicapped, medically fragile, orthopedically handicapped, emotionally disturbed, etc.) instead of sending them to regional programs, which is somewhat unique for a district of its size. As a result, the district operates a wide array of programs for students from age three through the eighth grade that reside in the Mupu, Briggs, and Santa Clara elementary school districts. The district contracts with vendors for special education transportation, and the only program it does not offer is for the deaf and hard of hearing. santa Paula eleMentary school District 32 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING Based on district information, the decision to serve students with special needs locally has been a programmatic and financial success. The district estimates that using a county-office program for this purpose would cost approximately $22,000 per student compared to the approximately $12,000 per pupil it costs to serve students locally. However, the district has to accommodate the increasing number of students identified as requiring special education services with decreasing resources. The executive director believes that the greater number of special education students is the result of the following two factors: • The relatively low cost of living in Santa Paula compared to other Ventura County communities with greater mobility among student populations. • The rise in the number of students diagnosed with autism. A cursory review of the organizational chart for the Special Education and Student Support Services Department indicates that the executive director has an excessive span of control compared to industry standards with six full-time and two part-time employees reporting directly and site health specialists and the district’s state preschool, school readiness, child development programs reporting indirectly. Span of control refers to the number of subordinates reporting directly to a supervisor. While there is no agreed-upon ideal number of subordinates for span of control, it is generally agreed that the span can be larger at lower levels of an organization than at higher levels because subordinates at the lower levels typically perform more routine duties, and therefore can be more effectively supervised. In districts of similar type and size, it would be common for student services (i.e. child welfare and attendance, SARB, expulsions) to be under the assistant superintendent of educational services. Administrative Secretary for Special Education and Student Support Services - The administra- tive secretary for special education and student support services has been in that position for 35 years. This position serves as the primary clerical support to the executive director of special education and student support services, assists with all clerical aspects of the executive direc- tor’s job, including maintaining students’ files, assisting with special education pupil counts, processing requests for special education bussing, preparing for, and taking minutes at SARB meetings, maintaining records on student suspensions and expulsions, processing intra and inter- district transfer requests, taking minutes at multiagency collaborative meetings, and translating at expulsion meetings when required. Special Programs Assistant - The special programs assistant has been with the district 27 years, five in the current position. This was an eight-hour, 12-month position but was reduced to six hours and 10 1/2 months because of budget constraints. This position manages phone calls, processes Medi-Cal LEA and MAA billing, processes purchase requisitions, travel and conference requests and reimbursements, sets up budget binders, manages special education student files and forwards them to nonpublic school (NPS) placements when applicable. This assistant also translates for special education parents as needed. Many of the above duties fall within the job descriptions of the administrative secretaries for both the assistant superintendent of educational services and the executive director of special education and student support services. FCMAT previously recommended assigning the execu- tive director to report to the assistant superintendent of educational services. Maintenance of the special programs assistant position is not warranted considering the workloads for the administrative secretary for special education and student support services. Therefore, the special programs assistant position should be eliminated and its duties divided between the district office receptionist and the two administrative secretaries of special education and student services and educational services. This could result in a yearly savings of approximately $46,800. The estimate Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 33 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING includes the current employee’s salary, longevity stipend, statutory benefits and the health and welfare benefit cap, which is paid by the district, but excludes the effects of “bumping” that may occur with a reduction in force. School Nurse - The school nurse has been with the district since October 1, 2011 and was a school nurse for a charter school located in San Angelo, Texas for three years before then. This is the only nurse in the district and receives assistance from the health technicians who are on site every other day. The nurse’s primary responsibilities include responding to student and staff requests, attending 504 and Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, conducting vision screenings and coordinating the hearing screening, which is conducted by an outside vendor. She also works with the health technicians to ensure that all student immunizations are current. The use of health technicians at school sites is fairly common in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. However, an increasing number of rules and regulations require nurses to administer certain medications, such as insulin. A federal lawsuit filed against the state superintendent of public instruction last year focused on the administration of insulin to diabetic children by unlicensed personnel. In that lawsuit, the plaintiffs alleged defendants violated the federal law by failing to ensure the provision of health care services to students with diabetes, including insulin administration that was necessary to enable those students to obtain a free appropriate public education. The court concluded California law authorizes “the administration of insulin to a student only by a licensed health care professional acting within the scope of practice for which he or she is licensed under the Business and Professions Code (e.g., a nurse licensed under the [NPA], Business and Professions Code section 2700 et seq., to perform services within the meaning of Business and Professions Code section 2725) or by an unlicensed person who is expressly autho- rized by statute to administer insulin in specified circumstances . . . .” The trial court concluded that Education Code Sections 49423 and 49423.6 did not authorize the CDE to permit unli- censed school personnel to administer insulin if they were not otherwise statutorily permitted to do so. Based on the evolution of law in this area, the district should review the duties performed by its health technicians to determine whether it should replace them with licensed personnel such as LVNs or RNs. The district job description, BP 4117.17 (adopted August 7, 1975), states that this position is “[u]nder the direct supervision of the on-site administrator. Under the general direction of the School Nursing Supervisor for Professional-technical aspect of the assignment.” It is unclear who “on-site administrator” refers to since the job description does not state where the nurse should be assigned. The district’s organizational chart shows that this position has direct line supervi- sion from the executive director of special education & student-family support services, and the district’s organizational chart does not indicate that the position of school nursing supervisor is either filled or vacant. Teacher On Special Assignment: Special Education & Support Services Specialist - The teacher on special assignment (TOSA): special education & support services specialist (also known as the TOSA program specialist) has been with the district 16 years, three in the current position. The person in this position previously served as a resource specialist program (RSP) teacher and a special education professional development coordinator. The executive director of special educa- tion and student-family support services has direct line authority over this position, and current duties include working with the early intervention center infant program at the Ventura Unified School District for students from birth to age three, working with the Tri-County Regional santa Paula eleMentary school District 34 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING Center, assigning case managers and referring outside services for 48 preschool IEPs. The posi- tion also attends most school age IEPs, including high-profile cases such as those dealing with autism, severe emotional disturbance, and/or NPS placements. Last year, this employee attended 260 IEPs. The TOSA program specialist facilitates ongoing communication between parents, teachers, and psychologists regarding student placements and monitoring. This position also monitors STAR assessments for special education students, manages the district’s 504 process, and monitors class sizes in special day classes. Special day class (SDC) class-size limitations are included in Article 13.2.1 of the district’s contract with the Santa Paula Federation of Teachers, Local 2071 which states “[t]he class size for Special Day Classes (SDC) shall be 12 students. No class shall exceed this number by more than two (2) students).” Since the Education Code does not include a maximum class size for special day classes, the district may wish to renegotiate class size language for its SDC classrooms. FCMAT reviewed the job posting for this position, the job description, and April 16, 2002 job description for a program specialist/special education. The job posting did not specify who the position reports to, and the April 16 2002 job description indicated the TOSA program specialist reports to the director of special education/pupil personnel services. Recommendations The district should: 1. Consider restructuring the chain of command so that the executive director- special education and student support services reports to the assistant superin- tendent of educational services. 2. Consider reducing the director of special education and student support services’ span of control and assigning some of the position’s current duties to the assistant superintendent of educational services. 3. Eliminate the special programs assistant, dividing those duties between the receptionist and the two administrative secretaries in the Special Education and Student Services and Educational Services departments. 4. Review the duties of its health technicians to determine whether they should be replaced with licensed personnel such as LVNs or RNs. 5. Create a job description for the nurse utilizing current industry standards. 6. Consider renegotiating class size language for special day classes. 7. Review the job posting and job description for the TOSA program specialist position to ensure they are aligned with one another regarding the position to which the TOSA program specialist reports. Migrant Program Coordinator Afterschool/Migrant Education Programs - The coordinator of migrant education/ afterschool programs reports to the assistant superintendent of educational services and has been with the district 13 years, four at the district office. While at the district office, this individual has served as English language curriculum specialist, TOSA and in the current assignment. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 35 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING The coordinator of migrant education/after school programs manages the district’s Migrant Education Program and the district’s after school education and safety (ASES) program, locally referred to as ASPIRE. In its role as migrant education coordinator, this position operates the migrant education program, including managing budgets of $181,000 and $71,800 for the regular school and summer school programs, respectively, holding family conferences and coordi- nating the Saturday school program. The district has 156 families with 347 students enrolled in the Migrant Education Program. As the manager in charge of the district’s ASPIRE program, the coordinator manages a budget of $713,000 for an after-school program serving approximately 500 students at seven different school sites. The ASPIRE program has an academic and an enrichment component, and students must attend a minimum of 15 hours per week. The educational and literacy component provides tutoring and/or homework assistance, and the educational enrichment component includes activities such as the arts, music, health promotion, community service, and career awareness. The district entered into a collaborative arrangement with the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley to operate the ASPIRE program. Approximately one-third of ASPIRE staff members are Boys and Girls Club employees, and the district pays the club an administrative fee of 18% in excess of direct costs for these services. This is a relatively high administrative fee, and the collaborative with the club has also proved to be logistically challenging. If club employees do not report for work, it is the district’s duty to find substitutes. In both the June 30, 2010 and June 30, 2009 audited financial statements, the district received audit findings because the program released students early without an early release form. The June 30, 2009 audit had an additional finding of administrative fees, which exceeded the 15% cap being charged. Since students must attend at least 15 hours per week for the district to be eligible for funding, it is imperative that the program maintain adequate staffing and that all appropriate procedures are followed. The district should reevaluate the cost effectiveness of the agreement with the Boys and Girls Club and determine whether it should operate the program independently or renegotiate terms of the agreement. Migrant Education Program Assistant - The migrant education program assistant has been with the district five years. For most of that time, this was an eight-hour, 10-month position; however, the position was reduced to four hours or .50 FTE approximately 18 months ago because of budget restrictions. Duties include establishing the calendar for Saturday schools, verifying student attendance in migrant programs, submitting quarterly reports to the regional migrant education office, preparing agendas for meetings, and taking meeting minutes, and processing the initial paperwork to sign up new families. The job description states that this position is “[u]nder the direction of the director of special projects…;” however, the district does not have this position, so the assistant reports to the coor- dinator afterschool/migrant programs. Migrant Education Recruiter - The migrant education recruiter has been with the district three years, all in the current position. The recruiter is .5375 FTE (or approximately 4.3 hours per day), works 11 months of the year and is responsible for outreach to potential migrant families through initial phone calls and home visitations. To be eligible for the migrant education program, a member of the family must be employed in some aspect of agriculture, and the work must be seasonal. In addition to interviewing families, the migrant education recruiter regularly communicates with the regional migrant education office in Camarillo regarding verification of certificates of eligibility. santa Paula eleMentary school District 36 CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL STAFFING This is another position “[u]nder the direction of the Director of Special Projects…,” according to the job description. However, the district does not have a director of special projects and this position reports to the coordinator afterschool/migrant programs. In addition to the eligibility qualification, the Migrant Education Program requires a migrant child to have moved within the past three years across state or school district lines with a migrant parent or guardian or on his/her own. The purpose for the move must be to enable the child, the child’s guardian, or a member of the child’s immediate family to obtain temporary or seasonal employment in an agricultural, fishing, or food processing activity. The child may be from three to 21 years of age if he/she has not graduated. Migrant children can be either interstate or intrastate. An interstate migrant child is one who has moved within the past three years from one state to another with his/her family or on his/her own to find qualifying work. An intrastate migrant child is one who has moved within the past three years to another school district in the same state. While many migrant families consider California to be their home base, others use Mexico. The migrant education recruiter indicates that changes in the economy and state guidelines for determining eligibility have made it increasingly difficult to identify families eligible for migrant education services. Families are less likely to move from place to place because of the expense. Instead, only the main wage earner may move and send money home to the family. However, the family would not quality for migrant education services in these situations. This has resulted in a steadily declining migrant population. Recommendations The district should: 1. Evaluate the cost effectiveness of its agreement with the Boys and Girls Club and determine whether it should operate the program independently or rene- gotiate the terms of the agreement. 2. Revise the job description for the migrant education program assistant to show that it reports to the coordinator afterschool/migrant programs. 3. Revise the job description for the migrant education recruiter to show that it reports to the coordinator afterschool/migrant programs. 4. Continue to monitor regulatory changes and their impact on the migrant education program, and reduce staffing if the eligible migrant population continues to decline. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 37 STAFFING COMPARISONS Staffing Comparisons Data for a comparison of the district’s central office was obtained from six California elementary school districts with student enrollment levels similar to Santa Paula Elementary. In choosing the comparison districts, FCMAT included one elementary district located in Ventura County that was closest in size to Santa Paula Elementary. The five other elementary districts are located throughout the state. The comparison districts surveyed were Enterprise, Redding, Lemoore, Burton, Rio and Moreland. Although comparative information is useful, it should not be considered the only measure of appropriate staffing levels. The state’s school districts are complex and vary widely in demo- graphics and resources. Careful evaluation is recommended because generalizations can be misleading if significant circumstances are not considered. FCMAT’s review considered the following issues: • The grade-level configuration (elementary) • The size of the district • Revenue limit districts (rather than basic aid) • Merit system districts • The percentage of students who are eligible for free and reduced price meals The following table lists the student enrollment and staffing levels of the comparison districts as reflected in the 2010-11 California Basic Educational Data System (CBEDS) and the data obtained from the comparison districts: santa Paula eleMentary school District 38 STAFFING COMPARISONS SANTA PAULA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT COMPARISON OF DISTRICT OFFICE STAFFING IN SELECTED CALIFORNIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICTS District Santa Paula Enterprise Redding Lemoore Burton Rio Moreland Enrollment* 3,661 3,523 3,426 3,309 3,950 4,487 4,240 Total Employees* 405 360 429 277 415 342 382 Office of the Superintendent: Full‐Time Superintendent? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Support Staff Executive Assistant Administrative Assistant Administrative Assistant Administrative Assistant Administrative Assistant Administrative Secretary Office Manager Certificated Human Resources Receptionist Technician Curriculum & Instruction: Department Head Assistant Superintendent Assistant Superintendent Director of Student Assistant Superintendent (.5) Assistant Superintendent Assistant Superintendent Assistant Superintendent Services/Staff Development Support Staff Administrative Secretary Administrative Assistant Administrative Assistant Administrative Assistant Administrative Assistant Administrative Secretary I Administrative Assistant Data Services Specialist (.625) Clerk II (.75) Administrative Assistant ‐ Director of Prof. Development Director of Special Projects Director, Student Services (.25) Student Services ELD Curriculum Specialist Teacher on Special Student Data Systems Office Assistants (2.0) Assignment~ Specialist (.60) Data Administrator Clerk Typist (.63)~ Business Services: Department Head Assistant Superintendent Chief Business Official Chief Business Official Assistant Superintendent (.6) Assistant Superintendent Assistant Superintendent Assistant Superintendent Supervises Business Services, Child Nutrition, Business Services, Food Services, Business Services, Facilities, Business Services, Child Business Services, Food Fiscal Services, Food Services, Business Services, MOT Technology and M&O Information Technology, M&O, Technology, Food Services Nutrition, Printing, Warehouse, Services, MOT MOT Transportation M&O/Facilities, Technology Support Staff Administrative Secretary Administrative Assistant Administrative Assistant Administrative Assistant Administrative Assistant Administrative Assistant Director of Budget & Finance Assistant Director of Business Sr. Chief Accountant/Facilities Director of Accounting Director of Fiscal Services Director of Fiscal Services Services Accounting Technicians (3.3) Payroll Specialist Accountant Business Services Technicians Account Analysts (2.0) Account Clerk III AP Technicians (2.0) (1.25) Attendance Accounting Specialist Financial Technician Account Clerk III (2.0) Instructional Material Services Account Clerk II Account Clerk II Payroll Technicians (2.0) Finance/Student Serv. Admin. Account Clerk I Enrollment Center Specialist Business Assist, Payroll Purchasing Assistant Purchasing Technician Warehouseman & Food Service Delivery Person (.33) Personnel: Merit District? Yes No No No No No Yes Department Head Superintendent and Human Resources Assistant Director of Human Director of Human Resources Assistant Superintendent (.9) Director of Personnel Director, Human Resources Assistant Superintendent Director ‐ Classified Resources Support Staff Human Resources Assistant ‐ Classified Administrative Assistant Administrative Assistant Administrative Assistant Personnel Analyst Administrative Secretary Certificated Employment Specialist Secretarial Assistant Receptionist/Recruitment Substitute Clerk (.38) Human Resources Specialist ‐ Classified Employment Services Classified Services Specialist Receptionist Human Resources Credential Office Assistant III (.75) Data Specialist ‐ Certified Services Special Education: Department Head Executive Director of Special Education Director of Special Education & Director of Intervention Superintendent Director of Special Education Director of Pupil Personnel Director, Student Services (.75) & Student‐Family Support Services Health Services Services Services Support Staff Administrative Secretary Clerk II~ Office Facilitator Secretary Administrative Secretary Secretary Special Programs Assistant (0.75) Clerk Typist III Nurse School Nurses (1.4) Nurses (1.48) District Nurse Nurse Nurse Nurses (2.0) TOSA Program Specialist Migrant Program: Program Head Migrant Ed/ASPIRE^ Coordinator After School Administrator(.5) None Assistant Superintendent of Director of Categoricals & Coordinator, Migrant Ed ‐ 10 None Curriculum & Instruction Alternative Ed (.13) month Support Staff Migrant Ed Program Assistant (.5)~ Clerk II (.49)~ Consolidated Projects/Bilingual Migrant Liaison~ Family Development Worker Migrant Specialist Migrant Ed Recruiter (.5375) EL Family Services Aide (.75)~ Food Service: Department Head Director of Child Nutrition Food Services Director Director of Food Services Child Nutrition Director Director of Nutrition Services Food Service Supervisor None ‐ the district contracts with Sodexo for these services Support Staff Accounting Assistant Food Services Support AssistantAccount Clerk III Business Services Technician Clerk Typist Food Service Technician Office Assistant III (.25) (.75) Warehouse Worker/Delivery Driver Food Services Delivery Driver Delivery Driver Warehouse Utility Person (.25) Cafeteria Helper (.72) Warehouseman & Food Service (.5625)~ (.375) Delivery Person (.67) District has a Warehouse? Yes No Yes Yes No Yes No Technology: Department Head Director of Technology Technology Director Director Technology Director of Information Director of Information Director of Technology Director of Maintenance, Technology Services Technology Operations, Facilities, Construction & IT (.20) Support Staff Network Technicians (2.0) Lead District Technology Technology Systems Specialists Computer Technician (2.0) Technology Technician II Network System Network Coordinator Specialist (3.0) Administrators (2.0) Data Services Specialist Technology Support Assistant Instructional Technology, Technology Technician I Student Data Systems Computer Support Specialists (200 days) Student Data Base Coordinator Specialist (.40) (2.0) Computer Support Technician (2.0) Technology Instructional Assistant (.74)~ Maintenance & Operations: Department Head Director of Maintenance & Operations M&O Manager Sr. Chief Accountant/Facilities Director of Maintenance & Director of Maintenance, Director of MOT Director of Maintenance, Operations/Facilities Operations and Transportation Operations, Facilities, Construction & IT (.80) Support Staff Clerical Assistant II (.5) Clerk II (.4375) Warehouse Utility Person (.75) Administrative Secretary I Secretary Warehouse Worker/Delivery Driver Supervisor of Operations & (.375) Grounds Receptionist? No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes District Office Total FTE 31.150 27.443 27.48 21.00 25.86 33.00 27.00 *2010‐11 CBEDS (Source: CDE DataQuest) ^Program known as ASES in other districts. ~Denotes working school attendance days only. Denotes an 11‐month work schedule. Denotes a 10.5‐month work schedule. **Stipend position Enterprise ‐‐ Food Service Dept. also serves four additional schools and charter schools whose combined 2010‐11 CBEDS reported 963 students; C&I Clerk II handles CalPADs and MAA reporting; BS Administrative Assistant handles attendance reporting; Personnel Secretarial Assistant handles receptionist duties as well as helping all other DO departments as needed; Technology Dept. recently expanded due to voters having approved a $34M GO bond measure which allows for expenditures toward some technology purposes. Redding ‐‐ Food Service Dept. also services two other school districts whose combined 2010‐11 CBEDS reported 650 students and sells lunches to a district sponsored charter school whose 2010‐11 CBEDS were 118; Administrative Assistant ‐ Student Services handles CalPADs and MAA reporting; Sr. Chief Accountant/Facilities handles attendance reporting. Lemoore ‐‐ Food Service Dept. does not serve any other districts; Assistant Superintendent, Business Services handles attendance reporting and gathering MAA information (for reporting by a vendor); CalPADs reporting is handled by the Instructional Technology Student Data Base Coordinator; receptionist duties are handled on a rotating basis by Business Services Technicians. Burton ‐‐ Food Service Dept. Does not serve any other districts; the Account Analyst in Business Services handles attendance reporting; the Director of Categoricals/Alternative Education with clerical assistance handles submission of the CalPADs data; MAA reporting is handled by the Director of Special Education; clerical support for Special Education comes from Curriculum & Instruction. Rio ‐‐ Food Service Dept. does not serve any other districts; Business Services Account Clerk III handles attendance reporting: Student Data Services Specialist in C&I handles CalPADs; Office of Student and Family Services Analyst handles MAA reporting; Coordinator of Student and Family Services is grant funded. Moreland ‐‐ Contracts out to a vendor for food services; Enrollment Center Specialist handles attendance reporting; Cal PADS reporting is handled by the Network Coordinator; MAA reporting is handled by the Office Assistant III who is also the district's receptionist; .5 FTE of the AP Technician positions is funded a GO bond measure for construction purposes; .33 FTE of the Computer Support Specialist positions is supported by the district's educational foundation. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 39 STAFFING COMPARISONS The districts surveyed, including Santa Paula, reported their district office staff consisted of between 21 FTE to 33 FTE, with an average of 27.56 FTE. Santa Paula Elementary’s district office staff totals 31.15 FTE, making it the second largest in the survey with 3.59 FTE more than the average of the survey districts. Closer examination of the survey indicates that only the largest comparative district, with a student population of almost 4,500, has a position similar to the special programs assistant in the Special Education Department. In the districts closer in population to Santa Paula Elementary, the duties performed by this position were assigned to other positions. Eliminating this posi- tion would generate an estimated savings to of $46,800 per year. This estimate includes the employee’s salary, longevity stipend, statutory benefits and the health and welfare benefit cap, which is paid by the district, but does not consider the effects of “bumping” that may occur with a reduction in force. The district’s Special Education and Student Support Services Department also has the unique position of TOSA program specialist, whose primary duties are attending IEPs and monitoring STAR testing. This may be partly because of the district’s commitment to accept special education students from other districts, retain district programs rather than send students to regionalized programs or based on their special education student population. However, other districts in the survey, including the largest district, assign those duties to other Special Education Department staff members. Elimination of this position could result in an annual savings of approximately $95,400 and includes the current employee’s salary, statutory benefits and the health and welfare benefit cap which is paid by the district. The calculation does not consider the effects of layoff such as “bumping” or returning salary as a certificated substitute which under Education Code section 44956 provides that terminated permanent certificated employees shall have the preferred right to substitute positions and that after 21 days or more within a 60 day period, shall receive the same pay rate had they not been terminated. Another position that is not common in the comparable districts surveyed is the attendance accounting specialist. Only one of the six districts surveyed reported that a similar position existed in their organization, and that district’s CBEDs reported 579 (or 15.8%) more students than Santa Paula Elementary. The remaining districts, including the largest in the survey, assign the duties of the attendance accounting specialist to other district office positions. Elimination of the attendance accounting specialist would generate an estimated annual savings of $75,000, including the current employee’s salary, longevity stipend, statutory benefits and the health and welfare benefit cap, which is paid by the district. The estimate does not consider the effects of “bumping” that may occur with a reduction in force. Districts of similar size also typically do not have a position devoted entirely to purchasing functions. This specialized service position existed only in the two largest districts surveyed. The staffing reduction of the .3 FTE accounting technician position would generate an estimated $15,350 in annual savings to the district. This estimate includes the current employee’s salary and statutory benefits but does not consider the effects of “bumping” that may occur with a reduction in force or include any cost for health and welfare benefit insurance premiums. This is because the position does not qualify for district-paid benefits under the current CSEA contract. The survey also found that only one other comparative district lacks receptionist services, and that district had a district office that was physically configured to accommodate the rotation of these duties among various business staff members. The Santa Paula Elementary district office entrance is physically isolated from other departments and staff members. The former position that performed receptionist duties is classified as a clerical assistant I, and reestablishing it could santa Paula eleMentary school District 40 STAFFING COMPARISONS also provide the district with sufficient flexibility to transfer duties from the other Business Services and Special Education positions recommended for elimination. The estimated cost of this change would be approximately $47,000 per year as discussed above in the superintendent’s office section of the report, including salary, statutory benefits and the health and welfare benefit cap, which is paid by the district. The estimate was calculated using step one of the salary schedule under the assumption that the district would hire a new employee. If a current district employee were chosen for this position, the cost may increase to include a higher step on the salary schedule as well as a possible longevity stipend. Recommendations The district should: 1. Consider eliminating the following positions: • The special programs assistant position in the Special Education Department. • The TOSA program specialist position. • The attendance accounting specialist position. • The .3 FTE accounting technician position. 2. Consider adding the position of receptionist to the district office. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 41 SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Subsequent Events Following completion of FCMAT’s fieldwork, the district received a letter from the California Department of Education dated February 17, 2012 that conditionally approved the district’s waiver for increased class sizes in kindergarten through grade three for the 2011-12 school year at Barbara Webster Elementary, Glen City Elementary and Grace S. Thille Elementary. The district has also posted its merit system rules as well as began posting its personnel commission agendas to its website. santa Paula eleMentary school District 42 SUBSEQUENT EVENTS Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 43 APPENDICES Appendices A. Chronology of District Administrators B. Study Agreement santa Paula eleMentary school District 44 APPENDICES Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 45 APPENDICES Appendix A. - Chronology of District Administrators Name Position From To Total Years Dave Philips Superintendent 1989 1997 8 Bonnie Bruington Superintendent 1997 2001 4 Kenneth Moffett Interim Superintendent 2001 2002 1 Luis Villegas Superintendent 2002 2007 5 Elizabeth DeVita Superintendent 2007 2008 1 Winston Braham Consulting Superintendent/CBO 2008 2009 1 Winston Braham Superintendent 2009 2010 1 Kenneth Moffett Acting Superintendent 2009 2010 1 Joe Condon Acting Superintendent 2010 2011 1 Paul Chounet Superintendent 2011 1 Bonnie Bruington Assistant Superintendent/ Educational Services 1989 1997 8 Jeff Davis Assistant Superintendent/ Educational Services 1997 2000 3 Louise Platt Assistant Superintendent/ Educational Services 2000 2002 2 Mercy Rivera Assistant Superintendent/ Educational Services 2002 2010 8 Pam Martens Interim Assistant Superintendent / Educational Services 2010 2011 1 Robin Freeman Assistant Superintendent /Educational Services 2011 1 Randall Chase Assistant Superintendent/Business Services 1986 1999 13 Doris Weinert Assistant Superintendent/Business Services 2000 2001 1 Michael Bush Assistant Superintendent/Business Services 2001 2006 5 Vacant Assistant Superintendent/BusinessServices 2006 2007 1 Ralph Hatland Assistant Superintendent/Business Services 2007 2008 1 Winston Braham Consulting Superintendent/CBO 2008 2009 1 Cathy Bojorquez Assistant Superintendent/Business Services 2009 3 Jan Robertson Director of Budget/Finance (accounting supervisor, hourly, not exempt) 1985 1997 12 Doris Weinert Director of Budget/Finance 1997 2000 3 Cathy Bojorquez Director of Budget/Finance 2000 2007 7 Rais Abbasi Director of Budget/Finance 2007 2010 3 Terri Renelli Director of Budget/Finance 2011 1 Frida Friend Executive Director Student Services (2 yrs as Asst Supt) 1987 23 Patti Fulbright Director of Certificated Personnel 2002 2005 3 Ed Kessler Director of Special Projects 1989 1999 10 Glenn Deines Coordinator of Special Projects 1999 2001 2 Louise Franco Coordinator of Special Projects 2001 2002 1 Susan Leeds Horowitz Director of Special Projects 2002 2004 2 David Luna Director of Special Projects 2004 2010 6 John Crisp Director of Technology 1998 2002 4 Moe Zwebti Director of Technology 2002 2006 4 Eric Calderon Director of Technology 2006 2010 4 Christian Baker Director of Technology 2010 2 Tommie Reyes Director of Classified Personnel 1988 23 santa Paula eleMentary school District 46 APPENDICES Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 47 APPENDICES Appendix B. - Study Agreement santa Paula eleMentary school District 48 APPENDICES Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 49 APPENDICES santa Paula eleMentary school District 50 APPENDICES Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 51 APPENDICES santa Paula eleMentary school District 52 APPENDICES Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM