Vallejo City Unified School District Report

Vallejo City Unified School District Operations Departmental Review (Maintenance, Grounds, Custodial and Transportation) May 7, 2019 Michael H. Fine Chief Executive Officer Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM May 7, 2019 Adam Clark, Ed.D., Superintendent Vallejo City Unified School District 665 Walnut Avenue Vallejo, CA 94592 Dear Superintendent Clark: In August 2018, the Vallejo City Unified School District and the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) entered into an agreement to provide a review of the district’s operations departmental staffing and services. Specifically, the agreement states that FCMAT will perform the following: 1. Conduct an organizational and staffing review of the operations division (including maintenance, grounds, custodial and transportation) and make recom- mendations for staffing improvements or reductions, if any. 2. Evaluate the current workflow and distribution of functions within the operations division and make recommendations for improved efficiency, if any. 3. Review the operational processes and procedures of the operations division and make recommendations for improved efficiency, if any. This final report contains the study team’s findings and recommendations in the above areas of review. FCMAT appreciates the opportunity to serve the Vallejo City Unified School District, and extends thanks to all the staff for their assistance during fieldwork. Sincerely, Michael H. Fine Chief Executive Officer Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM i TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents Foreword .................................................................................................iii Introduction ............................................................................................1 Background ......................................................................................................1 Study and Report Guidelines .....................................................................1 Study Team.......................................................................................................2 Executive Summary ..............................................................................3 Findings and Recommendations .....................................................5 Organizational Structure and Staffing ...................................................5 Facility Planning ...........................................................................................11 Maintenance Services .................................................................................13 Custodial Services ........................................................................................25 Transportation Services .............................................................................31 Grounds Services .........................................................................................37 Appendices ............................................................................................41 Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt ii 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, human resources 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 manage- ment assistance services are used not just to help avert fiscal crisis, but to promote sound financial practices, support the training and development of chief business officials and help to create efficient organizational operations. FCMAT’s data management services are used to help local educational agencies (LEAs) meet state reporting responsibilities, improve data quality, and inform instructional program decisions. 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 LEA 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. FCMAT has continued to make adjustments in the types of support provided based on the changing dynamics of K-14 LEAs and the implementation of major educational reforms. Studies by Fiscal Year 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 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 11/12 12/13 13/14 14/15 15/16 16/17 17/18 FCMAT also develops and provides numerous publications, software tools, workshops and professional development opportunities to help LEAs operate more effectively and fulfill their fiscal oversight and data management responsibilities. The California School Information Services (CSIS) division of FCMAT assists the California Department of Education with the implementation of the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS). CSIS also hosts and maintains the Ed-Data website (www.ed-data.org) and provides technical expertise to the Ed-Data partnership: the California Department of Education, EdSource and FCMAT. FCMAT was created by Assembly Bill (AB) 1200 in 1992 to assist LEAs to meet and sustain their financial obligations. AB 107 in 1997 charged FCMAT with responsibility for CSIS and its state- wide data management work. AB 1115 in 1999 codified CSIS’ mission. Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt seidutS fo rebmuN iv ABOUT FCMAT AB 1200 is also a statewide plan for county offices of education and school districts to work together locally to improve fiscal procedures and accountability standards. AB 2756 (2004) provides specific responsibilities to FCMAT with regard to districts that have received emergency state loans. In January 2006, Senate Bill 430 (charter schools) and AB 1366 (community colleges) became law and expanded FCMAT’s services to those types of LEAs. On September 17, 2018 AB 1840 was signed into law. This legislation changed the how fiscally insolvent districts are administered once an emergency appropriation has been made, shifting the former state-centric system to be more consistent with the principles of local control, and providing new responsibilities to FCMAT associated with the process. Since 1992, FCMAT has been engaged to perform more than 1,000 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 Michael H. Fine, 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 Solano County, the Vallejo City Unified School District has a five-member governing board and serves approximately 14,000 students at 13 elementary schools, three K-8 schools (including one K-8 dependent charter school), three middle schools (grades 6-8), two compre- hensive high schools, a continuation school, a community day school, an independent study/ home study school, a child development and preschool program, and an adult school. In August 2018 the Vallejo City Unified School District requested that FCMAT assist the district by reviewing its Operations Division staffing and services. Study and Report Guidelines FCMAT visited the district on December 3 through 6, 2018 to conduct interviews, collect data and review documents. Following fieldwork, FCMAT continued to review and analyze docu- ments. This report is the result of those activities and is divided into the following sections: • Executive Summary • Organizational Structure and Staffing • Facility Planning • Maintenance Services • Custodial Services • Transportation Services • Grounds Services • Appendices FCMAT’s reports focus on systems and processes that may need improvement. Those that may be functioning well are generally not commented on in FCMAT’s reports. In writing its reports, FCMAT uses the Associated Press Stylebook, a comprehensive guide to usage and accepted style that emphasizes conciseness and clarity. In addition, this guide emphasizes plain language, discourages the use of jargon and capitalizes relatively few terms. Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 2 INTRODUCTION Study Team The study team was composed of the following members: Michelle Giacomini Tami Ethier FCMAT Deputy Executive Officer FCMAT Intervention Specialist Petaluma, CA Davis, CA Linda Grundhoffer Matthew Juchniewicz* FCMAT Consultant Director, Support Operations Services Danville, CA Yolo County Office of Education Woodland, CA Laura Haywood FCMAT Technical Writer Bakersfield, CA *As a member of this study team, this consultant was not representing his employer but was working solely as an independent contractor for FCMAT. Each team member reviewed the draft report to confirm accuracy and achieve consensus on the final recommendations. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Executive Summary Review of the teacher-to-classroom ratio shows that the district utilizes approximately 75% of its school buildings for daily instruction. This leaves 25% of the buildings to be utilized by staff as offices or meeting spaces because access is not properly managed and the administration does not set limitations. The district could not identify the specific usage for 193 of its 841 classrooms. The Operations Division must maintain these classrooms throughout the district. The underuse of facilities increases each year because of declining enrollment. Maintaining the unused and misused school classrooms/buildings incurs a significant cost. The lack of facility planning also affects the staffing formulas for maintenance and custodial personnel. The district is working on a plan to close specific school sites, which is key to improving efficiency. The lack of facility planning also greatly affects transportation. The district has an over-abun- dance of facilities but has for years moved students to sites where classroom slots exist, creating an unnecessary expenditure from overflow bus routes. These overflow routes could be eliminated by transferring students back to their home schools and moving the teachers to where the students reside, when appropriate. If the district identified which facilities could be disposed of, it could staff the remaining sites at the appropriate levels and transport fewer students to overflow sites, freeing funds for other district priorities. The Operations Division should be reorganized underneath the chief business official (CBO) as two departments: Maintenance, Operations and Facilities, and Transportation. The CBO should provide the leadership and guidance to the departments to help ensure fiscal solvency as operations, building maintenance, and transportation are large factors in LEA budgets, and do not receive the appropriate oversight or guidance under the current structure. Each school in the district must be properly managed to ensure that each dollar is maximized. The organizational structure of the Operations Division needs to be reorganized. The current structure does not effectively support school building maintenance, facility planning, or trans- portation. This has resulted in a lack of oversight and effective decision making. FCMAT recom- mends the division be split into two departments: transportation and maintenance, operations and facilities. Because of various restructurings and leadership positions in the Operations Division the past several years, all department job descriptions need to be thoroughly reviewed and updated. Most job descriptions are not current and can cause confusion for employees regarding their job responsibilities. Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 4 Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 5 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND STAFFING Findings and Recommendations Organizational Structure and Staffing A school district’s organizational structure should establish the framework for leadership and the delegation of specific duties and responsibilities for all staff members. This structure should be managed to maximize resources and reach identified goals, and it should adapt as the district’s enrollment increases or declines. A district should be staffed according to 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. Although 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 subor- dinates at lower levels typically perform more routine duties and therefore can be more effectively supervised, according to Principles of School Business Management by Craig R. Wood, David C. Thompson, Don I. Tharpe and Lawrence O. Picus. 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, thus eliminating the potential for an employee to receive conflicting direction and instruction from a variety of supervisors; and the scalar principle suggests that authority and responsibility should flow in a direct vertical line from top management to the lowest level so subordinates at every level in the organization follow the chain of command and only communi- cate through their immediate supervisor. The result is a hierarchical division of labor as described in Principles of School Business Management. Line and Staff Authority Line authority is the relationship between supervisors and subordinates and refers to the direct line in the chain of command. The normal structure FCMAT finds in school districts of Vallejo Unified School District’s size is that the superintendent has direct-line authority over the chief business official (CBO), and the CBO has direct-line authority over the various managers in the Operations Division. In Vallejo USD, the Operations Division is led by a chief operations officer (COO) who manages the district’s maintenance, operations, transportation, safety, and facilities/ construction, and reports directly to the superintendent. Staff authority is advisory in nature. Staff personnel do not have the authority to make and implement decisions; rather, they act in support roles to line personnel (managers). The organiza- tional structure of local educational agencies contains both line and staff authority. Reporting directly to the COO is the director of operations, who oversees the daily operations, managers, and supervisors of the department. The director of operations normally spends three days in the transportation yard office and two days at the operations facility, although most of her time was reported as spent overseeing transportation. The position also manages most facility projects. Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 6 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND STAFFING Reporting to the director of operations are: • Transportation supervisor • Operations manager maintenance and grounds • Operations manager site safety/security/custodial • Operations support technician (3 FTE) The purpose of any organizational structure is to establish the framework for leadership and to delegate specific duties and responsibilities to staff members. The structure should also help guide district managers as they make key decisions to facilitate student learning while balancing finan- cial resources. As a district’s enrollment increases or declines, the organizational structure should adapt as needed. It should outline the management process and its specific links to the formal system of communication, authority and responsibility needed to achieve the district’s goals and objectives. Authority in a public school district originates with the elected governing board, which hires a superintendent to oversee the district. Through the superintendent, authority and responsibility are delegated to the district’s administrators and staff. Management positions are typically responsible for supervising employees and overseeing the work of their department. They ensure that staff members understand all district policies and procedures and perform their duties in a timely and accurate manner. Managers also serve as a liaison between their department and others to identify and resolve problems and to design and modify processes and procedures as necessary. On the next page is the district’s 2018-19 organizational chart for the operations department: Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 7 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND STAFFING Existing Organizational Structure Superintendent Chief Operations Officer (1 FTE) Operations Support Technician Director of Operations Transportation Operations Operations Supervisor Manager Site Manager (2 FTE) Operations Safety/ Security/ Maintenance and Support Technicians Custodial Grounds (1 FTE) Lead Dispatcher (1 FTE) Lead Trainer/ Driver (6 FTE) Lead Custodian Sr. Lead Sr. Lead Painter Sr. Lead Grounds (28 FTE) Bus Drivers Site Safety Supervisor Maintenance (1 FTE) Lead Mechanic (1 FTE) Vehicle Maint. Monitor (26 FTE) (27 FTE) Head (3 FTE) Carpenter (2 FTE) (6 FTE) Central (4 FTE) Mechanic Site Safety Custodian (1 FTE) Roofer/Carpenter Painter Groundskeeper (1 FTE) Carpenter/ (1 FTE) Central Locksmith Groundsworker/Sprinkler (1 FTE) Staff (2 FTE) Lead (5 FTE) Preventative Maint. Tech Secretary III Custodian Worker (2 FTE) Groundsworker (2 FTE) Plumber (1 FTE) Chemical Sprayer (50 FTE) (2 FTE) Electrician (1 FTE) Heavy Equipment Custodian (4 FTE) Climate Control Operator Specialist (1 FTE) Welder (1 FTE) Facility Storekeeper (1 FTE) Truck Driver/Maint. Worker The district’s organizational structure is unique, with the COO in charge of operations rather than the CBO. The COO is a member of executive cabinet. While a director of operations reports to the COO, most of that position’s time seems to be spent on transportation matters. FCMAT conducted an informal survey of California unified school districts with student enroll- ments similar to that of Vallejo USD in district type, student enrollment and general fund reve- nues per student. To make this determination, FCMAT used comparison data from the California Department of Education’s (CDE’s) DataQuest and Education Data Partnership (Ed-Data) websites. Although few districts replied to the survey, FCMAT also reviewed several districts’ websites for their specific organizational charts. Several provided information about the hierarchy of management. Although comparative information is useful, FCMAT understands that school districts are complex and vary widely in demographics and resources. Careful evaluation is recom- mended because generalizations can be misleading if unique circumstances are not considered. Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 8 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND STAFFING The district’s management structure over maintenance, operations, transportation, and facilities has been inconsistent for several years. Multiple changes have occurred in management titles, responsibilities and staff filling those positions. The current Operations Division structure does not efficiently allocate resources to school building maintenance, facility planning, or transpor- tation, causing a lack of oversight and effective decision making. Given the different needs and deficiencies in the district identified throughout this report, FCMAT recommends the following structure, which is similar to the organization of other like-sized districts that replied to FCMAT: Suggested Organizational Structure Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM ssenisuB feihC laicfifO ecfifO )ETF 1( fo rotceriD ecfifO )ETF 1( ecfifO )ETF 1( /naicinhceT troppuS ,ecnanetniaM /naicinhceT troppuS fo rotceriD troppuS dna gninnalP ytilicaF dna snoitarepO ,ecnanetniaM noitatropsnarT dleiF/naicinhceT noitcurtsnoC seitilicaF snoitarepO ,sdnuorG rotanidrooC pirT ytiruceS etiS dna MP )ETF 1( MA )ETF 1( etiS dna laidotsuC dna ecnanetniaM rehctapsiD rehctapsiD reganaM ytiruceS reganaM sdnuorG daeL )ETF 1( daeL )ETF 1( cinahceM revirD/reniarT daeL )ETF 6( laidotsuC daeL )ETF 1( daeL )ETF 1( daeL )ETF 1( daeL )ETF 1( ytefaS etiS rosivrepuS sdnuorG retniaP evitatneverP ecnanetniaM )MP( ecnanetniaM )ETF 62( daeH )ETF 72( )ETF 11( )ETF 2( )ETF 4( )ETF 51( elciheV )ETF 1( )ETF 4( suB )ETF 82( ytefaS etiS naidotsuC sdnuorG gnitniaP evitatneverP ecnanetniaM ecnanetniaM cinahceM revirD ffatS ffatS ffatS ecnanetniaM ffatS rotinoM ffatS )ETF 05( MP )ETF 2( naidotsuC naidotsuC daeL 9 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND STAFFING FCMAT recommends that the organizational structure for Operations be split into two sepa- rate departments: Transportation Department and Maintenance, Operations, and Facilities Department. The CBO will provide leadership and oversight for the division. The new structure is essential to provide staff a clear line of authority and to properly manage the division. The Maintenance, Operations, and Facilities Department would oversee all maintenance, operations, custodial, site safety, grounds, facility planning, and construction project management. The Transportation Department would oversee all school transportation functions. FCMAT’s review of current job descriptions found numerous inaccuracies and out of date information. Because numerous restructurings and different leadership positions have occurred in the past several years, all job descriptions in the department need to be thoroughly vetted and updated. Most job descriptions reference positions that are not correctly titled and some that are not current, causing confusion within the organization and for employees regarding their job responsibilities. The following is a list of job descriptions that were not supplied to FCMAT even though the position is listed on the district’s organizational chart. In many cases, a job description with a similar title was supplied to FCMAT, but they did not match. These are noted with an asterisk (*). Based on information from interviews, those titles noted with an asterisk were once called by a similar job title, but were changed at some point to the current title on the chart: • Carpenter* • Custodian Supervisor* • Heavy Equipment Operator* • Lead Custodian* • Lead Dispatcher* • Lead Trainer/Driver* • Lead Mechanic* • Mechanic* • Operations Manager Site Safety/Security/Custodial* • Roofer/Carpenter* • Staff Secretary III* • Senior Lead Painter* • Site Safety* • Central Groundsworker/Sprinkler Technician • Transportation Supervisor* • Truck Driver/Maintenance Worker • Vehicle Maintenance Monitor Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 10 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND STAFFING Recommendations The district should: 1. Consider FCMAT’s suggested organizational structure. 2. Consider having the chief business official provide all leadership and oversight to maintenance, operations, facilities and transportation, eliminating the COO and director of operations positions. 3. Split the department into two separate departments: Maintenance, Operations and Facilities, and Transportation. 4. Create two director positions: one to oversee the Transportation Department and one to oversee the Maintenance, Operations, and Facilities Department. 5. Ensure that all positions referenced on its published organizational chart have an approved job description with the same job title and correct references to who the position reports to and the appropriate name of the department. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 11 FACILITY PLANNING Facility Planning A lack of facility planning has impeded the Operations Division’s functions. Staff cannot adequately manage the district’s facilities given the number of sites and their condition. Empty classrooms on an active campus must still be maintained, increasing the maintenance staff’s responsibilities. Buildings at Solano Middle School had severe dry rot and roofing to the point of catastrophic failure. Maintenance staff must secure and resecure unused campuses because of transients, and the grounds staff must maintain the grounds of closed sites to reduce fire hazards for safety reasons. The district should consider the cost effectiveness of choosing to bus some students that it considers overflow students to other school sites, rather than hiring a teacher for their home school where space is available. A key performance indicator in measuring the effective use of facilities is the number of teachers compared to the number of classrooms. Current data provided shows 593 teachers and 841 class- rooms being utilized. That means that 248 classrooms are being used for non-classroom activities. One hundred ninety-three of the 248 classrooms are used for unidentified purposes (i.e., could not be identified for a specific use such as a computer lab, preschool, or special education room). FCMAT’s observation is that many site administrators are choosing to use extra space in their assigned facility without regard to how the decision impacts maintenance and operations, or overall costs to the district, such as for utilities and staff custodial time. The most current facility master plan is dated 2014. The district should perform a study to deter- mine which schools can be closed or consolidated given the inefficient usage of rooms and in light of declining enrollment. The district should form a facility master planning committee and, as needed, a district facility advisory committee. The district should also consider the eligibility requirements of the Office of Public School Construction’s (OPSC) facility funding programs in performing the analysis. FCMAT visited multiple sites to review the facility conditions and effectiveness of the mainte- nance, grounds, custodial and transportation work performed. Overall the sites have suffered from a lack of capital investment which, in turn, has created rapidly failing facilities that need heavy capital investment to keep them serviceable. Facilities are not well maintained, which causes bigger problems that must be fixed when they become an emergency. School facilities have an impact on student achievement and therefore need to be maintained to a standard of good repair. FCMAT viewed these facilities deficiencies on site visits: • Solano Middle School main sign was damaged. • Antiquated heating system at Solano Middle School gym. • Damaged blinds, torn baseboards, and lack of electrical infrastructure at Solano Middle School. • Playground blacktops with no recent maintenance at Wardlaw School. • Lack of paint on modular buildings at Wardlaw School, which will become prone to dry rot. • Active leaks at Wardlaw School. • Battari Gym at Vallejo High needs significant repairs and is almost to the point of catastrophic failure with excessive roof leaks, exposed wood, paint peeling, and dry rot. Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 12 FACILITY PLANNING • The music building at Vallejo High had a broken window, excessive algae in the gutters, and stained ceiling tiles due to roof leaks. • The Vallejo High School auditorium seating had been vandalized and not repaired/ replaced. • Jesse Bethel High School had significant lack of maintenance and repair in classrooms such as fiberboard excessively torn, ceiling tile stains due to roof leaks, missing baseboard, cabinetry laminate damage, and original carpet and flooring beyond its useful life cycle. • Complete lack of athletic field maintenance such as striping the fields. • Failure to perform proper maintenance to the transportation yard asphalt, creating safety issues for employees and drainage problems in the parking lot. • At the transportation yard, mechanics are performing bus repairs in the inclement weather, not under protection of a proper overhang. Mechanics also are doing repairs on degrading asphalt rather than a cleanable concrete surface. The district should engage in a facility master planning process that will specifically determine the most cost-efficient route for consolidating campuses and disposing of unneeded facilities. If school sites are consolidated, the district should review the staffing allocations concurrently and staff the sites accordingly using an appropriate staffing formula. When school sites are closed or consolidated, the district has an opportunity to reduce staff to accommodate the newly adjusted square footage. This will assist in avoiding cost overruns in staffing and potentially recapture a savings in transportation as well. The specific staffing formulas are discussed later in this report. Recommendations The district should: 1. Engage in a facility master planning process to determine which schools can be closed or consolidated, considering the eligibility requirements of OPSC’s facility funding programs when doing so. 2. Form a facility master planning committee and, as needed, a district facility advisory committee. 3. Review staffing and allocate staff using an appropriate staffing formula once it is determined which campuses will remain open. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 13 MAINTENANCE SERVICES Maintenance Services The Maintenance Department’s function is to ensure the optimal reliability of buildings and building systems to meet the needs of the organization. The goal is reducing or limiting failures of building components that affect organizational operations. The Maintenance Department should be staffed and trained to quickly repair or replace components or systems that include, but are not limited to, the following: • Heating, air conditioning, and ventilation • Electrical • Fire alarm • Roofing • Carpentry • Locksmith • Painting The maintenance staff members interviewed had varying levels of years with the district, and many long-tenured staff members have retired in recent years. FCMAT observed that mainte- nance staff appear to enjoy their jobs and serving the community. They did display positive team dynamics amidst frustrations regarding specific subjects. Maintenance Staffing Levels The Association of Physical Plant Administrators (APPA) has a formula for determining appro- priate maintenance staffing based on the desired level of service, as follows: • Level 1 – Showpiece Facility (the highest standard) • Level 2 – Comprehensive Stewardship (the recommended staffing level for schools) • Level 3 – Managed Care (work order response time can be lengthy, and facilities’ conditions remain stagnant) • Level 4 – Reactive Maintenance (facilities’ conditions deteriorate at an accelerated rate) • Level 5 – Crisis Response (maintenance staff can only respond to emergencies) Using the APPA formula for maintenance staffing (http://www.appa.org/fourcore), the following table shows the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) positions the district needs for each level of service based on square feet of open facilities equaling 1,630,583.44 as reported by the district: Level of Service # of FTE Level 1 - Showpiece Facility 34.5 Level 2 - Comprehensive Stewardship 24.2 Level 3 - Managed Care 17.3 Level 4 - Reactive Maintenance 13.8 Level 5 - Crisis Response 6.9 The maintenance department within the Operations Division has (1) senior lead maintenance, (3) carpenters, (1) roofer/carpenter, (1) carpenter/locksmith, (5) preventative maintenance Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 14 MAINTENANCE SERVICES workers, (2) plumbers, (2) electricians, (4) climate control specialists, (1) welder, and (1) truck driver/maintenance worker. The department also has a facility storekeeper who provides no maintenance services and will not be used in the staffing consideration for maintenance. The total number of maintenance workers the district employs is 21. The district has a reported 1,630,583.44 square feet of facilities, not including the district’s three closed locations. The closed facilities do have an intangible factor because of reoccurring issues with the sites that maintenance workers need to address. Given the district’s current level of staffing, the district should be close to a Level 2 – Comprehensive Stewardship level of service and at a minimum a Level 3 – Managed Care. This cannot be realized due to the lack of deferred and preventative maintenance. During the site visits and interviews the district displayed many instances of Level 4 service, which is Reactive Maintenance, and Level 5 (Crisis Response), given the condition of some of the buildings observed with serious roof deficiencies, for example. Reactive maintenance is the costliest form of maintenance. Steps should be taken to reduce reactive maintenance and transition to preventative maintenance. The district will see a return on investment in reduced expenditures tied to reactive maintenance. The district has typically promoted from within its own ranks. This is acceptable if the individual is skilled enough to perform the work the position requires. It can greatly hinder the depart- ment if the individual is not properly trained or skilled in the correct areas. The district should encourage professional development of its employees and give them opportunities beyond the required trainings when appropriate opportunities are available and time permits attendance. This will help build morale and build capacity within the organization. Department management should create professional development plans for each employee to promote good job perfor- mance and to develop their skills for the next level in employment. Under the reactive maintenance structure, the district cannot efficiently manage the condition of the buildings. FCMAT suggests reconfiguring the structure of the maintenance department with a clear line of authority and to provide a general maintenance crew that responds to reactive work orders and a preventative maintenance crew that focuses solely on preventative maintenance of the school sites. FCMAT compared maintenance organizational structures from districts with similar student enrollment numbers and recommends the following structure for Vallejo City Unified: Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 15 MAINTENANCE SERVICES Suggested Maintenance Structure Chief Business Official (1 FTE) Office Support Technician/ Maintenance, Grounds, Director of Operations and Site Maintenance, Security Operations and Facilities (1 FTE) Office Support Technician/ Maintenance and Facility Planning and Grounds Manager Construction (1 FTE) Lead (1 FTE) Lead (1 FTE) (1 FTE) Lead Painter Maintenance Facility Preventative Storekeeper Maintenance (2 FTE) (3 FTE) General (1 FTE) Roofer/General (4 FTE) Climate (4 FTE) Painter Maintenance Worker Maintenance Control Specialist Preventative Maintenance (1 FTE) Locksmith/General Worker Maintenance (1 FTE) Truck Driver/General Maintenance (2 FTE) Plumber (2 FTE) Electrician (1 FTE) Welder This new structure creates the position of director of maintenance, operations, and facilities that encompasses all aspects of school facility planning, construction projects, building maintenance, custodial functions, site safety, and operations management. This position would report to the chief business official. Because the district does not have this specific position currently in place, FCMAT has included a sample of representative duties for the position in Appendix B. Two office support technicians would be assigned to the director of maintenance, operations and facilities: one for maintenance, grounds, operations, and site security functions, and the other for facility planning and construction. Both job descriptions will need to be created, as they are currently titled operations support technician. By renaming the positions, the department will be better supported, and an opportunity is also created for cross training of the other office support technicians in MOF and transportation. Another change from the district’s existing structure to FCMAT’s recommendation is that the following positions will be renamed, causing necessary revisions to job descriptions: • operations manager maintenance and grounds to maintenance and grounds manager • senior lead maintenance to lead maintenance • senior lead grounds position as lead grounds Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 16 MAINTENANCE SERVICES This recommended structure also creates a lead preventative maintenance position that is a working lead, assisting in providing oversight of the preventative maintenance crew, and renames the following positions so that the district can start progressing toward general maintenance workers versus specialty trades: • 3 carpenters to general maintenance workers • roofer/carpenter to roofer/general maintenance worker • carpenter/locksmith to locksmith/general maintenance worker • truck driver/maintenance worker to truck driver/general maintenance worker Preventative Maintenance During the site visits, the facilities showed a lack of maintenance throughout. To reverse this condition, the district will need to restructure its preventative maintenance program and reallocate staff time to performing true preventative maintenance. The carpenters (3) should be reclassified as general maintenance workers, allowing assigned employees to be skilled in multiple trades, including carpentry, so that the entire class of employees can address the reactive/ corrective work orders. Given the state of the facilities, there will be reactive work orders for a prolonged period of time. Although the district has five positions titled preventative maintenance worker (PMW), it lacks a preventative maintenance program. The concept the district sought to implement is to assign a PMW to a set of schools, working at each school for two weeks to address work orders that do not require the expertise of a trade-specific position. This would theoretically save time since other staff would not be assigned to do the work. Typical duties are to change lights, ballasts, ceiling tiles, and perform various other tasks per the work orders. If they address a project in a classroom, they attempt to correct any deficiencies in the room before they leave. The PMWs get pulled off their job assignments routinely to take care of large corrective work orders, emergency work orders, or to respond to transient populations occupying any of the three closed sites the district still owns and maintains. These activities impede their effectiveness. The department operates in a reactive maintenance mode, which based on experience, can be anywhere from three to nine times more expensive than preventative maintenance. Given the current state of the buildings, preventative maintenance will have to be performed in stages following a long-term plan. Staff input should be sought and considered in developing a preventative maintenance plan. An example is outlined below as a starting point. Such a plan is crucial to overcome the backlog of deficiencies noted and viewed at the small sample of sites FCMAT visited. An important step to be included in the development of a plan is implementing a system where preventative maintenance items are entered in the work order system so that the preventative maintenance crew receive work orders that can be completed before such requests become an emergency. The plan should include these elements: 1. Identify the goals and milestones of a revitalized preventative maintenance crew. 2. Create policies surrounding what the preventative maintenance crew does and establish a budget to support their work. 3. Identify preventative maintenance crew. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 17 MAINTENANCE SERVICES a. For the size of the district and poor condition of facilities, the district should reclassify one preventative maintenance worker as a working lead preventative maintenance worker. The lead should supervise the other four preventative maintenance workers. 4. Identify the schools that are in the most disrepair using a facility condition index that is derived from a facility condition assessment. 5. Using the identified route, have the preventative maintenance crew perform a facility inspection using a software-based facility inspection tool for efficiency to identify potential and current issues. Each deficiency can then be input into the computerized work order management system as a work order by an office support technician or the crew member. a. Categorize the work orders specifically as corrective work and specify the trade utilized to track the progress of the preventative maintenance crew. Analyze this data over the long term and use it to display the efficacy of the crew and effectiveness of the program. This information can be communi- cated with stakeholders as well. b. Record any project over and beyond what the preventative maintenance crew can reasonably perform based on current workload and staffing skillset in a project management software to properly plan and track facility needs. 6. The preventative maintenance crew can then perform and complete all work orders associated with the site where they completed the work. To maximize efficiency, assign them corrective work orders for the duration of the site visit to perform all needed repairs. Realistically, the preventative maintenance crew will be at a school site for an extended period of time to address all or most deficiencies. a. Identify a threshold for time allotted at a school site. Given the current state of facilities, it would take years to get through a full rotation of school sites to address all deficiencies. In the meantime, a set amount of time would be allotted to each site, the crew would accomplish what they could in that time frame, they would move on to the next site, and continue with that rotation to complete as many work orders as possible. The crew would circle back for the next level of critical items after a full rotation, and continue with this process until they are able to address all deficiencies and get caught up. 7. Continue the cycle at the next identified location and repeat. A computerized database should be created (reviewed annually and updated as needed) that the district can use to assign preventative work orders to the different building systems. For example, based on the information in the database, staff can identify heating, ventilating, and air condi- tioning (HVAC) equipment and implement work orders for quarterly maintenance of HVAC units, which would be assigned to the climate control specialists. The district should develop a long-term plan with goals and milestones to create a functioning planned maintenance program even if funding for the projects is not currently available. A Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 18 MAINTENANCE SERVICES planned maintenance program provides framework for future facility funding through potential funding sources such as the bond that was recently passed. The district’s planned maintenance program should include the following building systems: • Roofs • HVAC • Interior walls • Building envelope (building envelope components separate conditioned spaces from unconditioned spaces or from outside air) • Gas lines • Plumbing supply and waste lines • Fire alarms • Playgrounds • Special equipment Desired goals and measurable outcomes of well-functioning preventative maintenance programs include but are not limited to: • Lower operating costs • Improved efficiency • Fewer corrective (reactive) work orders • Improved community and customer satisfaction • Decreased downtime (reduced classroom interruptions) • Positive effect on educational environment measured by student achievement • Improved safety Maintenance Project Management Efficient project management and project identification is essential to the success of a building maintenance plan. Per interviews and the documents provided to FCMAT, the district lacks both a structured project management system and a maintenance plan as evidenced by the scenarios below. Multiple staff reported that after exterior lighting upgrades via Proposition 39 funding, the exterior lighting at some sites had numerous issues with the lightbulbs needing replacement, but they are difficult to find or the light fixtures no longer working and are not easy to replace. The district’s staff have had to repair and troubleshoot the issues. This has resulted in lack of trust and faith in management, reduced safety, and reduced curb appeal of sites with lighting issues. For a plumbing renovation project the district recently performed, there was no prior communi- cation with line staff on building condition or needs. This created tension between the staff and management. Creating a relationship with line staff and communicating the needs of the buildings fosters successful projects. District management should discuss projects with line staff and solicit their input. Staff reported that materials were bought that were not needed, wasting resources. During a site visit to Vallejo High School, a room was toured that had new equipment, such as refrigerators and stoves for a cooking program, which was not installed to correct code. This required the maintenance team to remove the equipment and shut the kitchen down. If the project had been properly submitted and vetted, it could have been installed correctly per code. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 19 MAINTENANCE SERVICES Instead, the operations staff had to decommission the kitchen and will now have to retroactively plan and correct what was installed. Work Order System The Operations Division has a computerized work order management system (FMX), which at the time of FCMAT’s fieldwork had been in operation for five months. Interviews indicate that FMX has greatly improved customer satisfaction in the district and the division will be able to analyze the effectiveness of operations with the analytics now enabled. Communication regarding the deployment of the work order system consisted of an email containing minimal instruction for the users (school site office managers and administration). This was sufficient for some staff, but not all. When it was rolled out to the maintenance staff, there was little to no preemptive involvement in its deployment. The maintenance staff should have been involved prior to deployment to garner their feedback and buy-in with the new system. The maintenance staff were all provided iPads to complete and process work orders. The mainte- nance technicians stated that they could not easily connect to Wi-Fi, hindering operation. This should be addressed with Technology and Information Services to increase the efficiency and efficacy of the work order management system. The head custodian at each school submits the work orders. When the head custodian is out, the office manager is the backup and performs this task. Given the head custodian’s job duties and the fact that they must take on additional work because of the substitute shortage, this often results in delays in work order submissions. With proper training, the office managers could submit work orders with all of the pertinent information such as location, trade type, access times, work description, and any pertinent information important to a maintenance worker to find and fix the issue. The office managers should be provided an annual training on work order submissions. Office managers should be able to directly submit work orders that are routed to the maintenance office support technician, rather than having to be routed through the head custodian. The office support technician would then have enough information to assign the work order to a lead for scheduling, as well assign the work to a specific technician or tradesman. FCMAT recommends a system below: Work Order Flow Maintenance manager or office support technician reviews the work order for a data quality check and to verify work was complete. If work was successfully completed, work order can be closed out. Email sent to requestor that the work order is complete and closed out. Facility need or deficiency. The technician or tradesperson receives the work order, Office manager submits completes the work, and work order. completes the work order. Office support technician - maintenance Lead reviews the work vets the work order and either sends order, assigns it to the it back for more information, assigns it proper individual, and to a lead, or sends it to the manager to schedules the work. decide next steps if the work order is not something that can be handled by staff. Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 20 MAINTENANCE SERVICES There were complaints by many interviewed that the system sends too many emails. Emails should be reduced to an email confirming submission with the applicable work order number attached and an email confirming closure of the work order with the caveat that those who submit work orders should be able to review all their submitted work orders on a list in the system. Administrators who need or want to view the work orders should be trained in how to access them. Certain programs at school sites may only need to view the work orders affecting their program. It is recommended that the district use the FMX system to find a way to delineate these programs so the support staff and administrators to the program can review the pertinent work. There was no published list of commonly declined work orders. If there were a specific list or process to decline work orders, the operations manager maintenance and grounds would not need to spend time approving each item and order; rather, the office support technician could directly assign work to a lead to schedule. This could lead to increased time effectiveness for the operations manager maintenance and grounds. There were multiple work orders from site staff for items that maintenance does not perform, such as lights that are out or deep cleanings. If there were a common list of items to not submit, the extra processing could be avoided. The head custodians at each site should be trained on fulfilling and completing the work orders that may pertain to them, instead of the operations manager maintenance and grounds declining the work orders and then having to reassign them to other departments. When FCMAT reviewed declined work orders, many either needed outside vendors to complete the work, or could be defined as a facility improvement project. The work orders that require outside vendor support can be assigned to the operations manager maintenance and grounds to make these contacts. The district lacks a centralized list for recording and/or managing facility projects. A computerized project management/capital forecast facility management software would assist in recording future facility improvement projects to better meet the needs of the school sites. Inventory Management During FCMAT’s site visit of the parts storehouse, the storehouse seemed well organized. The other storerooms did not have the same level of upkeep. When inventory is needed, the process is to fill out a paper form for an inventory request, which then requires authorization from the operations manager maintenance and grounds. The district should implement a system where all inventory requests are input on the same work order for which the item will be used, rather than two different forms being filled out. Then, the paper inventory request is not needed, and the true cost of the job can be tracked in terms of employee time and needed parts from the work order. In addition, the district should establish a per-work-order dollar threshold when management approval is required. A random quality check can be performed on the inventory management system to ensure proper documentation is maintained. This would streamline the process for management and improve workflow for the maintenance workers. The storekeeper does not have the specific working knowledge to research the parts/equipment needed for the specialized trades. This responsibility is handled by the specific tradesmen. The tradesmen stated they become frustrated when a specialty part is needed because of the added time when having to process the order (purchase order approval and shipping time). This ulti- mately delays repairs, maintenance work, and projects. The district’s board policies require board approval for all purchase orders. This long process impedes the ability of the maintenance staff Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 21 MAINTENANCE SERVICES to perform work. For frequently used vendors, the department should establish open purchase orders at the beginning of the fiscal year to alleviate the long lead times in being able to perform the work. It is imperative that established policies and procedures be followed, including a clear understanding of who is authorized to make purchases and pick up the items, who can authorize purchases, setting dollar limitations, and forwarding receipts to purchasing. FCMAT’s visit to the operations facility revealed a lack of organization in the two portable buildings where the preventative maintenance workers take their breaks and store materials. They do not have the same level of upkeep and organization as the storeroom. Given what is available at the site, the supplies in these buildings could be better organized and stocked. Optimally, the district would centralize the inventory storage in a warehouse-type facility to efficiently load/ unload supplies that may be delivered on pallets. FCMAT found that the district lacks standardization of materials, supplies, and fixtures. Maintenance workers’ performance is hindered because of the lack of stock of new exterior lighting fixtures that were procured through Proposition 39 funding. Fixtures that were installed with that specific program are not uniform throughout the district and not easily replaceable. Policies regarding the standardization of equipment would improve efficiency, resulting in reduced expenditures and labor. Recommendations The district should: 1. Place the department under the oversight of the chief business official, who should provide the leadership and guidance to the director of maintenance, operations, and facilities. 2. Create/reclassify a position as the director of maintenance, operations, and facilities and create a new job description. 3. Reassign an operations support technician to maintenance, grounds, operations, and site security functions to create a central point of contact, renaming the position to office support technician. 4. Reassign an operations support technician to assist in facility planning and construction, renaming the position to office support technician. 5. Rename what is currently referred to as the operations manager maintenance and grounds to maintenance and grounds manager, correcting all incorrect references in the job description, such as who the position reports to, name of the department, and representative duties. 6. Rename the senior lead maintenance to lead maintenance and correct all incorrect references in the job description, such as who the position reports to, the name of the department and representative duties. 7. Eliminate one preventative maintenance position and create a lead preven- tative maintenance position that is a working lead and assists in providing oversight of the preventative maintenance crew. Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 22 MAINTENANCE SERVICES 8. Rename the senior lead painter to lead painter and correct all incorrect refer- ences in the job descriptions, such as who the position reports to, the name of the department and representative duties. 9. Rename the 3 FTE carpenters to general maintenance workers. 10. Rename the roofer/carpenter to roofer/general maintenance worker. 11. Rename the carpenter/locksmith to locksmith/general maintenance worker. 12. Rename the truck driver/maintenance worker to truck driver/general mainte- nance worker. 13. Take steps to correctly implement a preventative maintenance team and adopt policies and procedures for the team. 14. Create a long-term preventative and scheduled maintenance plan. 15. Reclassify the three carpenters as general maintenance workers. These posi- tions should have skills across all trades. 16. Identify a project management/project tracking system for the director of maintenance, operations, and facilities to implement. The maintenance and grounds manager can utilize the system as well for potential in-house or small contracted projects. 17. Communicate with maintenance staff about upcoming projects and solicit their input to take into consideration. 18. Communicate with other district leadership and departments when imple- menting software/programs that may affect them. 19. Provide job-specific professional development opportunities for staff outside of required trainings. 20. Restructure work order approval and assignment process for efficiency. 21. Provide in-depth, annual, and continuing training, as well as a quick refer- ence document for those involved in work order submissions. 22. Ensure that Technology and Information Services is aware of issues connecting iPads to the Wi-Fi to increase the efficiency and efficacy of the work order management system. 23. Using FMX, create a way to identify/track special programs and/or sites to ensure that support staff and administrators assigned to those programs view only what affects their program. 24. Provide a commonly declined work order list and what is done to address the items. 25. Implement a new process for inventory requests using the work order system for increased efficiency. Also establish a per-work-order threshold amount that would need advance approval. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 23 MAINTENANCE SERVICES 26. Create the proper procedures and standards of maintenance fixtures and supplies. 27. Stock a manageable amount of commonly used supplies. 28. Organize storage spaces that are unorganized. 29. Create a list of purchase orders to open at the beginning of the fiscal year for specialty vendors to increase efficiency, ensuring that established processes and procedures are followed, including a list of authorized approvers. 30. Request the board to adopt a higher dollar amount threshold for purchase order approval to aid in the efficiency of procuring specialty parts for repairs. 31. Through the facility master planning process, determine if there is a more suitable location for a warehouse where the district can stock commonly used items and have the ability to receive large shipments of furniture, parts, etc. Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 24 Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 25 CUSTODIAL SERVICES Custodial Services Custodians interviewed have worked in the district from a few years to decades. All custodians displayed a commitment to students and their community, as most of those interviewed were from the local area. The operations manager site safety/security/custodial supervises the custo- dians as well as fulfilling the other specified duties of the position. A custodian supervisor works the night shift to provide oversight in the evenings. The custodial services organizational structure is site-based. Each site has a head custodian who works the day shift, inputs all work orders for their assigned site, and orders supplies. The supply ordering is done through online accounts. There are 27 head custodians (one for each site), two lead custodians (who work at the high schools on swing shift), and 50 custodians employed throughout the district. Custodial Staffing Levels Although there are no nationwide standards of cleanliness, the U.S. Department of Education has established five levels of cleaning, including the number of square feet that a custodian working an eight-hour shift can reasonably expect to complete: • Level 1 cleaning results in a “spotless” and germ-free facility as might normally be found in a hospital or corporate suite. At this level, a custodian with proper supplies and tools can clean approximately 10,000 to 11,000 square feet in eight hours. • Level 2 cleaning is the uppermost standard for most school cleaning and is generally reserved for restrooms, special education areas, kindergarten areas, and food service areas. This service level includes vacuuming or mopping floors daily and sanitizing all surfaces. A custodian can clean approximately 18,000 to 20,000 square feet in an eight-hour shift at this level. • Level 3 cleaning is the norm for most school facilities. It is acceptable to most interested parties and does not pose any health issues. Classrooms are cleaned daily, which includes dumping trash and cleaning common area surfaces such as sinks and door handles. Carpets are vacuumed and surfaces used by students are sanitized every other day. A custodian can clean approximately 28,000 to 31,000 square feet in eight hours at this level. • Level 4 cleaning is not normally acceptable in a school environment. Classrooms are cleaned every other day, carpets vacuumed every third day, and dusting done once a month. A custodian can clean 45,000 to 50,000 square feet in eight hours at this level. • Level 5 cleaning can rapidly lead to an unhealthy situation. Trash cans may be emptied, and carpets vacuumed only weekly. One custodian can clean 85,000 to 90,000 square feet in eight hours at this level. While the figures above are estimates, they are an excellent starting point for establishing stan- dardized schedules. The actual number of square feet per shift a custodian can clean will also depend on variables such as the type of facilities, school activity schedules, flooring, wall cover- ings, the number of windows, restroom layouts, gym and athletic facilities, and offices. The California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO) custodial staffing formula considers the square footage of sites and the number of students, classrooms, and teachers to determine the number of FTEs needed to provide the level 2 standard of cleaning. The following four factors are considered: Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 26 CUSTODIAL SERVICES • One custodian for every 325 students • One custodian for every 13 teachers • One custodian for every 13 classroom units • One custodian for every 18,000 square feet of educational space The average of these four factors provides a starting point FTE. There is also a .3 FTE factor for sites with fewer than 450 enrolled students and a community use factor based on whether the site is an elementary, middle, or high school. Site-specific and district-specific issues may be considered for allocations, which vary from the formula recommendations. This staffing formula is based on industry standards and has been widely used to analyze custodial staffing levels in schools throughout California. Vallejo City Unified CASBO cleaning formula staffing calculations School/ Facility Enrollment Square Total Number Number of CASBO Staffing (8/2018) Footage of Classrooms Teachers (FTE) Formula Beverly Hills Elementary 237 30,544.35 22 14 1.66 Cooper Elementary 474 48,242.00 38 24 2.29 Federal Terrace Elementary 340 16,071.42 29 22 1.83 Glen Cove Elementary 356 34,786.94 31 18 2.06 Highland Elementary 557 52,838.00 40 27 2.51 Lincoln Elementary 200 20,141.36 10 11 1.20 Dan Mini Elementary 524 44,765.86 38 24 2.28 Patterson Elementary 391 32,816.58 24 18 1.92 Pennycook Elementary 498 53,737.31 37 25 2.38 Steffan Manor Elementary 570 60,828.36 31 28 2.48 Wardlaw Elementary 698 41,028.20 42 30 2.55 Widenmann Elementary 399 53,760.58 29 23 2.41 Cave Language Academy 385 33,650.00 27 21 2.05 Loma Vista Environmental Sciences Academy 476 46,160.23 26 23 2.01 Mare Island Health and Fitness Academy 447 39,420.00 26 19 2.12 Vallejo Charter School (at Springstowne) 470 82,077.00 37 23 2.72 Franklin Middle 616 89,435.00 42 24 3.24 Solano Middle 458 91,709.00 38 22 3.03 Hogan Middle 928 172,814.9 49 36 5.00 Jesse Bethel High 1,606 174,652.9 80 63 6.91 Vallejo High 1,631 215,949.5 75 64 7.43 Vallejo Middle (ISP/Everest Academy) 172 68,129.00 40 17 2.97 John Finney High 133 19,616.74 12 12 1.64 Farragut Academy 13 29,242.75 18 5 1.66 Vallejo Regional Education Center 30,165.38 21 14 1.89 District Office 48,000.00 2.4 Totals 12,579 1,630,583 862 607 70.6 Notes on variations in the CASBO formula: Specific variations in the CASBO formula need to be addressed site by site; e.g., the multiple preschool and special educa- tion classrooms throughout the district. These should be evaluated in detail and adjusted accordingly. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 27 CUSTODIAL SERVICES For areas such as office space or the operations warehouse, the student, classroom, and teacher data is not applicable. These spaces need to be staffed by per square foot using another formula such as the International Sanitary Supply Association’s custodial formula. For the district office, only the square footage was taken into consideration. Level 2 cleaning can be provided roughly at 20,000 square feet per 8-hour shift. The district is staffed approximately to 20,640 square feet per custodial FTE. At this standard, the custodians should be achieving a very high level of cleaning. This was not observed during FCMAT’s site visits. Examples of cleaning deficiencies were excessive dust, excessively stained carpets, baseboards that still had slurry on them from deep cleaning, excessively dusty/dirty return/supply air grills, and excessive trash on one campus. Some classrooms exhibited the proper level of cleaning, but the cleaning generally appeared to be between level 3 and level 4. Although FCMAT does have recommendations about structure and cleaning standards, the other reason for the deficiencies is the lack of substitute custodians to fill in when employees are out, leaving the district to allocate more square footage to custodians per day, reducing the level of cleanliness. Using the information that was provided, the CASBO formula suggests that 70.6 FTE is adequate for the district facilities to be kept up at a level 2 standard of cleaning. District-provided staffing numbers show 79 FTE custodians. The district should perform a thorough site-by-site analysis of custodial staffing using the CASBO formula to determine the correct staffing levels. The district should also renegotiate with the union to follow CASBO standards for staffing per square footage instead of the 20 minutes per classroom in the collective bargaining agreement. Suggested Custodial Organizational Structure Chief Business Official (1 FTE) Office Support Director of Maintenance, Technician/Maintenance, Operations and Facilities Grounds, Operations and Site Security Custodial and Site Security Manager AM (AM Oversight) oversight PM Custodial Supervisor oversight (PM Oversight) (27 FTE) Head Custodian (2 FTE) Lead Custodian (PM at high schools) (50 FTE) Custodian Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 28 CUSTODIAL SERVICES Custodial Handbook FCMAT found through interviews and district-provided documents that the district bases its cleaning standards on the Clean Schools Program, which was an analysis performed in 2007. It prescribed a plan for the district to achieve better efficiency, communication, and teacher/student involvement regarding cleanliness of the district’s classrooms. Although this gives a rough outline of what the district is doing, it does not give in-depth insight and is outdated. The custodial leadership should create a custodial handbook to better outline the processes and procedures to aid in training and to create standards of cleaning as well as a checklist that the custodial and site security manager (AM oversight) or the custodial supervisor (PM oversight) could use to provide direct feedback. The classrooms that FCMAT visited were cleaned to various levels. If the district created a written standard as to how the facilities should be cleaned, it would assist in providing a more uniform approach. The custodial handbook should establish cleaning routines; standards of daily, weekly, monthly, and annual cleaning; the cleaning products used; deep cleaning procedures; standards of stocking supplies, and anything else established in the cleaning program. The handbook should be created with participation from executive management, adopted by the board, and reviewed annually for potential changes. Custodial Work Orders The head custodian is the primary responsible party for submitting work orders. Most work orders are emailed from the office managers to the head custodians to submit into the FMX system. This leads to delays in completion times of the work orders. When the office managers create the email to the head custodians, they could also input the work order into the FMX system and save the duplication of effort of the head custodians. The head custodians should still have access to the system and should be trained to add any work orders that the office managers may have not submitted. Both the office managers and head custodians should be able to check the work orders for the site so there are no duplicated requests. This change in process would give the head custodians more time to complete their cleaning tasks and address deficiencies at the site. The district should provide annual training on the FMX software to all of the head custo- dians and any others using the software. Unused Classrooms The total number of classrooms compared to the total number of teachers at different locations varies greatly. At most sites a large number of classrooms are not used for daily instruction. With the current custodial staffing, the overall square footage should be well kept. Classrooms not used for daily instruction or child care should be identified, re-keyed and locked, and not accessible to staff outside the Operations Division, to assist with efficiency and efficacy of custodial operations. This can significantly affect workload and should be evaluated with an in-depth facility planning analysis. Substitute Custodians One of the major concerns across the organization is a lack of substitute custodians to fill in when employees are out. This has left the district to allocate more square footage to custodians per day, reducing the level of cleanliness. This was referred to as “modified cleaning,” and varied based on the square footage a custodian needs to cover. Modified cleaning was referred to as the new normal. This could have an immense effect if a virus outbreak occurred, and affects student Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 29 CUSTODIAL SERVICES and staff attendance if surfaces are not routinely disinfected. The inconsistent cleanliness nega- tively affects overall staff and student morale. This has a negative effect on operations staff morale and attendance if they are overworked. One custodian reported that he had worked three weeks straight, working weekends to cover for shortages. A major contributing issue to the lack of substitute custodians is the pay rate. The district should align the substitute custodian’s pay to the first step of the custodian salary schedule. This is not a union negotiated item. Another way to address the substitute issue is to hire permanent “itin- erant” custodians, positions that can be used as a floater to fill absences. Since regular custodians work so much additional time to cover for the lack of custodians, the amount spent on overtime should be evaluated to see if it is feasible to use the money to fund itinerant positions. Custodial Equipment Custodians and managers reported that they have purchased new equipment over the last few years that has greatly helped their job performance. The district should keep investing in new technologies, training, and equipment for the custodians to increase operational efficiency. Staff reported that some custodial equipment is not routinely maintained, leading to breakdowns. This greatly reduced the efficiency of the custodian at the site. Implementing a preventative maintenance program for custodial equipment would help the custodians to properly and effi- ciently perform their job duties. The district should adopt maintenance and repair standards for custodial equipment. This will decrease the long response times for repair as well as streamline operations and training. Recommendations The district should: 1. Rename what is currently referred to on the organizational chart as the operations manager site safety/security/custodial to custodial and site security manager, correcting all inaccurate references in the job description such as who the position reports to and representative duties. This position would be responsible for AM supervision of all custodians. 2. Rename what is currently referred to on the organizational chart as the custo- dian supervisor to custodial supervisor, correcting all inaccurate references in the job description such as who the position reports to and representative duties. This position would be responsible for PM supervision of all custo- dians. 3. Train head custodians to review work orders at their site and input supple- mental work orders, ensuring they are not duplicating work orders entered by the office managers. 4. Provide in-depth, annual, and continuing training for the work order system. 5. Identify classrooms not used for daily instruction. Re-key the rooms so site staff do not have access. Instruct the site custodians to only clean the rooms as needed for improved efficiency. Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 30 CUSTODIAL SERVICES 6. Increase the substitute custodian rate to align with the first step of the custo- dial salary schedule. 7. After raising the substitute custodian rate, evaluate overtime expenditures to determine if itinerate custodian positions are more efficient for the district. 8. Create a preventative maintenance schedule for custodial equipment. 9. Continue investing in technological advances in machinery for custodians to provide a higher quality, more efficient school environment. 10. Renegotiate the 20 minutes per classroom cleaning formula to the CASBO formula. 11. Re-evaluate custodial allocations using the CASBO formula after the district makes any changes to the department, including those described earlier in this report. 12. Review custodial routes annually using the CASBO formula to ensure correct staffing, and adjust accordingly. 13. Create a custodial handbook, training staff once it is developed. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 31 TRANSPORTATION SERVICES Transportation Services The Transportation Department is a mixture of new hires and long-tenured staff, managed by the director of operations who spends three days a week in the transportation office. The department has a supervisor who directly reports to the director. Transportation consists of 28 FTE bus drivers, one lead mechanic, a vehicle maintenance monitor, and four mechanics. The transportation support staff consist of one lead dispatcher, one lead trainer/driver, and one staff secretary III. A lack of processes in transportation has led to the inefficient operation of the department. The most alarming issue is that the department is completely reliant on its long-standing dispatcher. There has been no proper cross-training for this position. Transportation Leadership and Department Structure The transportation department has lacked consistent leadership since the district opted to reduce the director position to a manager after the previous director retired. The line staff have adapted to the lack of continuity and perform their responsibilities with less management input. Management is completely reliant upon the office staff to coordinate the daily operations of transportation. This was observed via the lack of processes when the dispatcher is out of the office. Staff are also frustrated because there is a lack of authority in the decision-making process when the director is out of the office. Transportation needs to be administered by a director who is accessible to the whole department with a clear line of authority, or a supervisor who is not completely reliant on a higher-level position to make decisions. It was observed that the transpor- tation supervisor must consistently have decisions approved by the director of operations, which hinders the effectiveness of the transportation department since the director is only located in the transportation office three days a week. Transportation Organizational Structure The Transportation Department is currently staffed as follows: • 1 FTE transportation supervisor • 1 FTE lead dispatcher • 1 FTE lead trainer/driver • 28 FTE school bus drivers • 1 FTE lead mechanic • 4 FTE mechanics • 1 FTE vehicle maintenance monitor • 1 FTE staff secretary III The support staff in transportation are strained by the inefficiencies in how the department is operated. There are constant disruptions, whether it is the office staff receiving phone calls from upset parents or changes being made to routes and dispatched to drivers. The trainer, supervisor, and mechanics are often pulled to drive buses since there is a severe lack of substitute drivers. An office support technician, currently titled operations support technician, should be assigned to the transportation department. This position would assist the director, as well as act as the central point of contact for scheduling field trips, and would be designated as the field trip coordinator. Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 32 TRANSPORTATION SERVICES The transportation dispatcher works from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Since the transportation department still has routes running after 2 p.m., the office has to be staffed by someone who sets aside their regular job duties. The staff secretary III position should be eliminated, a second dispatcher position added, and an office support technician assigned. One dispatcher would work in the morning and the other in the afternoon. This would allow for better coverage and cross training of staff. Cross training of staff in the transportation department is a huge need because of heavy reliance on the dispatcher and lack of a succession plan. FCMAT recommends restructuring transportation as its own department, led by a director who reports to the chief business official. This is a typical structure in districts that are similarly sized to Vallejo USD. The transportation supervisor position would be eliminated, but an additional lead dispatcher position created to help properly run and support the department. Because the district does not have this specific position currently in place, FCMAT has included a sample of representative duties for the position in Appendix B. The transportation department’s recommended staffing is as follows: • 1 FTE transportation director • 2 FTE dispatchers • 1 FTE lead trainer/driver • 28 FTE school bus drivers • 1 FTE lead mechanic • 4 FTE mechanics • 1 FTE vehicle maintenance monitor • 1 FTE office support technician/field trip coordinator Suggested Transportation Organizational Structure Chief Business Official (1 FTE) Office Support Technician/Field Trip Director of Transportation Coordinator (1 FTE) Lead Trainer/ (1 FTE) AM (1 FTE) PM (1 FTE) Lead Driver Dispatcher Dispatcher Mechanic (28 FTE) Bus Driver (4 FTE) Mechanic (1 FTE) Vehicle Maintenance Monitor Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 33 TRANSPORTATION SERVICES Transportation Technology Transportation staff reported that they use the TransTrak software, which meets some of their needs. It was observed that the district supplied tablets placed on the counters that could be used to have employees clock in, although they were not used consistently or often. The TransTrak software does not allow for special requests such as students who cannot be on the same bus due to bullying issues. The dispatcher is solely relied on to know these special instances. The district’s software should be able to accommodate special requests. Special education is required to submit a completely new list each year of students to be trans- ported. This wastes valuable staff time and resources. Transportation staff and management also spend a significant time on the phone with parents. This is because buses often run late because of the lack of substitute drivers. This requires almost everyone in the department to serve as substitute drivers on routes and/or current bus drivers to cover two routes, further reducing the efficacy and efficiency of transportation. This can be more easily managed with software that has GPS capabilities that allow parents to download an application to track the buses. Some GPS software can report mechanical issues with buses and help schedule maintenance as well. This should reduce calls and complaints from parents, which were reported as nonstop. FCMAT recommends that the district issue a request for proposals and look at various options for new software that meets all the needs of transportation. Providing training and support for the software is crucial for a successful implementation. Districts often purchase software without having employees who are trained to use it. This is commonly found in transportation departments, where dispatchers are often promoted from a bus driver position and thus may not have the needed computer skills necessary for an office environment. An investment in training needs to occur for new employees to understand the software, as well as refresher courses as updates are made. Bus Service Request Form The district uses a paper Bus Service Request form to add students to the transportation routes or to document changes. Using a paper process leads to significant delays in processing between filling it out, sending it to the transportation office, inputting the data into TransTrak, and then commu- nicating the changes to the bus drivers. Software is available that could expedite the requests. This could be one of the items to specify in a request for proposal for transportation software. Transportation Analysis Staff reported that false or vacant addresses are used that would require the district to provide students free transportation. Some students are required to use taxis to get to and from school. This presents a huge liability to the district. There are 121 students who are considered overflow students when class maximums have been reached at their neighborhood schools, causing them to be transferred to other school sites. This increases transportation costs and reduces efficacy. The district needs to conduct an in-depth transportation analysis in tandem with facility master planning mentioned earlier in this report. The data can be used to justify reduced transportation expenses and assist in deciding which facilities to close based on the most effective transportation costs along with other various factors. The transportation analysis should include the following steps: 1. Identify goals and milestones of the transportation analysis. 2. Return students to their resident school. Verify that the address is correct, and the student is currently housed there. Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 34 TRANSPORTATION SERVICES 3. In tandem with the facility master planning process, identify which schools can be closed due to declining enrollment to create the most fiscally beneficial plan for the district. 4. Create new transportation routes based on the findings of the transportation and facility analysis and staff accordingly. Transportation Yard FCMAT visited the transportation yard that houses the district’s yellow bus fleet, some white fleet vehicles, and the transportation department. The transportation yard has had no asphalt maintenance in recent years. It is at a complete point of failure and poses a safety hazard to employees walking there. This can also be an environmental hazard if solvents or oil spills leach into the soil, further increasing the district’s liability due to the lack of maintenance. While at the transportation yard, FCMAT observed the buses being worked on. Two buses were being worked on outdoors but not underneath the cover of the overhang, which is not tall enough after the bus is raised. It was also observed that a new lift was purchased to efficiently change tires on the buses and was located inside the warehouse. To assist in efficiency, the district should provide adequate facilities to work on the buses out of inclement weather, such as a covered area that can encompass the buses being on a lift and a concrete skirt extended out the length of the repair area to assist in cleanup of oil or solvent spills. The transportation yard contained multiple decommissioned maintenance vehicles. These vehi- cles should be surplused to reduce liability and expenses. Special Education Transportation There is a lack of communication or inclusion of transportation services in the initial IEP meetings for students with special needs. Transportation should be involved in the initial IEP meetings where it is determined if a child needs transportation services or not, utilizing a decision tree process to help the IEP team identify transportation as a necessary related service and to ensure consistency in offering the service. A decision tree provides detailed direction and assists in determining the need for transportation and other options that can be explored. Transportation must be involved in the process so they are aware of the identified needs of the specific child and can provide and train staff appropriately. Recommendations The district should: 1. Move the department under the oversight of the chief business official to provide the leadership and guidance to the director of transportation. 2. Separate transportation into its own department, rather than being combined with operations, maintenance and grounds. 3. Create/reclassify a position as the director of transportation, reporting to the chief business official. Create a new job description that encompasses all aspects of school transportation. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 35 TRANSPORTATION SERVICES 4. Reassign an operations support technician to transportation functions to create a central point of contact. Rename and create a job description titled office support technician – field trip coordinator that aligns with the duties of the department and allows for cross training with the other office support technicians. 5. Eliminate the staff secretary III position. 6. Assign field trip coordinating duties to the office support technician – trans- portation. 7. Eliminate the transportation supervisor position. 8. Create two dispatcher positions for better coverage, rather than one lead dispatcher. One FTE would be a day dispatcher, and the second FTE would for afternoon/evening coverage. 9. Eliminate the lead dispatcher position. 10. Correct incorrect references on lead mechanic job description such as who the position reports to, the name of the department and representative duties. 11. Correct incorrect references on mechanic job description such as who the position reports to, the name of the department and representative duties. 12. Update the bus driver trainer job description and rename the position as lead bus driver trainer to provide a clear line of authority. 13. Issue a request for proposals for a school transportation software that will meet the district’s needs and improve efficiency. a. Include the need for an app for parents to receive updates on their chil- dren’s school transportation. b. Include the need for an online replacement for the Bus Service Request form. 14. Provide in-depth, annual, and continuing training for any software used. 15. Perform an in-depth transportation analysis in tandem with the facility master plan process to assist in determining which sites would be the most fiscally prudent to close or consolidate. 16. Perform the proper maintenance to the transportation facility to improve working and safety conditions. 17. Install a proper repair facility for school buses protected from inclement weather. 18. Dispose of unused vehicles. 19. Create a special education transportation decision tree to determine whether students need district-provided transportation as a related service. Once created, train district administrators and special education staff in its use. 20. Involve transportation in the initial IEP meetings for students with disabilities. Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 36 Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 37 GROUNDS SERVICES Grounds Services The district grounds crew is managed by the operations manager maintenance and grounds. A senior lead grounds position leads the grounds crew, six central groundskeepers, one central grounds worker/sprinkler technician, two grounds workers, one chemical sprayer, and one heavy equipment operator. There are three grounds teams, each staffed with two employees. Interviewees told FCMAT repeatedly that the grounds crew is understaffed and doing the best they can with the resources they are allocated. FCMAT observed that grounds maintenance was in average condition in most areas reviewed. Most lawns and shrubs had seen recent maintenance with a few outliers. There was no reported maintenance outside of the bare necessity of mowing, such as fertilizing or aerating. The single central grounds/sprinkler technician is overloaded with work. Due to staffing reductions, the district no longer performs any asphalt maintenance in-house as it did in previous years. Suggested Grounds Organizational Structure Chief Business Official (1 FTE) Office Support Technician/Maintenance, Grounds, Operations and Director of Maintenance, Site Security Operations and Facilities Maintenance and Grounds Manager (1 FTE) Lead Grounds Grounds Team A Grounds Team B Grounds Team C (2 FTE) Groundsworker (2 FTE) Groundsworker (2 FTE) Groundsworker (1 FTE) Central (2 FTE) (1 FTE) Chemical (1 FTE) Heavy Groundsworker/ Groundsworker Sprayer Equipment Operator Sprinkler Tech Grounds Staffing CASBO does not have a formula for grounds maintenance staffing; however, the Florida Department of Education has performed extensive research in this area and included its findings in a document titled Maintenance and Operations Administrative Guidelines for School Districts and Community Colleges. The formula works on the premise that there are two types of grounds personnel. The first are those who perform general grounds functions, such as mowing, gardening, and trimming. The second are those who perform upkeep of athletic fields or other specialized functions. Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 38 GROUNDS SERVICES The following formula is used for determining the staffing level of the grounds services: Total acreage of school facilities divided by 40 Plus 1 FTE grounds keeper Plus 1 FTE grounds keeper per 500,000 square feet of athletic fields Equals the total number of grounds personnel The following chart displays total acreage maintained by the district. All locations are included, even closed sites, which must still be mowed and maintained to prevent safety issues. The district provided the information to FCMAT on site acreage. FCMAT estimated athletic field mainte- nance using satellite imagery, which included areas that may be used for interscholastic sports such as basketball courts, baseball fields, football/soccer fields, and other open areas. School/ Facility Acres Square footage of athletic fields Beverly Hills Elementary 6.64 62,424 Cooper Elementary 6.94 113,873 Federal Terrace Elementary 5.21 81,077 Glen Cove Elementary 13.1 103,070 Highland Elementary 6.2 44,890 Lincoln Elementary 1.2 2,482 Dan Mini Elementary 10.37 203,817 Patterson Elementary 9.73 146,896 Pennycook Elementary 8.44 145,087 Steffan Manor Elementary 8.2 128,803 Wardlaw Elementary 14.56 63,926 Widenmann Elementary 14.7 122,238 Cave Language Academy 4.75 36,676 Loma Vista Environmental Sciences Academy 23.57 9,065 Mare Island Health and Fitness Academy 7.51 84,476 Vallejo Charter School (at Springstowne) 13.52 213,699 Franklin Middle 23.7 203,864 Solano Middle 25.51 341,382 Hogan Middle 20.12 384,376 Jesse Bethel High 45.96 424,163 Vallejo High 32.07 384,376 Vallejo Middle (ISP/Everest Academy) 17.43 271,373 John Finney High 4.89 58,031 Farragut Academy 5.21 19,622 Vallejo Regional Education Center 7.64 51,826 District Office 4.13 0 Grant School (Closed) 2.77 0 Country Club Crest Center (Closed) 0.62 0 Rollingwood (Vacant Land) 17.72 0 Corbus Sports Complex 6.11 artificial turf Totals 368.52 3,701,485 square feet Total FTE 17.6 Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 39 GROUNDS SERVICES Using the Florida Department of Education’s grounds maintenance formula, it is estimated that 17.6 grounds personnel are needed to properly maintain all grounds and service all athletic fields. At the current level of staffing of 12 FTE (one lead and 11 FTE staff), the district is understaffed, which likely explains why the athletic fields lack striping, most asphalt has had no recent mainte- nance, and fields are not aerated or fertilized. The district should re-evaluate the staffing allocation of its grounds department using the above formula after the facilities and transportation assessment is completed (mentioned earlier in this report). Until related decisions are made about facilities and transportation (e.g., closing schools, not busing as many students to other school sites, etc.), grounds department staffing should not be determined because changes in the number of school sites and specific usages will affect grounds department staffing and needs. This should be re-evaluated annually. As stated in the department’s mission statement, “The Maintenance & Grounds Department is dedicated to providing an inviting, healthy, safe and well-maintained learning environment. The quality of our work affects our students, staff, parents and community. Our success promotes an environment which supports teaching, learning, work production and contributes to the quality of the educa- tion process.” While the department may be following that mission, the resources allocated to the department and current staffing appear to be inadequate. Grounds Maintenance Schedules FCMAT was not provided grounds maintenance schedules or routes, although interviewed principals reported their sites are serviced regularly. A set schedule/route should be published for mowing frequency, trash pickup, edging, tree trimming, and other grounds tasks so that all school site staff know what to expect and when to expect it. This also holds the grounds staff accountable to formal standards. When questioned about grounds schedules, staff members provided consistent answers to the frequency of basic tasks, and who is responsible for what. Developing and publishing a schedule would allow all sites and staff, to have the same expecta- tion. This schedule should be posted on the department’s website. Athletic Field Maintenance Athletic fields provide the staff, students, and community members a place of communal gath- ering for athletic events and other recreational purposes. These can be the center of communities and invigorate pride in their respective schools. Athletic field maintenance affects the morale of the staff and students, and the community as well. During FCMAT site visits, it was observed that there was minimal maintenance to the athletic fields. It appeared that the only tasks being performed were mowing and irrigation repair. It was observed and reported that there was insufficient staffing to stripe and maintain the athletic fields per regulatory standards for the different sports. Having maintained and striped fields may have a positive effect on participation in interscholastic sports. The district should evaluate whether it wants to provide this service to all or specific locations and staff the grounds department accordingly. Grounds Equipment Maintenance The grounds equipment is serviced by one of the transportation department mechanics. Short staffing due to mechanics being pulled from their duties to drive bus routes is affecting the workflow of the grounds department. It is recommended that the mechanics who work on the grounds equipment not be pulled from their job duties, except for emergency situations, as doing so is negatively impacting the work of the grounds crew. Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 40 GROUNDS SERVICES The grounds equipment should be on a preventative maintenance schedule. This can be done by automatically creating work orders that are generated by the FMX system and tailored to the specific service intervals for each piece of equipment. During the preventative maintenance inspections, the number of hours the grounds equipment has been used can be logged into the work order system if the equipment tracks this data. Actual hours used and logged can then be used to automatically generate service requests such as oil changes. Recommendations The district should: 1. Rename the senior lead grounds to lead grounds and correct all incorrect references in the job description, such as who the position reports to, the name of the department and representative duties. 2. Identify the standard of grounds the district wishes to maintain and staff the grounds department to that standard. 3. Consider striping athletic fields for interscholastic sports. 4. Create and publish the routes for the grounds teams on the department’s webpage. 5. Create a preventative maintenance schedule for grounds equipment. 6. Record usage hours of the machinery into the FMX software and auto generate work orders based on the service intervals for each piece of equip- ment. 7. Perform an annual review to determine the needs and allocation of grounds staff. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 4411 APPENDICDERSAFT Appendices Appendix A Study Agreement Appendix B Representative Duties for Recommended Positions Appendix C Sample Transportation Decision Tree Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 4422 DRAAFPTPENDICES Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 4433 APPENDICDERSAFT Appendix A Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 4444 DRAAFPTPENDICES Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 4455 APPENDICDERSAFT Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 4466 DRAAFPTPENDICES Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 4477 APPENDICDERSAFT Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 4488 DRAAFPTPENDICES Appendix B DIRECTOR, MAINTENANCE, OPERATIONS AND FACILITIES Under the direction of the Chief Business Official, the Director of Maintenance, Operations and Facilities develops, implements, manages and maintains the services to facilitate the maintenance, repair and alteration of district buildings and grounds; oversees the design, planning and devel- oping of facilities and new construction, serving as the district representative in planning and developing facilities and new construction; and directs program operations including planning, staffing, budgeting and complying with established requirements . RESPONSIBILITIES: • Plan, organize and direct a variety of programs, projects and activities related to the maintenance and repair of school buildings, grounds and associated equipment; effectively allocate resources to various projects including funds, staff and supplies. • Collaborates with internal and external personnel (e.g., other administrators, staff, public agencies, citizen advisory groups, community groups) for the purpose of coordinating activities and programs, resolving issues, and exchanging information concerning assigned functions and related matters. • Develops and monitors departmental budget, expenditures allocations, fund balances, and related financial data for the purpose of ensuring that allocations are accurate, revenues are recorded, expenses are within budget limits, and expenditures are authorized in accordance with established limitations. • Directs department operations, the maintenance of services and the implementation of new programs and/or processes (e.g., facility utilization, site repairs/construction, preventive maintenance) for the purpose of making recommendations and/or implementing actions that provide services within established timeframes and in compliance with related requirements. • Inspects new construction, repair work, grounds, special projects, equipment, work orders, daily maintenance, and supplies for the purpose of ensuring that jobs are completed efficiently; verifies that specifications for major capital improvements are within local/state/federal regulations; assists with the development of bid documents; and approves inspection reports and payment requests. • Manages construction contracts for new facilities and major alterations and/or modernization of existing facilities for the purpose of ensuring that the work is performed in accordance with specifications, timelines, and budget. • Manages assigned program and/or department responsibilities (e.g., site improvement, grounds, ADA access, fire inspections, safety, Proposition 39) for the purpose of achieving outcomes in relation to organization objectives and ensuring conformance with legal, financial, and district requirements. • Oversees the preparation and development of a variety of mandated plans, studies, and reports prepared internally or by retained consultants (e.g., environmental impact report, project applications with the state and local agencies) for the purpose of complying with regulatory actions, funding requirements, and other established policies. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 4499 APPENDICDERSAFT • Participates in meetings, workshops, and seminars for the purpose of conveying and/or gathering information required to perform functions. • Performs personnel administrative functions (e.g., interviewing, selecting, evaluating, supervising, training) for the purpose of maintaining adequate staffing, enhancing productivity of personnel, and achieving objectives within budget. • Prepares a wide variety of written materials (e.g., Bboard agenda items and briefings; contracts of professional services; budgets; property contracts; legislative updates; contract changes; requests for proposals; a variety of narrative and statistical reports related to construction; short- and long-term master facilities plans; maintenance and modernization of facilities) for the purpose of • documenting activities, providing written reference, seeking input, and/or conveying information. • Presents information at various meetings for the purpose of communicating information, gaining feedback, and ensuring adherence to established internal controls. • Researches new products, laws, regulations, etc. for the purpose of recommending purchases, contracts and maintaining district wide services. • Responds to a wide variety of inquiries from staff, district personnel, other community agencies, etc. for the purpose of resolving problems, providing information and/or referring to appropriate personnel. • Reviews long-range projections to determine timelines and locations for new sites and associated needs (e.g., hiring architects and consultants, financial requirements, financing options) for the purpose of developing plans to assure the timely availability of facilities to maintaining a successful educational service. • Active or lead participant in all district committees involving facilities. • Develops and prepares the annual preliminary budget for maintenance, deferred maintenance and utilities, analyze and review budgetary and financial data; control and authorize expenditures in accordance with limitations. • Prioritizes work orders for efficiency and safety. • Assures proper use and care of all district facilities, operation equipment, and transportation vehicles for efficiency and safety. • Responds to emergencies for the purpose of determining and implementing appropriate actions required to resolve situations. • Answers after-hour emergency calls as needed. • Supports the Chief Business Official in providing technical expertise, information regarding assigned functions for the purpose of formulating and developing policies, procedures, and programs that address district needs. • Assists in supervising the construction, modernization, or repair of facilities. • Functions as member of the district leadership team and superintendent’s cabinet. • Perform related duties as assigned. Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 5500 DRAAFPTPENDICES KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES: KNOWLEDGE OF: • Planning, organization and direction of the maintenance and repair activities of district facilities, grounds and associated equipment. • Construction, engineering, architecture, and maintenance management. • Building codes and other applicable laws, codes, regulations, policies and procedures. • Custodial practices and procedures. • Budget preparation and control. • Oral and written communication skills. • Principles and practices of administration, supervision and training. ABILITY TO: • Develop and administer contracts for school construction projects. • Ensure compliance with safety practices and various code requirements. • Understand blueprints and schematic drawings. • Interpret, apply and explain rules, regulations, policies and procedures. • Analyze situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action. • Meet schedules and timelines. • Work independently with little direction. • Plan and organize work. • Prepare comprehensive narrative and statistical reports. • Direct the maintenance of a variety of reports and files related to assigned operations and activities. • Use interpersonal skills with tact, patience and courtesy. • Ability to direct, manage and evaluate personnel,. • Apply pertinent laws, regulations and principles in reaching conclusions and making decisions. • Accept direction and follow instructions. • Share and delegate responsibilities. • Communicate effectively both orally and in writing. • Establish and maintain highly effective working relationships with the public and fellow employees. • Respect and maintain professional confidences. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 5511 APPENDICDERSAFT QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: • A Bachelor’s degree in related field and • Five years of experience in maintenance, grounds or related function. EXPERIENCE: • Five years of experience in a supervisory capacity. Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 5522 DRAAFPTPENDICES DIRECTOR, TRANSPORTATION Under the direction of the Chief Business Official, the Director, Transportation will plan, organize, control and direct transportation operations and activities to assure safe, efficient and timely student transportation to and from school; direct the scheduling of pupil transportation to and from school, sports events and field trips; assure proper development, arrangement and adjustment of bus routes and stops to meet student needs. RESPONSIBILITIES: • Coordinate, implement and maintain district bus routes and schedules; evaluate bus stop locations and road and weather conditions and adjust bus routes accordingly; organize transportation services for field trips and special events. • Train and supervise the performance of assigned personnel; interview and select employees and recommend transfers, reassignment, termination and disciplinary actions. • Provide technical expertise, information and assistance as requested regarding transportation activities; assist in the formulation and development of policies, procedures and programs to assure an economical, safe and efficient work environment. • Plan, organize and implement long and short-term programs and activities designed to enhance transportation programs and services; develop and implement department policies, procedures and regulations. • Attend Individualized Education Program (IEP’s) meetings in order to provide transportation support for special needs students while ensuring compliance with state and federal guidelines. • Drafts and develops specifications for new equipment, fuel, oil, lubricants, tires, tubes and other accessory items for purchase. • Manages District fuel bid and submits required reports to the State Board of Equalization. • Direct the preparation and maintenance of a variety of narrative and statistical reports, records and files related to transportation activities and personnel. • Communicate with other administrators, personnel and outside organizations to coordinate activities and programs, resolve issues and conflicts and exchange information; confer with administrators regarding student behavior issues ad disciplinary actions. • Develop, prepare and monitor preliminary budget for the department; analyze and review budgetary and financial data; control and authorize expenditures in accordance with established limitations. • Operate a computer and assigned software programs; operate other office equipment as assigned; operate a vehicle to conduct work. • Attend and conduct a variety of meetings as assigned. Perform related duties as assigned. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 5533 APPENDICDERSAFT KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES: KNOWLEDGE OF: • Planning, organization and direction of district transportation operations, routing, scheduling and activities • Standards, requirements, procedures and techniques involved in assuring safe and timely transportation of special education and other students • Principles and practices of student transportation • Scheduling and coordination of transportation activities • Principles of efficient and economical bus routing techniques • Principles and practices of administration, supervision and training • Policies and objectives of assigned programs and activities • Problems and concerns of students with special needs • Applicable laws, codes, regulations, policies and procedures • Operation of a computer and assigned software • Budget preparation and control • Record-keeping and report preparation techniques • Oral and written communication skills • Interpersonal skills using tact, patience and courtesy • Health and safety regulations ABILITY TO: • Plan, organize, control and direct district transportation operations, routing, scheduling and activities to assure safe and timely transportation of students to and from school • Coordinate and direct communications, information and personnel to meet student transportation needs • Direct student transportation functions • Supervise and evaluate the performance of assigned personnel • Develop, implement and maintain safe, timely and efficient use of routes and schedules • Interpret, apply, explain and assure compliance with student transportation laws, rules, regulations, policies and procedures • Provide consultation and technical assistance regarding district transportation functions • Coordinate and implement training activities to enhance bus driver skills and understanding of safety practices • Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with others • Analyze situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action • Meet schedules and time lines Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 5544 DRAAFPTPENDICES • Work independently with little direction • Plan and organize work • Prepare comprehensive reports • Maintain consistent, punctual and regular attendance EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Any combination equivalent to: Graduation from high school or equivalent, advanced training in transportation management or completion of college-level work in a closely -related field and five years increasingly responsible experience in the administration of public transportation. School district experience is highly desirable. LICENSE AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS: Valid California Class B commercial driver’s license with passenger and air brake endorsements Valid and appropriate California School Bus Driver Instructor’s Certificate Valid First Aid and CPR certification issued by an authorized agent Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM 5555 APPENDICDERSAFT Appendix C Consideration for Transportation Services Is this the student’s home school? No Yes Is this placement a district Is the student attending The TEAM will consider the issues driven decision due to this school on an intra- below in evaluating whether a student program availability or district transfer because of can access their home school in the other concerns? parent/student choice? same manner as a typical peer. Students who can access their home school in the manner as a typical peer are NOT entitled to transportation as a The Student IS Eligible for The student is NOT related service. SPED transportation. This eligible for SPED is NOT a related service. transportation services. The district only offers curb to curb services. Vallejo City Unified SChool diStriCt 5566 DRAAFPTPENDICES Issues to consider when deeming whether a SPED student can access the school in the same manner as a typical peer: 1) Will this student make reasonable decisions expected of any student in their grade/age cohort? 2) Does the student require assistance to and from class, or other related services during the school day? 3) Does the student require immediate supervision during breaks such as lunch and recess? 4) Are there any significant medical conditions that might impact the student’s access to learning such as seizures or epilepsy? Are they controlled? *Please send the Poway Unified School District worksheet to the SPED office before holding an IEP to discuss possible addition of Transportation. If transportation is added: 1) If Transportation is being added as a new service, invite the Program Specialist assigned to your school. 2) Please document on the “Special Factors” page in SEIS paying close attention to make accurate selections. 3) Make note in “Team Summary” page in SEIS and ensure it is noted within the “Offer of FAPE”. 4) Complete the IEP transportation checklist, scan and attach in the NOTES tab in SEIS within 5 days of the IEP meeting. It typically takes 10 days for new transportation services to begin. 5) Place all original documents in the confidential file. Fiscal crisis & ManageMent assistance teaM