School Board sets aside $50,000 for efficiency review

By Barney Breen-Portnoy

Published: May 16, 2008

The Charlottesville School Board set aside Thursday up to $50,000 to review how the school system uses its resources during the 2008-09 school year.

The main goal would be to assess the size and scope of the school division’s central administration and determine whether the administration could be more efficient.

“During the most recent budget process, input from our community highlighted the question of efficient utilization of resources within our school division,” Superintendent Rosa Atkins said. “As a steward of public funds, it is important that we identify and implement an objective and systematic examination of the division’s operational structures.”

Over the past few months, Atkins and School Board Chairman Ned Michie have met with three agencies that conduct school system efficiency studies — the Commonwealth Educational Policy Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University; the Virginia Association of School Superintendents; and the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget.

At Thursday’s School Board meeting, Atkins and Michie recommended that the school division hire the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget to carry out the study.

A VDPB efficiency study would cost the board about $30,000 and provide a comprehensive look at potential cost savings in a broad range of areas such as curriculum, food services, human resources, technology and transportation, in addition to the central office. A final report could be ready as early as December.

Studies by the other two contenders would focus solely on the central administration. A study by the Virginia Association of School Superintendents would cost approximately $13,500 and be completed by June, while the Commonwealth Educational Policy Institute study would cost approximately $50,000 and be completed by November.

“[The VDPB study] may take longer but I think it will be a much more thorough review and the credibility would be beyond question in the community,” Michie said.

Last year, the Albemarle County school division used the Commonwealth Educational Policy Institute, led by William Bosher, to conduct a comprehensive resource-usage study.

If it chooses the VDPB study, the city school division would be required to implement at least 50 percent of the recommendations or at least 50 percent of the potential cost savings. If it fails to do so, the division would be incur an approximately $30,000 fee.

The VDPB study would be conducted by a yet-to-be determined educational consulting firm contracted by the department. The school division would not know in advance which firm would conduct the review.