South County Regional Feasibility Study

Progress to Date:   Six of the nine school districts have passed a resolution to support the feasibility study.  The remaining three districts are expected to support this regional effort at their next scheduled meeting.   Communications with the Washington County Planning Council have also been positive.   The Rhode Island Foundation, however, has been non-committal to a funding request by SORICO which would have supported hiring of consultants to complete the feasibility study.  

The steering committee (Cathy Kaiser, Jamestown School Committee, Maureen Cotter, South Kingstown Committee, Lizann Gibson, SORICO, and John Cronin, RIMES) has decided to move forward with a professional group of task force members who can work together to analyze the data and explore potential savings.    John Cronin has agreed to serve as project manager.  You are receiving this communication because we think you can add great value as a working member of the task force.   We hope to discuss your potential involvement ASAP.

Project Purpose:   Complete a feasibility study by February, 2006 to serve as the fundamental analysis of operational possibilities and recommended approaches for each district and SORICO to find agreement on strategic changes that will create more value for students, parents and employers.  Functional areas under consideration include:  business services, busing, food service, special education, professional development and shared managers

Strategic Goals: 

1. Establish and communicate leadership will for change.
2. Deliver a feasibility study regarding how greater regional collaboration and other alternative service models may help cut costs and improve student performance.  

Goal 1:  Establish and communicate leadership will for change (by September, 2005)

Tactics: 

• Identify key stakeholders, communicate planning process and receive feedback. (April,2005 -ongoing) 
• Present school committee resolution for discussion and concept approval.                  (June – August, 2005)
• Communicate and coordinate planning processes with Washington County Regional Planning Council (ongoing).

Goal 1 Outcomes: 

• Approval from each district of the attached School Committee Resolution endorsing SORICO’s proposed feasibility study of regional cooperation.
• Broad-based leadership enthusiasm and support for project.

Goal 2:  Deliver a feasibility study regarding how greater regional collaboration and other alternative service models may help cut costs and improve student performance. (by February. 2006)

Tactics:

• Recruit task force to conduct feasibility study (September, 2005).
• Collect and review all pertinent information including:
  1. District Strategic Plans: core values, key goals, student performance targets.
  2. Federal / State Mandates and Support Structure
  3. District School Budgets – current and projected
  4. Student Population – demographics and trends.
  5. Human Resources – assignments, requirements and costs of personnel
  6. Personnel Services: negotiations, contracts, placements, recruiting, professional development, training, federal / state projects and grants
  7. Special Services:  special education, psychological / social work, testing, counseling
  8. Curriculum Development Services: instructional materials, models, & technologies and their dissemination
  9. Business Support Services: purchasing, budget, computer services
  10. Facility Services: custodial and maintenance
  11. Transportation Services
  12. Career and Technical Education Services
  13. Proposed State School Financing and Reform Mechanisms:                        (RIPEC, RIDE, EPC, Ed Partnership, others)

• Identify best practices, alignments, overlaps, redundancies and opportunities.
• Identify constraints.
• Explore municipal service agreement possibilities.
• Explore options to procure services externally that are outside core mission.
• Review models of regional excellence to refine recommendations.
• Prepare preliminary report (December, 2005).
• Facilitate SORICO Board strategy session and prioritize recommendations.                  (March, 2006).
• Deliver final draft of Feasibility Study to County-wide Summit (May, 2006).

Goal 2 Outcomes: 

• Blueprint for concerted actions.  
• Framework for meaningful dialog among decision-makers and change agents.
• Catalyst for positive incremental and transformative change.

Conclusion:   Your work on this project could make a big difference in our community.   The working group that we are presently recruiting will be comprised of people who will complement your skills and professional perspectives.   The group we hope to team-up will include: educator (administrator / leader); community planner; human resource manager; financial planner; educator (union leader) and team-builder / problem-solver.   We hope you consider this an excellent opportunity.   We certainly will honor your time constraints and hope to make this a rewarding experience for all.   I’m looking forward to meeting with you to listen to your feedback and discuss the possibilities.   Thank you for your interest.