Overview The 2001 Florida Legislature created the Sharpening the Pencil Program to improve school district management and use of resources and identify cost savings. Florida law requires each school district to undergo a Best Financial Management Review once every five years, and provides a review schedule. The best practices are designed to encourage school districts to 1. use performance and cost-efficiency measures to evaluate programs; 2. use appropriate benchmarks based on comparable school districts, government agencies, and industry standards; 3. identify potential cost savings through privatization and alternative service delivery; and 4. link financial planning and budgeting to district priorities, including student performance. The Florida Legislature s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) and the Auditor General developed the Best Practices, which were adopted by the Commissioner of Education. Under these reviews, OPPAGA and the Auditor General examine school district operations to determine whether districts are using the best practices to evaluate programs, assess operations and performance, identify cost savings, and link financial planning and budgeting to district policies. As illustrated in Exhibit 1-1, the practices address district performance in10 broad areas. Exhibit 1-1 Best Financial Management Practices Review Areas Management Structures Performance Accountability Systems Educational Service Delivery Administrative and Instructional Technology Personnel Systems and Benefits Facilities Construction Facilities Maintenance Student Transportation Food Service Operations Cost Control Systems Districts found to be using the Best Financial Management Practices will be awarded a Seal of Best Financial Management by the State Board of Education. Districts that are found not to be using Best Financial Management Practices are provided a detailed action plan for meeting best practice standards within two years. The district school board must vote whether or not to implement this action plan. OPPAGA 1-1
Methodology OPPAGA and the Auditor General used a variety of methods to collect information about the district's use of the Best Financial Management Practices. The evaluation team made several site visits to the Monroe County School District and public schools. The evaluators interviewed district administrators and personnel, held three public forums, interviewed principals, and conducted focus groups with teachers. Evaluators also gathered and reviewed many program documents, district financial data, data on program activities, and data on student performance. To put Monroe County School District programs and activities in context with other Florida school districts, OPPAGA and the Auditor General gathered information from five peer districts around the state: Flagler, Martin, Nassau, Santa Rosa, and Wakulla counties. The peer districts were selected based on their similarities across a number of categories, including the size of the student population and demographic information. County Profile As of July 1, 2001, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that the total population of Monroe County was 78,556. The county s population increased by 2% between 1990 and 2000, which was slower than the state s growth rate of 23.5% during that same time period. However, between June 30, 2000, and July 1, 2001, the population decreased by an estimated 1.3%. Of the county s population, 98.2% consider themselves to be one race, while the remaining 1.8% consider themselves multi-racial. The largest percentage (90.7%) of the population is White, with persons of Hispanic or Latino origin comprising 15.8% of the population, similar to the statewide figure of 16.8%. In addition, 4.8% of the county s residents are Black or African American, which is lower than the statewide figure of 14.6%. These percentages are dissimilar to the racial/ethnic composition of the student population. 1 A small percentage of Monroe County s population (12.8%) is of school age while an additional 4.3% are less than five years old. By contrast, 14.6% of the county s population is 65 years old or older. Approximately 84.9% of the county s residents aged 25 years or older are high school graduates, while 25.5% have graduated from college. These percentages are higher than the statewide figures of 79.9% and 22.3%, respectively. This means that the level of educational attainment in Monroe County is higher than it is across the state. Monroe County s per capita income in 2000 was $35,423, which was $7,659 above the state average. As shown in Exhibit 1-2, the per capita income of Monroe County residents has been consistently higher than the per capita income of the state as a whole. 1 See Chapter 4 for the demographics of the district s student population. 1-2 OPPAGA
Exhibit 1-2 Per Capita Income of Monroe County Residents Was $7,659 Above the State Average in 2000 Monroe Florida $35,423 $23,251 $20,068 $27,636 $22,942 $27,764 1991 1995 2000 Source: Florida Research and Economic Database, 2002. While 9.9% of the county s residents live below the poverty level, a larger percentage of the county s children (16.4%) live below the poverty level. These figures are lower than for the state as a whole. This corresponds with the relatively lower percentage of school children that are eligible for a free or reduced price lunch. The unemployment rate in Monroe County has been slightly lower than the state s rate for the past five years. This suggests that students who graduate from high school in Monroe County may have more difficulty finding employment than graduates in other parts of the state. Monroe County has a civilian workforce of 47,690 people. The county s primary sources of employment include the service industries related to retail trade, construction, government (including military), and professional services. The major employers of the school district have an influence on the workforce development programs offered by the district. School District Profile The district operates 18 schools, as shown in Exhibit 1-3. Exhibit 1-3 Monroe County School District Operates 18 Schools Number and Type of School 5 - Elementary Schools 1 PreK to 8 School 3 - Charter Schools 2 - Middle Schools 1 K to 8 School 3 - Juvenile Justice Facility Schools 2 - High Schools 1 7 to 12 School Source: Monroe County School District. With 9,195 students in fall 2002, the School District of Monroe County is the fifty-first largest school district in the state. The student population growth has generally decreased between 1998-99 and OPPAGA 1-3
2002-03, for a total net decrease of less than 2.67%, as shown in Exhibit 1-4. This rate was much smaller than the 8.71% increase in enrollment across the state. Exhibit 1-4 Enrollment Growth in Monroe Has Generally Decreased Over the Past Five Years 9,447 9,369 9,371 9,266 9,195 Fall 1998 Fall 1999 Fall 2000 Fall 2001 Fall 2002 Source: Florida Department of Education (2001-02). Monroe County School District expended $93 million for the 2000-01 fiscal year. The district receives revenues from federal, state, and local sources. Most of the revenue that the district receives from the state is generated through the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP). The FEFP takes into consideration a number of factors in distributing funding to Florida s 67 school districts, such as varying local property tax bases, education program costs, costs of living, and costs for equivalent programs due to the sparsity and dispersion of the student population. This funding source, established by the Legislature, annually prescribes state revenues for education as well as the level of ad valorem taxes (property taxes) that can be levied by each school district in the state. It also includes some restricted funding provided through categorical programs, through which the Legislature funds specific programs such as instructional materials or student transportation. Exhibit 1-5 describes the district s revenue, expenditures, and fund balances for the 2000-01 fiscal year. 1-4 OPPAGA
Exhibit 1-5 District Funds Include Federal, State, and Local Sources and Expenditures Are Primarily Related to Instruction Revenues and Expenditures Revenues Total (Millions) Federal Direct $ 2,146,023 Federal Through State 6,833,310 Federal Through Local 641,205 State 14,174,153 Local 70,197,429 Total Revenues $93,992,120 Expenditures Instruction $37,803,456 Pupil Personnel Services 3,522,446 Instructional Media Services 1,282,388 Instruction and Curriculum Development Services 2,590,237 Instructional Staff Training 1,140,128 Board of Education 507,116 General Administration 322,122 School Administration 4,092,526 Facilities Acquisition and Construction 3,552,196 Fiscal Services 823,284 Food Services 3,090,980 Central Services 1,730,136 Pupil Transportation Services 3,190,453 Operation of Plant 5,707,882 Maintenance of Plant 2,240,569 Community Services 955,774 Fixed Capital Outlay: Facilities Acquisition and Construction 13,553,668 Other Capital Outlay 3,928,021 Debt Service: Principal 1,754,191 Interest and Fiscal Charges 1,478,733 Total Expenditures $93,266,306 Excess (Deficiency) of Revenue Over Expenditures $725,814 Other financing sources: Operating Transfers In $2,846,493 Inception of Capital Leases 602,100 Insurance Loss Recoveries 128,075 Operating Transfers Out (2,852,993) Total other financing sources $723,675 Net Change in Fund Balances $1,449,489 Fund Balances July 1, 2000 58,550,497 Fund Balances, June 30, 2001 $59,999,986 Source: Florida Auditor General Annual Audit, Ending Fiscal Year 2001. OPPAGA 1-5
As Exhibit 1-6 illustrates, the percentage of administrators and instructional staff are similar in the Monroe County School District to those districts used for comparison. Exhibit 1-7 illustrates the actual numbers of administrators, instructional personnel, and support positions in the district. Exhibit 1-6 Staffing Ratios Are Similar to Comparison Districts School District Administrators to Classroom Teachers Administrators to Total Instructional Staff Administrators to Total Staff Staff Ratios Classroom Teachers to Students 1 Teacher Aides to Classroom Teachers Guidance to Students Flagler 1: 9.29 1: 10.31 1: 22.00 1: 16.38 1: 4.85 1: 550.76 Martin 1: 16.11 1: 18.49 1: 32.71 1: 17.65 1: 3.86 1: 399.80 Nassau 1: 13.11 1: 14.38 1: 28.92 1: 18.94 1: 4.14 1: 474.59 Santa Rosa 1: 14.88 1: 16.64 1: 26.37 1: 17.92 1: 4.69 1: 464.32 Wakulla 1: 9.51 1: 10.37 1: 21.44 1: 18.24 1: 3.38 1: 586.00 Monroe 1: 10.94 1: 12.15 1: 26.07 1: 16.28 1: 2.83 1: 617.60 State 1: 14.45 1: 16.20 1: 29.64 1: 18.26 1: 4.28 1: 455.37 1 This is not the same as average classroom size. This ratio is calculated by DOE by numbers reported through the EE0-5 survey of salaries in districts. The classroom teacher ratio includes all staff paid under the instructional salary schedule, and some of these positions may actually be administrative positions. The OPPAGA team is trying to produce more appropriate ratios at the time of this draft. Source: Florida Department of Education, Profiles of Florida School Districts, 2001-02. Exhibit 1-7 Monroe County School District Employed 1,349 Persons in Year 2001-02 Full-Time Employees Number Percentage Administrators 52 3.8% Instructional 632 46.6% Support 672 49.6 Total 1,356 100.0% Source: Florida Department of Education, Profiles of Florida School Districts, 2001-02. The Monroe County School District faces a number of distinct challenges. The district s population is spread out along a 125-mile chain of islands, and board members and district employees must travel lengthy distances along a two lane road to reach all of its schools. The islands are environmentally sensitive and subject to frequent tropical storms, which makes facility construction expensive. And land values and housing costs are high, making it difficult for the district to attract and retain teachers and other personnel. Many of these challenges will be discussed in this review. 1-6 OPPAGA