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Efficiency review finds little fat to trim
A recently conducted review of Rappahannock County public schools produced a laundry list of recommended efficiency improvements but did not identify any big-ticket items that might produce cost savings.
In fact, the recommendations made in the nearly 250-page report of the review team's findings would cost more to implement than they would return in savings.
"I think the efficiency review team did a fair assessment of the Rappahannock County public schools," said Rappahannock County Superintendent Dr. Robert Chappell.
According to the review, the schools would see savings of $313,000 at the five-year mark after implementing the recommendations. However, those savings would be offset by investment costs of $675,215, resulting in an overall increase in expenditures of $362,215.
Within two years Rappahannock schools need to adopt 50 percent -- or 39 -- of the 78 recommendations made in the report or pay an added amount for the largely state-funded review. Only 18 of the recommendations carry a fiscal impact, and the schools would be able to pick and choose which ones to implement to maximize savings.
"I believe that the (Rappahannock County public schools) over time will save money not just because we intend to follow these recommendations but because we were already implementing cost savings before the review team came in to look at us," Chappell said.
Chappell noted that a large portion of the expected costs come from a single recommendation to purchase a new $75,000 school bus each year. He said that the schools already buy a new bus every year as long as funding permits. If the cost of the school bus purchases is dropped, as the purchases would be made anyway, the efficiency report offers about $13,000 in potential cost savings.
The report's recommendations include reducing maintenance costs for school buses, eliminating positions in food services and increasing student participation in meal programs.
Chappell has said that he hopes to accomplish staff reductions in the 2008-2009 school year through attrition.
In the proposed budget he presented to the Rappahannock County School Board last week, Chappell listed an estimated $415,000 in savings for the next fiscal year. Chappell said he would detail plans to achieve the savings prior to the board's final decision on the budget.
Without going into specifics, Chappell said in a phone interview that the expected savings would come from a number of ideas, some of which are informed by recommendations in the efficiency review.
"We're basing it on our own analysis of our own operation to determine what we need to do to save money to streamline the operation of the schools to have the schools continue to be successful and still provide excellent education to our kids and at the same time not propose huge increases," he said.
The results of the review were originally planned to be released later in April or May. The team that conducted the review produced the report quicker at the request of Chappell and other school official who wished to draw on the findings when putting together next year's budget, which has to be presented to the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors by April 1.
"This has been a very expedited process for us," said Dr. Simmie Raiford, who presented the review to a crowd of about 40 school officials and county residents this past Tuesday night.
Raiford, a consultant with MGT of America, led the review team. At the presentation she rattled of a list of praises for Rappahannock schools.
John Ringer, associate director of the Virginia Department of Planning Budget, said that often school administrators lack the time to review practices and procedures to improve efficiency.
"They don't have time to study their operations," he said.
The Department of Planning and Budget facilitates efficiency reviews and relays the results to the Governor's office and the General Assembly. Over 30 schools have signed up for the voluntary reviews, Ringer said.
Superintendent Chappell requested the review first in 2004 and then again this past spring, when the Department of Planning and Budget granted his request.
E-mail the reporter at mpelkey@timespapers.com.
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