As school districts continue to seek administrative efficiencies and cost reductions in the wake of severe budget pressures, the resources they devote to creating or expanding retirement plan consortia is increasing. Understanding how to structure a retirement plan consortium is paramount to successfully achieving the many objectives of…

For most districts, budgeting has become a cost-cutting exercise designed to close the gap between revenues and expenses. During this process, decision makers inherently assume that existing operations are efficient and effective--an assumption that is rarely validated by facts. Cutting programs and services balances budgets but does not…

In 2009, the city of Detroit proposed a $500.5 million bond referendum to stem the declining enrollment in Detroit Public Schools (DPS) that mirrored the decades-long decline in the city's population. Proposal S was passed in November to fund the construction of 8 new schools, the renovation of 10 more, and the improvement of information…

The everyday operations of a school district depend on a network of people, including students, teachers, staff, and administrators. However, the ancillary services staff are really responsible for making the school day run smoothly. They are often the first employees that students see in the morning, either on the school bus or in the cafeteria,…

Paying for employee turnover costs, data storage, and multiple layers of benefits can be difficult for fiscally constrained institutions, especially as budget cuts and finance-limiting legislation abound in school districts across the country. Many traditional paper-based systems have been replaced with automated, software-based services, helping…

Many human resource managers face a dilemma. They would like to spend more time improving the overall work environment for employees. They want to help their executives save on workforce-related expenses, find and hire better talent, and improve existing talent through training and development. Unfortunately, most days, HR managers are stuck doing…

Despite the challenges of understaffing, unfunded legislative mandates, and tight budgets, district support services departments are still expected to meet school systems' myriad noncurriculum-related needs. But the very nature of these services, even when they are focused on school safety and security, is so diverse and labor-intensive that…

When tough economic times set in, school business administrators heighten their normal zeal in finding ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency. The author's school district recently underwent a yearlong internal self-analysis to examine and determine the proper staffing levels for the administrative functions within the school district's…

At a New Jersey college each student's plastic identification card also contains the student's schedule. (MLF)

Rented remote computer terminals are being used in a pilot program that has reduced the amount of time school officials spend doing routine clerical duties. (Author/MLF)

In a November 1998 "Forbes Magazine" article, Peter Brimelow claims that seven states, including Indiana, employ a greater percentage of "nonteaching bureaucracy" than classroom teachers. Using National Center for Education Statistics school staffing definitions, this article paints a different picture and decries the folly of…

Examines the literature concerning custodial workload assignments, lists variables in the determination of workload, and constructs a Work Level Index to determine the relative amount of work necessary in a custodial operation. (Author/MLF)

Describes six key guidelines for developing usable procedure manuals, including defining the audience; designing a standard format; preparing an outline; using a clear, concise writing style; testing the procedures; and "finalizing" the product with indices, glossaries, appendices, and section tabs. Well-written manuals can increase…

A computer program that utilizes an optical scanning machine is used for ordering supplies in a Louisiana school system. The program provides savings in time and labor, more accurate data, and easy-to-use reports. (Author/MLF)

School districts are constantly seeking alternative purchasing methods to ease paperwork, lost time, storage problems, and overstocking. A study showed that in large districts, fast-track electronic requisition and online purchasing were most commonly used alternative electronic purchasing methods. Most common nonelectronic methods were direct and…