For both the review of accomplishments and the "TO DO LIST" the School Board and the Essex County Public Schools are considered to be, respectively, the Legislative/Policy/Finance Branch and the Executive/Administrative Operations Branch of our county education program.
Only major items affecting open government and transparency are included in the lists below.
ACCOMPLISHED DURING 2013
1. Employed Dr. Scott A. Burckbuchler as Superintendent. He is eminently qualified, is committed to and open and pragmatic Budget Development Process, and actively seeks an open dialogue with all of the various constituent groups.
2. Developed and deployed an excellent new Essex Public Schools Web Site. There are still some information gaps to be filled but the greatly improved navigation, enhanced communication capability with the School Board Members, and accesses to more information are noteworthy.
3. Implemented BOARDDOCS. Provided public access to an on-line improved Board meeting agenda and all supporting documents. Now all citizens have ready access, prior to Board Meetings of all documents that used to be provided only to the members of the School Board.
4. All School Board Meetings are recorded on digital video. The recordings are available for public access at the School Board Office. Plans are to have the recorded meetings available as streaming video.
5. Developed and published the FY 2014 Budget Development Planning Calendar. The 2014 budget process was initiated in November of 2013. This is was a significant step in transparency for it permits public engagement in the development of a needs based budget.
6. Published limited data on staff turnover. This was a positive first step; however, a more comprehensive report including reasons for losses other than retirement and not offering a new contract should be included. Please see item 6 in the To Do List below.
TO DO LIST FOR 2014
1. Have a review of the new Essex Public Schools Web Site by Sunshine Review. Carried over from last year. This is a project that ESO must resolve. ESO believes that the Essex County improved site will be graded much higher than the D of early 2012. Unfortunately, Sunshine Review has been bought out by another data services company. Their review system is under revision; therefore this objective has not been completed.
2. Improve the Budget Process and Access to the Approved Budget. Carried over from last year. A 2013 survey by the Virginia Coalition for Open Governments of county and town budgets identified 26 localities which received an "F" grade. Essex and Middlesex Counties are the only nearby localities that did not provide adequate online access to their budget (and include sufficient information to understand the sources and specific uses of funds).
There is essentially no cost to publish comprehensive online budget data which includes assumptions, rationale, and explanations of changes from the prior year. Essex County School Board should ensure that the entire budget development process, especially the detailed propose 2014-2015 budget and the final budget when approved and appropriated by the Board of Supervisors is open to the public. They should be posted on the Essex Public Schools web site which can be easily accessed.
3. Examine and make public the Purposes and Effectiveness of School Athletic Programs, Creative Arts, and the various Activities with the Essex System. Carried over from last year. ESO believes that athletics, fine arts, and other activities are essential elements of effective education programs and the development of capable and confident graduates. Public Transparency (i.e. report the problems and solutions, celebrate and praise the successes) is essential to develop financial support, volunteers, and attendance at events. The outstanding student theater performance in the new auditorium in late 2013 was an excellent demonstration of how the arts can contribute to school improvement efforts.
5. Conduct a Wage and Benefits Survey of the Surrounding Counties. Carried over from last year. A current survey is an essential tool in determining the fairness of local government employee compensation.
6. Publish Annual Turnover Statistics for positions within the System. Carried over from last year. ESO published several years of data in 2012. We believe that high turnover rates may be symptoms of poor leadership, inadequate compensation, poor discipline/working conditions, or weak selection and employment practices. The School Board should annually publish and report to the public comparative date for Essex County Schools with an analysis of the turnover rate. Comparison with the turnover rates with the School Systems of nearby counties would also be helpful to the public.
The foregoing "To Do List" was prepared solely by ESO and is does not represent all of the issues that the School Board and local government must address. We recognize that there are a number of initiatives being developed within Essex County Public Schools. We ask the School Board and the Superintendent to continue to encourage individual creativity and initiative. We believe that our school system employees, the citizens who provide the essential education and support services, are the best sources for innovations, improved procedures, and greater efficiency.
John Clickener
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