Management Consulting

We are strong proponents of utilizing, building, and tapping internal resources, but there are times when an outside set of eyes can make a significant difference. We offer school agencies a proven track record of providing objective, results-oriented, and cost-effective expertise in a variety of areas including:

In addition to offering the state’s leading experts in education, business, and finance, we also draw examples of exceptional practices from our work with other districts and have access to statewide databases that offer useful comparisons to how other agencies are spending and managing resources.

For more information about how SSC can partner with your agency to meet a specific need, please contact us.
Budget Review and Multi-year Projections
Lend expertise and credibility to the budget process by having SSC's professionals perform a detailed review of budget assumptions and processes. SSC recommends that multiyear projections accompany the review in order to additionally provide the district with a long-range fiscal picture. A final report provided to the district details out all review and projection conclusions. E-mail John Gray for more information.

Fiscal Health Analysis
SSC's premier line of financial management consulting services is designed to provide school districts with a comprehensive evaluation of current financial practices and to offer realistic tools for managing the district's future fiscal health. Services include both the original and expansive management review—Comprehensive Fiscal Health Analysis—and more in-depth individual studies within major topical areas, such as the Budgeting Fiscal Health Analysis which is described below. In addition, these services can provide valuable assistance in preparing districts for negotiations and factfinding.

Comprehensive Fiscal Health Analysis--Evaluates fiscal strengths and weaknesses in five critical management areas: budgeting, asset management, solvency strategies, personnel financial practices, and revenue control. The final report clearly details the study results and provides recommendations for improving management practices.

Budget Fiscal Health Analysis--Aimed at validating the current operating budget and examining budget development procedures and monitoring practices, the report includes study results by major categories and recommendations to improve budgeting practices.

Options to supplement either the Comprehensive or Budget Fiscal Health Analysis are detailed three-year financial projection and/or comparative analysis of district revenues and expenditures.

Factfinding, Collective Bargaining, and Negotiations Support
For more than a quarter century, SSC has been deeply involved in assisting California school agency management in the collective bargaining process. Ron Bennett, John Gray, and Maureen Evans, have personally negotiated several hundred district contracts between school agencies and teacher and classified employee bargaining units.

We assist school agencies in all aspects of the collective bargaining process. Our services include preparation for negotiations, fiscal reviews, assistance during the difficult negotiation through the impasse mediation and factfinding processes. We have served on innumerable factfinding panels and have also assisted districts by serving in an expert witness capacity on fiscal issues. Our service is customized to meet the needs of clients. From the moment impasse is declared through full preparation for and representation at the factfinding hearing, and assistance in negotiating settlement or implementing the factfinding report.

Unification and Territory Transfer Studies
From inception to the election polls, SSC has experience in assisting school districts in making thoughtful decisions on unification, merger, breakup, and school district boundary changes, and guiding the districts through the lengthy state processes. Services for proposed unifications or territory transfers range from detailed financial analyses to full studies of the state's criteria for reorganization. SSC is also available to perform advocacy and legislative services, as needed. Please e-mail Michele Huntoon for more information.

Organization and Efficiency Studies
SSC is available to provide customized studies and recommendations covering sensitive and critical issues of school district administration, business office organization, and procedural efficiencies. SSC's professional staff has a proven track record of being able to evaluate cabinet organization, assignments of task, and adequacy of procedures and controls.

Charter Schools
Once a charter petition is submitted to a district, the timelines prescribed in state law to hold a public hearing and then either grant or deny the petition seem short relative to the time necessary to do a thorough review. SSC's professionals can provide support by performing a detailed review of the financial and governance section of the petition to complement the district leadership team's analysis. The review includes, but is not limited to, an analysis of the petitioner's enrollment projections, budget assumptions, cash flow, and other information valuable to a potential sponsoring agency. SSC professionals' experiences range from the charter school operations to the sponsoring district. Please e-mail Michele Huntoon for more information.

Allocation Planning for Student Success
Additional federal funds are a good thing, but, as with all funding, it's what we do with it that matters most. Making the most of the new allocations requires conscientious and careful planning. SSC has developed a unique, new service offered only to existing SSC clients to help in this area. Allocation Planning for Student Success (APSS) is aimed at providing LEAs with feedback and suggestions to optimize allocation plans through the following:

  • Analysis of LEA Title 1 and EIA balances and allocations, including splits between EIA-Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and EIA-State Compensatory Education (SCE)
  • Recommendations for changes or improvements to the allocation plan
  • Customized sample allocation plans, including an LEA-specific template to allow for ongoing self-managment

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The One-Stop Fiscal Check Up
SSC's experts provide a swift, yet comprehensive and systematic review of your agency's financial condition, with a summary assessment meeting that includes recommendations for improvements in your agency's financial health and practices that support it. This service is provided during a two-day visit to your office. The rewards are immediate with information provided as part of a summary meeting at the end of the visit so you will have an action plan for working with your staff and board to improve and protect your agency's fiscal health.

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