Glendale ESD Performance Audit Report Highlights

Az Auditor General

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• Publié par: Orgie
• Nombre de lectures: 7
• Langue: English

Extrait

Glendale
Elementary School
District
DDiissttrriicctt hhaadd hhiigghheerr-tthhaann-aavveerraaggee TTrraannssppoorrttaattiioonn pprrooggrraamm eeffffiicciieennttREPORT
administrative costs—The District’s despite higher per-mmile costtss——HIGHLIGHTS
PERFORMANCE AUDIT administrative costs per pupil ($770) were Glendale ESD’s transportation cost per
13 percent higher than the comparable mile was about 11 percent higher thanSubject
districts’ average because it employed the comparable districts’ average cost
The Glendale Elementary more assistant principals, administrative primarily because it transported studentsSchool District covers
technology-related employees, and living closer to school than it normallyapproximately 16 square
miles within the Glendale administrative assistants. would have. The District transported
city limits. In FY 2008, the these students because of safety
District served 13,031
concerns associated with the students’Administrative Costs Per Pupilstudents in kindergarten
walking across railroad tracks, canals,through 8th grade Fiscal Year 2008
attending 17 schools. and major streets to get to school.
$900 $854
$809 $770 Because its buses drove fewer miles, the$800Our Conclusion
$671 $679
$700 District’s transportation revenue, which is
Glendale ESD’s $580
$600 based on miles driven, was about $1.5administrative costs per $481$500
pupil were 13 percent million less than transportation costs.$400
higher than the average for $300
comparable districts. The $200 Transportation Costs
District’s transportation $100
Fiscal Year 2008program was efficient but $0
Tempe Isaac Glendale Pendergast Cartwright Alhambra Average costly because it
Per rider Per mile ESD ESD ESD ESD ESD ESD
transported nearby Glendale ESD $537 $7.16
students for safety reasons. Comparable districts $774 $6.46 Recommendation—The District should
The District’s plant costs
evaluate whether it can reduce thewere slightly higher, but it
number of administrative positions.has taken steps to help Although the District had higher per-mile
control these costs. The costs, its bus routes were efficient and
District spent its District inappropriately spent operated at 78 percent capacity, onProposition 301 monies $55,000 on meals forappropriately; however, its average.
employees—In FY 2008, the Districtclassroom dollar
percentage was below the spent $55,093 of public monies on SSlliigghhttllyy hhiigghheerr ppllaanntt ccoossttss
comparable districts’ and employee meals for various meetings, despite efforts to control eneerrggyystate averages. Glendale
trainings, and recognition events.ESD needs to make minor costs—Glendale ESD’s per-square-foot
According to the Attorney General, foodchanges to its English plant operation and maintenance costs
Language Learner program should be provided only when employees were 7 percent higher than theto comply with the state are traveling. comparable districts’ average in partmodel.
because the District employed substitute
Recommendation—The District should custodians to replace custodians who
discontinue using public monies for
were out sick. The comparable districtspurchasing staff meals.
either did not use substitute custodians
or they did not use them as frequently as2009
Glendale ESD.
August • Report No. 09-04Dollars Spent in the Classroom andPlant Costs Per Square Foot
Reported Average Teacher SalariesFiscal Year 2008
Fiscal Year 2008
$10.00
Dollars Reported $8.62
$9.00
in the Average
$8.00
classroom Teacher Salary $7.00
$7.00
$6.39 $6.53 Glendale ESD $4,120 $43,152 $5.95 $5.85 $5.82$6.00
Comparable districts $4,629 $49,048
$5.00
$4.00
$3.00 DDiissttrriicctt nneeeeddss ttoo mmaakkee mmiinnoorr cchhaannggeess
$2.00 for its English Language Learner
$1.00
$0.00 program to fully comply with state
Isaac Glendale Tempe Pendergast Cartwright Alhambra Average model—English language learners (ELL) areESD ESD ESD ESD ESD ESD
students whose native language is not English and
who are not currently able to perform ordinaryThe District’s per-square-foot electricity costs were
classroom work in English. In FY 2009, about 22about 9 percent higher than the comparable
percent (2,763) of Glendale ESD’s students weredistricts’ average, probably because Glendale ESD
ELL. The District placed the majority of its ELLoperates slightly older buildings. However, the
students in 4-hour English language developmentDistrict uses a formal energy conservation plan and
(ELD) pull-out classes. However, minor groupingan energy management system to help control
errors at one of its schools resulted in someelectricity costs.
students being placed in ELD classes while others
in the same grade where placed on IndividualRecommendations—The District should:
Language Learner Plans (ILLP) and attended
 Determine whether the number of plant positions
mainstream classes. According to the Structuredcan be reduced.
 Continue to look for ways to lower energy usage. English Immersion (SEI) model, districts may only
place ELL students on ILLPs if they have 20 or
District spent fewer dollars in the fewer ELL students in a three-grade span.
classroom than the comparable
districts—In FY 2008, Glendale ESD spent 11 Further, the District was cited by ADE because its
ILLPs were not written to address each student’spercent less in the classroom than the comparable
individual needs.districts because:
The District also did not separately account for the It did not receive any desegregation monies while
incremental portion of its ELL costs throughout thethree of the comparable districts received an
average of $669 per pupil in desegregation fiscal year.
monies.
 It spent 13 percent more on administration costs Recommendations—The District should:
than the comparable districts’ average.
 Ensure its SEI program and ILLPs meet all state
requirements.In part, because it had less money available for the
 Properly account for the incremental portion of itsclassroom and because its teachers were generally
ELL costs throughout the fiscal year.less experienced, Glendale ESD’s reported FY
2008 average teacher salary was 12 percent less
than the comparable districts’.
A copy of the full report is available at: REPORT
www.azauditor.govGlendale Elementary HIGHLIGHTSContact person: PERFORMANCE AUDITSchool District
Ann Orrico [phone] August 2009