The full report is available through the office of the Washington County School District in Chipley.
PERFORMANCE AUDIT FOR WASHINGTON
COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
OFFICE OF PROGRAM POLICY ANALYSIS AND
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
Final Report
June 25, 2018
BACKGROUND
The Washington County School District (WCSD or the District) is in rural Northwest Florida. It is a
Title I district with approximately 3,247 K-12 students enrolled in two elementary, two middle,
and two high schools. In addition, approximately 600 post-secondary students are served in one
technical center. WCSD schools are in two cities—Chipley and Vernon—the former is located in
the northern section of the county, while the latter is in the center of the county. Other smaller
towns in the county served by the District’s schools include Caryville, Ebro, Five Points,
Greenhead, Hinson’s Crossroads, New Hope, Sunny Hills, and Wausau. WCSD is the second
largest employer in the county.
WCSD is part of the state system of public education under the general direction of the Florida
Department of Education (FDOE). The governing body of the District is the Washington County
School Board, which is composed of five elected members representing five geographic districts.
Board members select a chair and a vice-chair, both of whom serve one-year terms. The Board
has legal authority over the operation of all public schools in the District within the framework
established by the state legislature and the Florida Department of Education. The elected
Superintendent of Schools, Joseph Taylor, is the executive officer of the Board.
The stated mission of the Washington County School District is to empower all students to
become well-educated, productive citizens by providing appropriate, high quality, and rigorous
educational programs in a safe learning environment.
Pursuant to the requirements of Ch. 2018-118, Laws of Florida, the Office of Program Policy
Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) contracted with MGT of America Consulting,
LLC (MGT) to conduct a performance audit of the programs associated with the surtax resolution
adopted by the Board on June 7, 2018. This performance audit of the District focused on program
areas related to improvements and construction of school capital outlay projects, including
construction additions, renovations and replacements of school facilities, and educational
technology.
MGT conducted the audit from June 8 through June 25, 2018. The audit was conducted in
accordance with Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS). Those standards
require planning and performance of the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to
provide a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. Audit
activities included interviews with key district personnel, review of policy and program
documents, and an onsite visit to Kate M. Smith Elementary, the major capital outlay project for
the past three years. We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our
findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.
This performance audit of the District focused on the following program areas: improvements
and construction of school capital outlay projects, including construction additions, renovations
and replacements of school facilities, and educational technology. The review of the performance
of these areas revealed a number of key findings, which are summarized below. While no
concerns emerged from the audit of construction of school capital outlay projects, additions, or
replacements, several issues were identified for education technology. Following this summary,
a detailed review of the various aspects of current circumstances are reviewed against relevant
best practices, followed by more specific accounts of these findings and recommendations
regarding potential improvements to yield more economic, efficient, or effective operations.
LIST OF FINDINGS
FINDING 1:
The audit identified no issues or concerns related to the economy, efficiency, or effectiveness of
the school capital outlay program.
FINDING 2:
Enhancement is needed over the periodic review of management reports or measurable data to
evaluate education technology program performance.
FINDING 3:
The audit identified no issues or concerns related to the structure or design of the school capital
outlay program.
FINDING 4:
Enhancement is needed over the evaluation of current staffing levels to assess if appropriate
technical support exists for the education technology program, in addition to formalizing written
policies to account for a technical support service level agreement.
FINDING 5:
The audit identified no issues or concerns related to the methods of providing services or
products of the school capital outlay program.
FINDING 6:
Enhancement is needed over the documentation process to evaluate existing in-house services
and activities, including the feasibility of using alternative methods of providing services to
provide greater efficiencies for the education technology program.
FINDING 7:
The audit identified no issues or concerns related to the goals, objectives, and performance
measures used by the school capital outlay program to monitor and report program
accomplishments.
FINDING 8:
There is insufficient evidence of an ongoing measurable evaluation plan to determine whether
the performance of education technology, overall, remains on target in terms of goals and
objectives.
FINDING 9:
The audit identified no issues or concerns related to the accuracy or adequacy of public
documents, reports, and requests prepared by WCSD that relate to the school capital outlay
program.
FINDING 10:
There is insufficient evidence of an ongoing evaluation and assessment process that the public
can access from an education technology standpoint.
FINDING 11:
The audit identified no issues or concerns related to WCSD’s compliance with appropriate
policies, rules, and laws pertaining to the school capital outlay program.
FINDING 12:
The audit identified some gaps in the District’s current written educational technology policies
and procedures with respect to coverage of program functions and evolving uses and standards.
PROGRAM AREAS AND FINDINGS
Included in this section are a sequence of evaluations of six key considerations of the two general
domains of the audit – construction of school capital outlay projects and education technology –
to assess their respective levels of performance. These avenues of investigation include:
Economy, efficiency, and effectiveness
Structure or design
Methods of providing services and products
Goals, objectives, and performance measures
Adequacy of public documents and reports
Compliance of program with policies, rules, and laws
For each area, a summary of the current situation is provided, followed by findings and
recommendations with respect to areas of district operations that could be improved upon.
ECONOMY, EFFICIENCY, AND EFFECTIVENESS
Construction of School Capital Outlay Projects – Planning & Monitoring
CURRENT SITUATION
WCSD has prepared a Five-Year Facilities Work Plan in accordance with and as scheduled by FDOE
regulations. The plan identifies and prioritizes facility needs projects, schedules the projects over
the five-year period, and identifies funding sources for the projects. In addition, the plan
identifies the current capacity and utilization of the District’s schools with projections of future
utilization rates. The plan is developed with input from appropriate staff, board members, and
the community.
The plan is used to monitor program progress and cost on an annual basis. The performance of
the program is evaluated using the five-year plan project schedule and budgets.
During the time period for this audit, the five-year plan identified the facility needs at the Kate
M. Smith Elementary as the top priority. No other major capital outlay projects, such as
construction additions, renovations, or school replacements were undertaken. Building
maintenance projects, which do not change the function of the building or increase the size of
the building, are not considered major capital outlay projects and not a part of this review.
CHAPTER 4: PROGRAM AREAS AND FINDINGS
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
The District’s enrollment has declined over the last several years, decreasing from approximately
3,400 students in 2012-13 to approximately 3,100 in 2016-17. Moreover, the District’s and the
state’s enrollment projections do not indicate any growth in the student population in the near
future; therefore, the District is not likely to have a need for additional classrooms or schools in
the near future.
WCSD prepares enrollment projections using the following procedure:
1. Enrollments are reviewed throughout the year by grade and by the program.
2. Enrollments are compared to previous year projections.
3. The staff attends full-time equivalent (FTE) training workshops presented by FDOE annually.
4. Principals are consulted as to the following year’s enrollments based on promotions.
5. Enrollments are projected using end-of-year enrollments, the average number of retained
students, kindergarten enrollments based on birth data, a review of McKay Scholarship
student enrollments, and other pertinent factors.
6. Projections are compared to FDOE enrollment projections using an appropriate model.
7. District staff works closely with FDOE staff to ensure reasonable projections.
The District completed a Castaldi study to determine if the 60-year old Kate M. Smith facility
should be renovated or replaced with a new facility. The study found that it would be more
effective and less expensive to build a new facility for the following reasons:
CHAPTER 4: PROGRAM AREAS AND FINDINGS
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
The existing facility was over 60 years old and required extensive upgrades.
The existing facility lacked access to the required utilities to support a renovated building.
A renovation would have taken longer to complete.
Students would have been housed in portable buildings for several years during a renovation.
Planning for the new elementary school began with hiring an architect who was familiar with
FDOE requirements for schools funded through the Special Facilities program. The planning
process included staff, board members, other local agencies, and the community using scheduled
public hearings.
The site selection process for the new school utilized a local site selection committee. This
committee worked with the local planning commission and other entities to evaluate potential
sites. The committee made presentations and recommendations to the School Board and the
final selection was reviewed and approved by FDOE.
District staff responsible for the planning possessed the skills necessary to be successful due to
experience planning and constructing previous projects at Chipley High School and Vernon
Elementary School. The staff coordinated their planning efforts with the appropriate city, county,
and state agencies including the city building department, the county planning commission, the
fire marshal, the water management district, and the department of transportation, among
others. The staff’s previous experience and coordination efforts were responsible for keeping the
District’s program in compliance with all applicable rules and regulations.
The construction of the new Kate M. Smith Elementary School was completed on schedule and
within the budget established by the District. Overall, the school was well within the typical
construction cost ranges for Florida for 2016. The cost of the 156,833 gross square foot (GSF)
building was $169.65 per GSF, which was approximately seven percent less that the average cost
of elementary schools completed in 2016 in the State of Florida. The rate of change orders was
1.0 percent, which is well within best practices. More detailed information on these issues is
provided in subsequent (Structure or Design and Methods of Providing Services and Products)
sections of this report.
One conclusion of the planning process was to move the fifth grade, which was, at the time, in
the middle school, to the new elementary school. This had the effect of freeing up a wing of
classrooms at the existing middle school. At the same time, the District determined that it could
better serve its exceptional needs students by creating a central program, which would have
capacity for students being served at multiple in-district schools and in a school in another
district.
The District is currently performing modest renovations of the old fifth grade wing (at the middle
school, referenced above) so that it will be able to accommodate the Exceptional Student
Education (ESE) program, which will be called the Washington Academy of Varying
CHAPTER 4: PROGRAM AREAS AND FINDINGS
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
Exceptionalities or WAVE. The renovations are being overseen by the director of facilities and
being performed by in-house staff, and the program is scheduled to open in the fall of 2018.
WCSD’s planning process is based on its Five-Year Facility Work Plan which identifies the goals
and objectives in the form of prioritized projects for the District’s capital outlay program. The
budgets and project schedules in the plan provide a means to evaluate the District’s performance
in meeting the goals and objectives.
The District’s inclusive planning process and coordination with other governmental agencies and
community groups ensured that the District would be in compliance with all applicable rules and
regulations. In addition, the District’s utilization of experienced staff and consultants enabled it
to utilize established procedures and systems to monitor progress.
WCSD’s decision to reconfigure the grade configuration of the new elementary school to a K-5
facility opened capacity in an existing facility so that the District could centrally locate services
for exceptional students in one location, utilizing existing facilities and avoiding significant capital
expenditures. This decision also enabled the District to utilize in-house staff, as opposed to
outside contractors, to perform the necessary renovations, since the existing facility was, for the
most part, suitable for the new function.
FINDING 1:
The audit identified no issues or concerns related to the economy, efficiency, or effectiveness
of the school capital outlay program.
The audit identified no issues or concerns related to the economy, efficiency, or effectiveness
of the school capital outlay program.
CHAPTER 4: PROGRAM AREAS AND FINDINGS
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
Education Technology
CURRENT SITUATION
With respect to the overall economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of education technology
within WCSD, the overall management of the program has been acceptable with the resources
and funding that were/are available. Basic information technology (IT) infrastructure and security
controls, WCSD internal resource IT needs, and end-user teacher and student educational
technology needs are being met. WCSD currently has a “District Digital Classroom Plan” program
document that addresses a planning process, technology integration matrix, multi-tiered system
of supports, and district policy. It also includes key areas of success such as:
Needs analysis for digital classrooms
Quality and efficient services
Skilled workforce and economic development
Digital tools needs analysis
Allocation proposal
The district’s technology plan addresses both administrative and instructional technology.
The district solicited and used broad stakeholder input in developing the plan.
The district’s technology plan addresses:
Individual school technology needs
Equitable resource allocation, anticipating growth and technology advances
Funding for technology
Cost-effective acquisition
Professional development for technology users
Technical support needs of users
Infrastructure and network communication, including community access issues
Information management and delivery
The district’s annual budget provides funds for major technology initiatives as reflected in the plan.
The district takes advantage of opportunities to improve technology operations, increase efficiency and effectiveness, and reduce costs.
The district has identified individual(s) responsible for implementing and updating the technology plan.
The district has investigated grant opportunities for technology funding and stay current with state and federal funding initiatives.
Additionally, WCSD does have a formal purchasing policy to ensure they benefit from competitive procurement, volume discounts, and special pricing agreements.
While WCSD currently has an established “District Digital Classroom Plan” that fulfills several critical aspects of education technology planning, there is minimal evidence of:
Ongoing review of management reports or measurable data to evaluate program
performance.
Periodic evaluation of performance information and other reasonable criteria to assess
performance.
Review of findings from internal or external reports on program performance and cost.
Audit trail regarding how/if program administrators have taken reasonable and timely
actions to address any deficiencies in program performance.
Based on discussions with District management it appears current budget constraints on the
education technology program are the main cause or factor contributing to this finding for
program performance. However, it is important that District management document and
evaluate program performance to ensure that program goals and objectives are being achieved.
FINDING 2:
Enhancement is needed over the periodic review of management reports or measurable data
to evaluate education technology program performance.
RECOMMENDATION:
We recommend updating the District’s “Digital Classroom Plan” to meet the standards
mentioned below with a primary focus on developing a measurable and ongoing evaluation
method for existing education technology programs.
The District should annually conduct an assessment to identify district and school-level technology needs.
The objectives in the technology plan should be measurable and reflect the desired outcomes for educational and operational programs.