School boards agree on shared services

PENN YAN, DUNDEE—The Penn Yan and Dundee school boards each discussed the results of a shared services study conducted in June of 2011 during their meetings last week to find efficiencies in the operating costs of the Penn Yan, Dundee and Marcus Whitman school districts. As a result of the findings, each board agreed to take specific actions aimed at minimizing costs and increasing the efficiency of each district as a whole.
During the Penn Yan school board meeting Wednesday, Dec. 12, Superintendent David Hamilton announced several changes that will save the district an estimated $194,000 in the upcoming 2013-14 school budget year.
Starting Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013, Hamilton said David Adams, director of transportation at Marcus Whitman, will also be managing the transportation office at Penn Yan. Hamilton said he will be replacing the full-time positions of director of transportation and dispatcher at Penn Yan and will be onsite at both locations depending on needs. Penn Yan will also pay Marcus Whitman a fee for Adams’s services.
Starting July 1, 2013, Penn Yan will also be hiring a board of cooperative educational services (BOCES) part-time director to lead its technology department. Hamilton said the new director would be shared with another district and will replace the current position of infrastructure technology director at Penn Yan. He said the school board would also get a say in the hiring for this position.
Hamilton said the position of director of facilities would be eliminated starting July 1, 2013, with the duties being either eliminated or spread to other personnel.
During the Dundee school board’s meeting Thursday, Dec. 13, Superintendent Kathy Ring also discussed the results of the shared services study, saying Dundee and Penn Yan will continue to share the director of food services position throughout the next school year. Ring said this arrangement has allowed for increased service at a lower cost to the district. Ring said they would not be replacing a cook position recently vacated through retirement.
Ring also said the study revealed Dundee’s transportation and IT departments were currently running efficiently, and the long-range technology plan approved by the board positions the school to be ready for the future of online teaching, learning and assessing.
Both schools discussed the creation of regional special education programs, saying the program in Penn Yan could see students from all three school districts as early as February of 2013. Both superintendents said the shorter bus trips for students should help lower cost to each district. Both boards also agreed to commit to ongoing discussion of shared services, looking to find further efficiencies in the future.