Elisabeth Barrow

EA 741 -School Business Management

December 10, 2016

Financial Recommendations:
Clawson Public Schools

Background
Clawson Public Schools is one of the smallest school districts in Oakland County
surrounded by many other communities and school districts. There are five campuses
that comprise Clawson Public Schools; Baker Preschool and Childcare, Kenwood
Elementary, Schalm Elementary, Clawson Middle School, and Clawson High School.
Currently there are roughly 1,760 students who attend Clawson Public Schools.

Current initiatives to maintain

1. Schools of Choice: Continue to maintain and grow the Schools of Choice program. In
the 2015-16 school year, 37% of the total student population were Schools of Choice
students, up from 32% in 2014-15 and 31% in 2013-2014. In order to attract students
from other districts Clawson needs to find creative ways to market themselves to
surrounding communities and highlight the unique things about Clawson. Some of
those highlights include personalized attention due to size, developmental Kindergarten
program, access to OTEC and CASA programs, and ability to play sports and be involved.
As part of the marketing plan for Clawson Public Schools the effort to revamp and
update district website needs to take precedent as well as promoting events and
activities through the use of other social media outlets such as online newsletters,
Twitter, etc. Commented [1]: Good job. One consideration is what
students you are recruiting. If you are getting a lot of
students that need supports, you will lose in the SOC
2. Shared Services: Currently Clawson has an IGA with Oakland Schools to provide game.
business and technology services which should be continued based on the cost of
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employing people who provide the same services in-house. Clawson also has an IGA
with Ferndale Public Schools for maintenance and custodial services. The finance
department is currently reviewing if this agreement is cost beneficial. If it is, this
agreement should continue. Transportation services are also shared with other districts.
This is something that brings additional funds into the district and since buses are
leased and therefore cheaper to maintain, this is another shared service to continue. Commented [2]: Great strategy that is a win-win.
3. Plan a three year budget: In the past, Clawson has operated with a year-to-year budget.
With assistance from Oakland Schools, Clawson is currently working on a budget that
will tentatively span a three year period. This is vital for planning staffing, curriculum
purchases, and programming which will ensure that the district stays salient. Commented [3]: Good!

Recommendations based on existing services and structures

Find a better way to track cash payments: The financial director mentioned that right now she
has concerns about how cash is managed; especially at after school events such as sporting
events or concerts. One way to do this would be to sell tickets in advance using PaySchools.
For cash transitions, patrons should be given tickets as they pay so there is a way to balance
and account for money coming in. Commented [4]: !

Look at ASD and Special Education program: Clawson houses an ASD center program which
brings additional funds into the district. When the program first started it was much larger in
scale but in the past few years enrollment has declined as many other districts now have their
own ASD programs. The finances of this program have never been seriously looked at in terms
of whether costs are simply being covered or if the program creates a profit for the district and
what exactly that amount is. The Board of Education has this as a future agenda item and it is
recommended that they start this initiative immediately. Commented [5]: !!

Look for and utilize grant monies: The Clawson School District receives the following grant
monies: Title 1, Title 2, Title 3, 31a, and 35c. In past years Clawson Middle School was a focus
school so all Title 1 monies were put there to create Reading and Math workshop elective
classes to boost identified students skills in those areas. The 31a monies were originally used
at the elementary level to pay for the Reading Interventionists salaries until 2015-2016 school
year in which some of the funds were shifted to the High School and intervention at the
elementaries was reduced.
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For the 2016-2017 school year, Clawson applied for the 35c Additional Time grant which
amounted to $19,500 and is being used to fund a part-time interventionist salary for early
elementary reading support. Next year that grant will be reduced to $18,500 and it is
recommended that the monies be spent in the same way but reducing either hours per day or
days per year.

With the removal of the Middle School from the Focus school list, looking at how Title 1 and 31a
monies are utilized should be a priority. It may be more cost effective in the long run to use Title
1 funds to strengthen support at the elementary level as reading intervention was cut in the
upper grades and no math support is provided at all at the elementary level. All intervention
programs and their effectiveness should be evaluated across the district and monies distributed
where it would have the greatest impact. Commented [6]: Good. Grants are key to moving
forward in this environment.
Increase partnerships with local businesses: Clawson Public Schools is in a supportive
community with many small, local businesses. Last year initiatives were started at District
Improvement meetings but were never followed through with. With the Superintendent as the
lead, letters asking for support in terms of either monetary or other donations and/or volunteer
efforts from business owners and employees should be distributed. Stickers that were created
last year that state I Support Clawson Public Schools should accompany the letters which also
may help to market and encourage other businesses to participate. Commented [7]: Another win-win. Great.

Strengthen Preschool and Childcare Programs: Clawson has a tuition-based preschool and
childcare program in the Baker building which also houses the administrative offices.
Preschool programs include a parent tot, 3 and 4 year old co-op and non co-op classes, and
GRSP options. These programs are not heavily marketed outside the community and most
children are Clawson residents. Also, because the preschool and childcare centers are located
in the same building, it provides parents additional flexibility for scheduling. Many preschools
do not offer before or aftercare which makes it difficult for working parents to drop off at 9:00
and pick up at 11:00-11:30. The Clawson childcare is open at 7:00 am and staff will walk
students to and from their respective preschool programs. This is a valuable service that
should be made more well known.

The tuition for a four-day week in the non co-op 4 year old program is $1,845. Surrounding
districts charge approximately $100-200 more than that for a three day program. It is
Commented [8]: Good. Preschool has enormous
suggested that an audit of area programs be done and rates increased accordingly. educational and fiscal benefits.
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Major initiative to consider
Reconfigure Elementary Schools
There are two K-5 elementary buildings in Clawson. One elementary (Kenwood
Elementary) is significantly smaller than the other and has inconsistent grade level
configurations. Currently Kenwood Elementary has only one section of 4th and 5th grade,
houses the two Developmental Kindergarten rooms in the district and still has unused
classrooms. Schalm Elementary has had a more consistent population averaging about three
sections of each grade level. There are many potential benefits to reconfiguring the buildings.

Economic benefits:
2 fewer classroom teachers
Combine resources/materials; Redistribute iPads to K-2, Chromebooks to 3-5
Better able to balance class sizes
Scheduling specials would be easier, eliminates 1-2 other teachers
May be able to provide better counseling/social work services without increasing
costs

Instructional benefits:
Common assessments easier to manage and implement
Vertical alignment becomes easier since all students get the same content
All students in one grade level receive the same content/delivery and done with more
fidelity
Intervention blocks or Power Hours could be added
Reading Specialists/interventionists focused on being preventative in K-2
Instructional Coaches provide content area support in grades 3-5
Better utilize support staff (ELL, counselor, speech therapist, OT, etc.) where needed

Benefits to School Culture/Climate

Blend and balance economic diversity
Administrative team dynamics more cohesive instead of competitive between buildings
Collaboration and communication among grade level teams are increased
Students and community unified before Middle School
PTO/PTA more community focused on elementary as a whole
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If Clawson Public Schools were to proceed with reconfiguring its elementary schools
the following steps are recommended. First, establish clear, consistent communication with
the School Board and community at large as to how reconfiguring schools benefits students
educations. Focus on student achievement, student growth, and how this ultimately will help to
close the gap among subgroups and the bottom 30%. Continue to research and develop a
transition plan; contact other districts who have this configuration about their process.
Ferndale Public Schools is in their third year having a K-2 and 3-5 building so reaching out to
them may provide additional insights about how to get staff and community buy-in.

As the transition plan is developed, strive to eliminate as much parental inconvenience

as possible. Investigate optimal start times and develop a transportation plan so that parents
do not have to drop their children off at two different places at the same time. As part of the
plan, also consider staffing and how grade level teams will be created. Many staff members
may be reluctant to switch to new buildings and/or grade levels so have a process in place that
is fair but also respects teachers feelings. Intentionally plan for how you will immediately start
to build staff cohesion at the new buildings.

Once the transition plan is set, move quickly once the decision is made. Acknowledge
and respond to differences in opinions but do not drag out the process because of those who
arent immediately on board.

Conclusion Commented [9]: Your transition plan is excellent and

well thought out.
Clawson Public Schools is in a unique situation due to its small size. It is even more
imperative to closely watch finances and make quick adjustments as needed to ensure that the
fund balance does not dip below 5% which is a realistic level for a small district. Clawson has
taken many steps to ensure its viability but should to continue to search for creative ways to
share services, utilize services provided by the Oakland Intermediate School District, CASA, and
OTECH, and form further partnerships within the community. Commented [10]: Outstanding recommendations.
They are very realistic and attainable, yet they would
have a big impact. Great work.