Impact Ideas

  • Utilizing qualified high school students as classroom resources to help at elementary schools with significant populations of at-risk students. This would be a “for credit” course for the participating students.
  • Initiate a “workforce re-entry” program for those wanting to gain current work experience, where they can participate in a one year, non-paid internship.
  • Continue to promote “shared services” opportunities with other districts. Expand intake of non-district students (fee-driven) to the Discipline Program, and aggressively market property tax collection services to other districts.
  • Negotiate deals with cell tower erectors to build towers on district land, providing long-term revenue streams to the district.
  • Actively expand leasing of school facilities during non-school hours. It may be advantageous to outsource this initiative.
  • What can be done at the state level to achieve economies of scale and free-up local operating funds?

Can student and financial information systems be handled at the state level, with districts networking with these systems in the same manner that businesses handle this function?

Investigate and determine possible reductions in bond issuance costs through state participation in the bond sale process, rather than each issue being sold individually by districts.

Institute an “adequate public facilities” requirement to have new-growth areas (currently undeveloped) pay an equitable share of the resulting cost of growth. We could then:

Work with developers/builders to assure that adequate facilities are built simultaneously, so that students have what they need, and when they need it to pursue their education.

Partner with developers to build new schools adjacent to developers’ “green areas”.

Expand the role of MUD’s to include school building funding or utilize limited-life Tax Management Districts. People moving into those areas would know this tax would be in place for a defined period of time.

No surprises, and have limited impact on property owners in developed areas.