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Rowan - Salisbury Schools <br />Efficiency Study <br />1. Executive Summary <br />BACKGROUND, PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE <br />In August 1999, the Rowan - Salisbury Schools system asked KPMG LLP (KPMG) to conduct an <br />Efficiency Study of the Rowan - Salisbury Schools (RSS). The primary objectives of the study <br />were to: <br />• Improve cost efficiency in spending and administrative practices <br />• Improve management and organizational patterns <br />• Increase efficiency and effectiveness of delivery of services <br />The scope of the project included a review of the RSS' central office organization, including the <br />Departments of: <br />• Curriculum, Instruction and Administrative Services <br />• Personnel <br />• Operations <br />In addition to the review of the central office organization, KPMG also completed the following <br />optional tasks. <br />• Benchmarking local, State and Federal funding levels <br />• Analyzing and benchmarking the District's remediation programs <br />• Analyzing and benchmarking student to teacher and teacher to course ratios <br />• Reviewing the curriculum development and articulation process at the central office and <br />school level <br />It should be noted that this study represents an analysis of RSS during a specific time period, <br />from August 1999 through December 1999, and that the District is being examined based on <br />this timeframe. Therefore, we were able to capture the current status of the District with the <br />understanding that changes and new initiatives were being implemented during our review that <br />may have an eventual impact on some of our findings and recommendations. <br />In all phases of our work, KPMG found the RSS administrators and staff extremely helpful, and <br />we are grateful for their important contributions to our report. <br />PROJECT APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY <br />In conducting this review, KPMG used a variety of methods to collect information about the <br />operations of RSS. The KPMG team conducted numerous interviews with District <br />administrators and staff, facilitated focus groups with key stakeholders, and issued employee <br />survey questionnaires. We also reviewed many District documents, including financial data, <br />staffing and workload data, position descriptions, and student achievement data. In an effort to <br />put RSS' operations and activities in context with other similar school systems, the KPMG team <br />gathered information from peer school districts in North Carolina. In accordance with the project <br />workplan tasks outlined in our proposal, KPMG: <br />Mena <br />I - I <br />M <br />