Consolidation - Shared Services Study - Project Description

Consolidation – Shared Services Study
Falmouth, Freeport and Yarmouth Public Schools and MSAD #51 (Maine)
Project Description
D R A F T

Background:  

The Falmouth Public School District, Freeport Public School District, Maine School Administrative District #51 and Yarmouth Public School District are currently engaged in a collaborative review of their organizations (administrative and financial operations, programs of studies and governance structures) for the purpose of ascertaining the advantages and disadvantages of consolidating or combining services of two or more of these school districts.  The School Boards governing each of these districts is supportive and encouraging of this effort.  The four districts are relatively similar in size and population demographics; they are considered to be among the top performing school districts in the state of Maine.  For more information on each of the participating districts, their web addresses are provided below.

Also please refer to the following Consolidation Study Expectations -

Project Description:

An independent contractor/consultant/agency is sought to conduct an evaluation of the advantages (and disadvantages) of the potential consolidation of 2 or more districts, the sharing of services among 2 or more districts and/or other cooperative arrangements among the districts participating in this study.  The project would include a review of the administrative, organizational, student program, operational and governance structures with an eye to potential gains in student learning outcomes, organizational efficiencies and economies of scale, financial savings/improvements and operational synergies that might come as a result of defining new, cooperative relationships among participating districts.  The steering committee for this study is interested in learning from the work of other, like school organizations who been successful in defining new and beneficial work relationships if, in fact, any such models exist.  School board members and leadership team members from each of the districts have assembled a list of hoped-for outcomes in each of the component areas to be examined (as specified above); these will be made available upon request.   

Request for Proposals:

Proposals are sought from qualified firms and are due not later than May 1, 2006.   Included in the project proposal timeframe should be the preparation and presentation of a preliminary report-out to the steering committee.  As well, the proposal should specifically recommend a process for testing the validity of any proposed recommendations with the larger group of community stakeholders.  Proposals should be sent both electronically (gentwistle@fps,k12.me.us) and in hard copy to: Dr. George Entwistle, Superintendent of Falmouth Public Schools, 51 Woodville Road, Falmouth, ME 04105

Last Updated: 5/2/06