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advisory services

Since 1976, South Central Service Cooperative has been facilitating programs and services between school districts across south central Minnesota. Tighter state and federal budgets have increased pressure upon school districts to maintain or reduce educational costs, especially for non-instructional services.

Regionally facilitated programs allow individual school districts to retain the benefits of decentralized control of the direct instruction of students while working with groups of school districts to share services in areas that are not central to each district’s core educational mission. This cost-saving strategy can be an effective way to manage costs during these difficult financial times.

SCSC advisory programs will be conducted at no cost other than normal reimbursement expenses such as mileage, postage, telephone and supplies for members.

Contact

Ed Waltman, 507-386-2988
Harold Remme, 507-386-2984

The hiring and the training of school business management staff has become an increasingly difficult task for our member school districts.

Service Components:

  • Meet with school district to assess school business management needs
  • Develop a school business management plan
  • Recruit candidates for the position
  • Receive and process candidate applications
  • Assist school district with the interview process
  • Mentor new business management staff
  • Facilitate training for staff with the Region V Computer Services Cooperative
  • Contract with SCSC for a school business manager and/or human resources service

South Central Service Cooperative (SCSC) in partnership with the Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) will provide strategic planning services to schools.The base fee for service is $3,200 and SCSC will contribution $1,000 to the cost for member districts. 

MSBA and SCSC consultants will facilitate four on-site meetings in the school district. Meetings will focus on:

  • Listening sessions
  • Scanning district strengths, opportunities, barriers
  • Guiding the local planning committee in establishing goals and objectives
  • Clarification of components of the strategic planning committee final report. 

Conducting a search for a new superintendent has become a costly and time consuming task for school districts. The SCSC Superintendent Search Program will assist member school districts with their superintendent search.

Service Components:

  • Meet with the school board to provide an overview of the search process
  • Create a search calendar and timeline
  • Meet with the school board, staff, parents, community and students to create a profile for the new superintendent
  • Recruit candidates for the position
  •  Receive and process candidate applications
  • Provide for the preliminary screening and recommendations for interview of candidates
  • Assist the school district with the interview process
  • Meet with the school board to facilitate the decision on a new  superintendent and a contract for the new superintendent
  • Provide mentoring to the new superintendent
  • Contract with SCSC for interim or a part-time superintendent

Though the purpose of Advisory Studies may be to reduce operating costs, the studies may result in increased efficiency and effectiveness of the organizations, even if costs cannot be significantly reduced.

Types of Studies Include:

  • Consolidation
  • Expansion of education district shared services
  • Administrative staffing
  • School business services
  • School district cost analysis

Service Components:

  • Establish need and purpose for a study
  • Determine participants and leadership
  • Establish study goals
  • Conduct interviews with participants, gather relevant data and project trends
  • Develop and share findings with participants
  • Receive feedback from participants and stakeholders
  • Develop recommendations
  • Approve and implement recommendations

In addition, SCSC provides advisory services in the following areas:

  • Financial planning and budget process
  • Bond and operating referendum planning
  • Employee insurance program planning
  • Risk management and property and liability insurance