Regional Education Service Agencies
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✓ January 2017 PE 16-06-590 SPECIAL REPORT REGIONAL EDUCATION SERVICE AGENCIES AUDIT OVERVIEW By Law, Te chnical Assistance to Low Performing Schools and Professional Development Are the Most Important Responsibilities for RESAs, But These Services Are a Relatively Small Percentage of To tal Expenditures. Tw enty-five (25) Percent of RESA's Resources Do Not Serve the County School Systems. RESAs Are Mandated to Coordinate Shared Services to Counties; However, Many County-Level ·Services That Some RESAs Provide Are Exclusive to Specific Counties. The Legislative Auditor Is Uncertain If This Was the Legislature's Intent. The Regional Service Purpose of Providing Educational Services to Public School Systems Is Needed, But Carrying It Out Through the Concept of Autonomous Agencies Is Inefficient. WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION & RESEARCH DIVISION JOINT COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS Senate House of Delegates Agency/ Citizen Members Craig Blair, Chair Gary G. Howell, Chair Terry Lively Chris Walters, Vice-Chair Lynne Arvon, Vice-Chair W. Joseph McCoy Ed Gaunch Michel G. Moffatt Kenneth Queen Corey Palumbo Jim Morgan Vacancy Herb Snyder lsacc Sponaugle Vacancy JOINT COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION Senate House of Delegates Craig Blair, Chair Gary G. Howell, Chair Randy E. Smith Chris Walters, Vice-Chair Lynne Arvon, Vice-Chair Chris Stansbury Greg Boso Jim Morgan, Minority Chair Mike Caputo Ryan Ferns Martin Atkinson Ill Jeff Eldridge Ed Gaunch Saira Blair Michael T. Ferro Kent Leonhardt Anna Border-Sheppard William G. Hartman Mark R. Maynard Scott Cadle Justin Marcum Jeff Mullins Larry Faircloth Rupert Phillips, Jr. Douglas E. Facemire Danny Hamrick Peggy Donaldson Smith Ronald F. Miller Jordan R. Hill Isaac Sponaugle Corey Palumbo Michaellhle Herb Snyder Pat McGeehan Bob Williams Michel G. Moffatt Jack Yost Joshua Nelson WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION & RESEARCH DIVISION Building 1, Room W-314 Aaron Allred John Sylvia State Capitol Complex Legislative Auditor Director Charleston, West Virginia 25305 (304) 347-4890 Richard Anderson Elizabeth Belcher Christopher F. Carney Keith Brown Research Analyst Research Analyst Referencer Referencer TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Background and Overview ............................................................................................................................................................................ 7 Summary and Condusions ..........................................................................................................................................................................51 Finding 1: By Law, Technical Assistance to Low Performing Schools and Professional Development Are the Most Important Responsibilities for RESAs, But These Services Are a Relatively Small Percentage of Total Expenditures.................. ................................................................................................................................................... 27 Finding 2: Twenty-five (25) Percent of RESA's Resources Do Not Serve the County School Systems .............................. 33 Finding 3: RESAs Are Mandated to Coordinate Shared Services to Counties; However, Many County-Level Services That Some RESAs Provide Are Exclusive to Specific Counties. The Legislative Auditor Is Uncertain If This Was the Legislature's lntent ...........................................................................................................................................37 Finding 4: The Regional Service Purpose of Providing Educational Services to Public School Systems Is Needed, But Carrying It Out Through the Concept of Autonomous Agencies is lnefficient........................ .41 List ofTables Table 1: RESA Foundation Allowance as Calculated for the Public School Support Program Versus the Statutorily Restricted Allowance Under W.Va. § 18-9A-8a ............................................................................................ 12 Table 2: Matrix of RESA Services Provided ..........................................................................................................................................13 Table 3: RESA 2015 Regular Full and Part-Time Employees .......................................................................................................... 17 Table 4: TA and PD Expenditure Percentages and the Number of Priority and Focus Schools ........................................ 32 Table 5: Non-County School System Services Provided By RESAs .............................................................................................. 34 Table 6: Non-School System Programs, Number of Priority and Focus Schools By RESA Region ................................... 36 Table 7: RESA FY 2015 County Reimbursed Employee Breakdown ........................................................................................... 37 Table 8: FY 2015 Computer Technician Salary Comparison .......................................................................................................... 40 Table 9: Total FY 2015 State Aid cost for RESA Executive Director Positions ........................................................................... 46 Table 10: Professional Development Offerings by Master Plan Providers FY 2011-2015 ................................................... ..48 List of Figures Figure 1: West Vi rginia Regional Education Service Agencies (RESA) .......................................................................................... 9 Figure 2: RESA Aggregated Revenues FY 201 5 .................................................................................................................................. 10 Figure 3: RESA Core Organization Structure ....................................................................................................................................... 16 Figure 4: Timeline of RESA Development ............................................................................................................................................ 18 Figure 5: RESA Equivalents in West Virginia Surrounding States ................................................................................................ 23 Figure 6: TA and PD Services as a Percent ofTotal FY 2015 RESA Expenditures .................................................................... 29 Fig ure 7: Major Expenditures of RESAs With the Four Lowest Percents ofTA and PD ......................................................... 31 Figure 8: Non-County School System Services as a Percent ofTotal FY 2015 Expenditures ............................................. 33 Figure 9: Coordination Structure of RESAs .......................................................................................................................................... 43 Figure 10: DOE Direction of RESA Programs ......................................................................................................................................... 44 List of Appendices Appendix A: Transmittal Letter ........... ,................. ...................................................................................................................................... 57 Appendix B: Objective, Scope and Methodology .............................................................................................................................. 61 Appendix C: Total FY 2015 Revenue for Each RESA ........................................................................................................................... 65 Appendix D: Survey ofWestVirginia County School Superintendents and School Principals Concerning RESA Services and the Continued Need for RESAs ............................................................................................................... 71 Appendix E: West Virginia Association of School Administrators Letter Supporting RESA's Mission and Goals ....... 107 Appendix F: Agency Responses .............................................................................................................................................................. 109 Regional Education Service Agencies EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This performance audit of the Regional Education Service Agencies (RESAs) is authorized under Chapter 4, Article 2, Section 5 of the West Virginia Code. The objective of the audit was to determine the continued need for RESAs. The audit’s findings and conclusions are highlighted below. Frequently Used Acronyms in this Report: PERD - Performance Evaluation and Research Division RESA - Regional Education Service Agencies BOE - Board of Education AEPA - Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies PST - Public Service Training WVEIS - West Virginia Education Information System DOE - West Virginia Department of Education ESCs - Educational Service Centers TA - technical assistance to low-performing schools PD - staff professional development LEAs - local education agencies DHHR - Department of Health and Human Resources TANF - Temporary Assistance for Needy Families AFT - American Federation of Teachers NSDC - National Staff Development Council SPOKES - Strategic Planning in Occupational Knowledge for Employment and Success CSR – Code of State Rules W.Va. – West Virginia OEPA – Office of Education Performance