Supt. of Schools consolidation plan detailed

Citing a 1994 state task force recommendation to eliminate the position of an elected county superintendent of schools, Flathead County Commissioner Joe Brenneman on Tuesday laid out a plan that he believes will save taxpayers at least $570,000 over four years.

Earlier this month the commissioners adopted a resolution calling for consolidation of the County Superintendent of Schools Office with the Treasurer’s Office. Commissioner Jim Dupont opposed the proposal.

A public hearing will be held at 10:15 a.m. Monday at the commissioners’ office because the county must make a decision about eliminating the elected office at least seven days before election filing begins Jan. 14.

Brenneman said there are significant financial benefits to the consolidation plan.

He maintained the level of service provided by the County Superintendent of Schools Office could be continued or even improved for about $125,000 a year, less than half of the current $267,693 annual budget for that office.

“It’s about shrinking government and providing services for about half the money,” Brenneman said.

He used Cascade County — with six districts and 11,787 students — as an example of a comparable county where consolidation is working well. Flathead, with 23 school districts and 13,281 students, has more districts than any other county in the state.

“In Cascade County they have one person to do the finance work and other duties,” Brenneman said. “She said she’s comfortable [with the workload] and it’s working well.”

Eliza Sorte, director of the Northwest Montana Educational Cooperative, said her research indicated that some school districts in consolidated counties “were very unhappy with consolidation.”

Brenneman said he has spoken with representatives from local school districts about the consolidation, but when education representatives quizzed him about who he had talked to or how many local districts he’d contacted, he declined to say.

THE STATE law detailing the duties of the county superintendent of schools dates back to 1865 and is less applicable today than it once was, Brenneman said. Originally the superintendent of school’s duties included revenue collection and apportionment, now a function of the county treasurer. Examining and certifying teachers, another original duty, now is done by the state Office of Public Instruction.

Gov. Marc Racicot’s Task Force to Renew Montana Government — the group that 15 years ago recommended eliminating the elected position of superintendent of schools — suggested counties use the Office of Public Instruction or other county offices for some services. Private providers could be contracted for other services, the task force recommended.

“We owe our taxpayers the best and most cost-effective solutions to provide mandated school-related services,” Brenneman said.

He envisions using the Treasurer’s Office for all financial functions now done by the Superintendent of Schools Office. Clerical jobs could be done more efficiently by a contracted office administrator who would report to the county treasurer, Brenneman’s draft plan suggests.

The Office of Emergency Services perhaps could coordinate bus transportation, he added.

And retired judges or other officials could be contracted to handle the conflict-resolution elements of the superintendent’s job. Brenneman noted that in the last 10 years no hearings have been held regarding out-of-district attendance agreements, teacher terminations or school-board decisions.

Superintendent of Schools Marcia Sheffels, who did not speak at Tuesday’s presentation by Brenneman, said earlier that she has “cut off at the pass” at least 20 situations that could have gone to hearings had it not been for conflict resolution she facilitated.

Brenneman stressed that Flathead County has successfully consolidated other departments, pointing to the merging of the elected County Auditor position into the Clerk and Recorder position a few years ago.

“It’s what [private] businesses would do in a heartbeat,” Brenneman said about the consolidation proposal.

Representatives from the education community had several questions about the proposal. Who will handle home-school administration? What about the interlocal agreements with education cooperatives for which the Superintendent’s Office is the fiscal agent? How much will the consolidation save per taxpayer?

While acknowledging some of the details still need to be worked out, Brenneman encouraged people to testify at the public hearing.

Noranne Yeager, director of the Flathead Special Education Cooperative, asked Brenneman to consider the full scope of the superintendent’s role.

“It’s more than record-keeping,” Yeager said. “It’s educational leadership. [We need] a person who understands school law.”

Sheffels, too, wonders if the county actually can save money by contracting the “educational piece” of the superintendent’s office.

If the commissioners vote to proceed with the consolidation, Brenneman said they will have nearly a year to finalize the plan before Sheffels’ term has expired.

 Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com