2013 CASBO ANNUAL CONFERENCE & SCHOOL BUSINESS EXPO The Civic Center Roller Coaster: How to Survive the Ride These materials have been prepared by the

2013 CASBO ANNUAL CONFERENCE & SCHOOL BUSINESS EXPO

The Civic Center Roller Coaster: How to Survive the Ride

These materials have been prepared by the CASBO M&O Professional Council (or CASBO Associate Member). They have not been reviewed by State CASBO for approval, so therefore are not an official statement of CASBO.


Who is using your facilities?


Event Scheduling is Complicated!


Who’s involved in the scheduling process?• Community Users• Custodial Staff• Maintenance Staff• Technology Staff• Food Services• Athletics• Multiple Site Contacts• District Office• Accounting


Event Management Challenges• Recovering district costs incurred by users• Risk Management• Politics• Working with outside organizations• Coordinating w/ multiple departments• Politics• Distributing event management responsibilities• Politics, Politics, Politics


Cost Recovery Study Analysis of 1,000+ school districts,

colleges and private schools, including interviews

Focused on how educational professionals are coping with Demand for community use of school facilities Financial burdens on budgets and operating

staffs due to the growing use of school facilities by the community

Sentiment that school facilities should be used more frequently because taxpayers and other stakeholders have invested billions in these assets

RECOVERING COSTS FOR THE COMMUNITY USE OF OUR SCHOOLS:

A White Paper Examining the Successful Implementation of Cost Recovery Programs in our Schools.


Cost Study: Number of Events• The sampling

revealed that the average district holds 1.24 events per student per year

• Districts less than 5,000 students average .93 events per student



Cost Study: Recovering Funds


What are Your Administrative Costs?


– 10 minutes for Event Administration – receiving requests, answering questions, checking calendars for availability, getting approvals

– 10 minutes for Event Coordination – coordinating with staff to support event (custodial, energy, grounds, food service, Tech/AV, etc.), getting approvals

– 10 minutes for Invoicing – create and manage invoices / contracts– 5 minutes for BAS Overrides – coordinate energy management and

facility schedules– 5 minutes for Miscellaneous

40 minutes per event or .66 hours per event# students x average # events = total annual events 4000 x 1.24 =

4,960 events

# events x hours per event = total hours spent 4,960 x .66 = 3,273 hours

# hours x hourly labor rate = total cost of event hours

3,273 x $25.00 = $81,825 cost


Saving Time = Saving Money

– Automate event scheduling requests and approval routing

– A single, real-time calendar online, showing approved events and facility availability

– Automatically generate invoices to recover costs

– Coordinate all departments and resources needed to support events


Best Practices: A Good, Better, and Best Approach


Steps to Success

1. Distribute Event Management2. Automate the Process3. Start Small and Gain Buy-in 4. Recognize that Leadership is Key5. Build Support w/ Principals and Asst.6. Recover Your Costs7. Develop Tiered Fee Structures8. Improve Invoice Management9. Establish a Presence at the Event10.Form a Team

Source: Recovering Costs for the Community Use of Our Schools© Copyright 2008 SchoolDude.com, Inc. All rights reserved.


Distribute Event Management• Find a balance between what can be centralized and what can

be distributed

• School personnel control and decide:– What areas and times are available for usage– What groups can use the facility– Schedule conflicts

• A central office controls and decides:– Rates– Billing and collections– Risk management policies


Automate Processes• Paper, spreadsheets, calendars and email are not efficient in

90+% of educational facilities

• Too many parties and processes are involved for communication, task assignments and cost recovery

• You need to avoid duplication of efforts as well as events and seal gaps in the processes


Start Small and Gain Buy-in• Begin with only certain types of rooms and/or certain schools

• Gain support and buy-in from school administrators and assistants

• Let those positively affected by the changes help sell the idea to the rest of the district

• If negativity arises, address the issue to determine if there is an issue or a simple resistance to change


Recognize that leadership is KEY• All must agree to support a policy for:

– Process changes– Fee structures– Invoicing philosophy – it is cost recovery, not profit– Goal setting

• You should typically involve:– School Board– Superintendent– Facilities Department– Athletic Directors

– Principals– Business– Technology Department– Food Services


Build Support with Site Contacts• Principals, Assistants, Athletic Directors

• Present and discuss with individual sites at first to have a better chance to “sell” your ideas to remaining campuses

• Give earnest consideration and heartfelt acknowledgement to complaints

• Deal with objections before they become roadblocks


Recover Your Costs!

1. Administrative Costs Should you be charging an application fee?

2. Custodial Services Are your custodians working overtime supporting events?

3. Utility Usage Energy Costs, Water Usage, Even Paper Products

4. Wear and tear on the facility Use of school property after hours by outside groups

accelerates the depreciation of assets.


Develop Tiered Fee StructuresEstablish a simple fee structure:

– What type of group? (Non-profit vs. For-profit?)

– What type of area? (Gym vs. softball field?)

– What type of facility? (Elementary school vs. arts center?)


Improve Invoice Management

BE CONSISTENT!

1. Provide a quote to set proper expectations

2. Follow up with an invoice that is consistent with the quote

3. Be pleasantly persistent with past-due notices


Establish a Presence at the Event• Custodial labor can be a huge amount of cost for overtime and

weekends• Having a custodian on-site during events

- Reduces damage to property and equipment

- Protects the district

- Ensures a smooth event

- Provides a nice “customer service” touch


Event Scheduling Listserv

• Free, nationwide email listserv created by Facility Masters (www.facilitymastersonline.com)

• Promotes best practices for managing educational facility use • Provides a network for educational facility and event

scheduling professionals • Ask questions, get answers, exchange documents and share best

practices with peers• To join, send a blank email to:

[email protected]


Questions?Jamie Givigliano

Senior Account Manager, CA

909-599-3921

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

2013 CASBO ANNUAL CONFERENCE & SCHOOL BUSINESS EXPO The Civic Center Roller Coaster: How to Survive the Ride These materials have been prepared by the