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| ARF- 3274 |
Regular Agenda Item 3. B.
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| Regular BOS Meeting |
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| Information |
| Request/Subject |
| Information/Discussion/Action to acknowledge the withdrawal of the Gila County School Superintendent from the Arizona Education and Technology Consortium along with four other County School Superintendents, which effectively terminates the Intergovernmental Agreement that was approved by the Gila County Board of Supervisors on July 1, 2014. |
| Background Information |
On July 1, 2014, the Gila County Board of Supervisors approved an intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) among the Pima County School Superintendent, the Maricopa County School Superintendent, the Yavapai County School Superintendent, the Gila County School Superintendent and the Navajo County School Superintendent to establish the Arizona Education and Technology Consortium (Consortium) for the purpose of establishing, managing, and operating a statewide interactive television system for the purpose of providing instructional services to students, professional development services to education professionals, and to assign a Fiscal Agent for the Consortium.
The five County School Superintendents named above serve as the "Lead" Superintendents and fiscal agent for each of their respective Regional Education Service Centers, created to support implementation of Arizona's "Race to the Top" (RTTT) Phase 3 grant activities as called out in the $25 million federal grant awarded to the state through the U.S. Department of Education. The Gila County School Superintendent's Office serves as the fiscal agent for the East Central Regional Education Service Agency, in partnership with the offices of the School Superintendents of Pinal, Graham and Greenlee Counties.
Initial funding for the Consortium came from a $29,000 allocation of RTTT funds from each of the five regional service centers. It was intended and envisioned that the Consortium and its activities would be subsequently sustained through fees for services, grants and other funding sources. The IGA established a 15-member Board of Directors consisting of three (3) representatives from each of the five (5) regions; the Board was first convened in late July, 2014. In accordance with the terms of the IGA, the five Lead County School Superintendents designated the Pima County School Superintendent's Office as the fiscal agent for the Consortium.
The Consortium Board developed a strategic plan with short and long-term goals, including a number of budget scenarios depicting projected expenses, service cost-points, and revenues. An Executive Director was hired and charged with facilitating implementation of the strategic plan. The Executive Director resigned within weeks after being hired, relating in her resignation letter that research into similar endeavors indicated that the goals and activities of the Consortium were not fiscally sustainable in the long-term. Three of the Regional Service Centers then developed a proposal wherein they would collaborate to implement the Board's strategic plan. However, it was quickly determined by all involved that timing and the lack of sufficient resources as well as expense-revenue projections were serious barriers to successful implementation and long-term sustainability as envisioned. Members of the Board agreed that the best-case scenario appeared to be to recommend that the Lead County School Superintendent of each Regional Service Center withdraw from the IGA, which would result in its dissolution and the termination of the Consortium.
The Pima County School Superintendent's Office notified all parties that all five lead County School Superintendents had provided notice of intent to withdraw from the IGA as of May 15, 2015. The IGA was deemed officially dissolved as of June 12, 2015. In accordance with the IGA, remaining funds of the Consortium were evenly divided among and returned to the lead County School Superintendent of each of the five regional education service centers. A warrant in the amount of $23,536.47 was received by the Gila County School Superintendent's Office from the Pima County School Superintendent's Office with a letter to that effect dated June 17, 2015. |
| Evaluation |
| The Gila County School Superintendent withdrew from the Arizona Education and Technology Consortium along with the four other County School Superintendents, which effectively terminates the Intergovernmental Agreement that was approved by the Gila County Board of Supervisors on July 1, 2014. |
| Conclusion |
| On July 1, 2014, the Gila County Board of Supervisors approved an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) among the Pima County School Superintendent, the Maricopa County School Superintendent, the Yavapai School Superintendent, the Gila County School Superintendent and the Navajo County School Superintendent to establish the Arizona Education and Technology Consortium for the purpose of establishing, managing, and operating an interactive television system for the purpose of providing instructional services to students, professional development services to education professionals, and to assign a Fiscal Agent for the Consortium. The Gila County School Superintendent, along with the four other County School Superintendents named in the IGA, withdrew from the Arizona Education and Technology Consortium as of May 17, 2015, which effectively terminates the IGA. The IGA was officially dissolved as of June 12, 2015 and remaining Consortium funds disbursed to the five County School Superintendents. |
| Recommendation |
| It is recommended that the Gila County Board of Supervisors acknowledge the withdrawal of the Gila County School Superintendent from the Arizona Education and Technology Consortium along with four other County School Superintendents, which effectively terminates the Intergovernmental Agreement that was approved by the Gila County Board of Supervisors on July 1, 2014. |
| Suggested Motion |
| Information/Discussion/Action to acknowledge the withdrawal of the Gila County School Superintendent from the Arizona Education and Technology Consortium along with four other County School Superintendents, which effectively terminates the Intergovernmental Agreement that was approved by the Gila County Board of Supervisors on July 1, 2014. (Dr. Linda O'Dell) |
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