Targeted Technical Assistance For Converging District Challenges
As previously discussed by APA, districts today are facing a growing set of complex challenges and pressures, such as declining enrollment, changes in their state’s funding systems, and expansion of school choice. Each of these factors alone can significantly disrupt district planning, budgeting, and long-term sustainability. Together, they can stretch the capacity of even large districts to respond effectively, as navigating the complexity of converging factors often requires deeper analysis, planning, and strategic decision making. Technical assistance can help districts fill these needs by bringing immediate support while building long-term capacity.
Examples of Converging Challenges
Declining enrollment is often the most immediate and visible pressure point. In many states, public funding is tied to student counts. As enrollments decline, overall funding decreases, putting pressure on all areas of district operations. Reduced funding creates immediate pressure on staffing levels and compensation negotiations, as personnel costs represent a large share of a district’s budget. If both enrollment and funding declines continue, districts may face the need to address their school portfolios. This can involve difficult conversations about school closures, consolidations, or the elimination of programs.
Changes to the state funding system can have several impacts on districts by changing the ways districts receive funds. Many recent changes to state funding formulas have created a more student-centered funding system that allocates dollars based on individual student characteristics. These systems provide funding for groups with additional needs including special education, at-risk, and Multilingual Learners (ML) students. Along with these funding streams, there can be requirements on allowable uses for the funds and reporting obligations. This may require designing new financial systems that align academic activities with funding. As a result, districts may need support in understanding the right programs and interventions for students and/or help designing accounting systems to meet state reporting requirements.
Expanding student choice provides students and families with new education options but can also put pressure on districts. Districts must ensure equitable opportunities for all students by designing funding systems that meet state laws and regulations. New choice options can also put financial pressure on the funding for the current school portfolio, as the system adjusts to the new realities of shifting enrollment patterns and changing resource needs.
Benefits of Targeted Technical Assistance
Dealing with an ever-changing educational landscape and a growing list of requirements for schools and districts can leave staff stretched thin. District staff must continue to manage their day-to-day responsibilities, while adapting to new demands that often require specific expertise, system development, and rethinking long-standing processes and policies. Engaging outside expertise gives districts immediate access to needed skills and expertise to address a given topic without adding permanent staff. Expert technical assistance allows the district to benefit from the experts’ specialized knowledge while building internal district capacity. External experts can also lead the district through strategic planning, allowing for challenges to become opportunities for district growth.
APA has been working with several school districts to address the types of issues described above. In the coming months, we will provide a deeper dive into three recent projects and discuss how bringing in outside expertise supports immediate needs while building long term capacity for the district.
For a large Colorado school district, APA is helping the district refine its compensation system as it grapples with both declining enrollment and changes to the state’s school funding formula that is putting additional pressure on finances.
In Maryland, APA staff are helping several districts understand how to implement the state’s new educational Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. This includes aligning staffing to the new formulas priorities and working with accounting staff to build out accounting structures to track formula spending requirements.
For a Denver Metro school district, APA helped align the district’s charter funding policy to state law and rule, while also identifying areas of opportunity for refinement of the actual funding structure.
To effectively support districts, APA leverages a range of analytic and strategic tools. First, APA staff work to understand the district’s specific challenges and any nuances of the district’s unique context, including identifying where internal district expertise exists and where external support would be most beneficial. For example, as an external expert, APA can bring a deeper understanding of state policy to frame the issue the district is facing. Additionally, APA staff have the time to build needed databases and create interactive models that allow staff and stakeholders to understand the issues at hand. Examples of the modeling that can be done include enrollment projections, compensation models, accounting analyses, and funding models.
APA staff are eager to share the stories of partner districts and illustrate the meaningful impact that targeted technical assistance can have on districts during these dynamic times.
Points of Contact
Justin Silverstein, BS, is co-CEO of APA and a national expert in school finance with 25+ years of experience helping policymakers and districts strategically allocate education funds. He has led statewide studies, including funding reforms in Maryland and Nevada, and guided budget reviews and compensation analyses to optimize resource use.
Justin can be reached via email at jrs@apaconsulting.net.
Robert Reichardt, PhD, is a Senior Associate at APA with over 25 years of experience in education policy and program improvement. He blends deep expertise in evaluation and policy analysis with a commitment to equity and public service through his roles in local government and education leadership.
Robert can be reached via email at rer@apaconsulting.net.