0.3 Preparing and training superintendents for the mission of  (Page 9/23)

Facility Assessment

Superintendents must be able to conduct or supervise frequent formal assessments of district facilities toinsure they are providing suitable spaces for instruction and support. An increasing number of school facilities are overcrowdedor outdated for use of technology. The superintendent working with the board and community should develop short and long rangefacility plans. This management function reaches into curriculum development, program management, and funding.

Replacing, Retrofitting, and Remodeling

The superintendent is responsible for the implementation of plans to replace worn out buildings, change thefunctions of other buildings by remodeling, and bringing others up to current building and safety codes via retrofitting. Thismanagement plan requires a significant amount of funding acquired through community support. Some states require a short and longrange use plan for every on line school facility.

Safety and Health Concerns

The primary legal responsibility of a superintendent is to insure the health and safety of students andstaff. A plan to maintain safe environments and work practices is a paramount responsibility for the superintendent. A safetymanagement plan is a critical district document. This includes electronic and other security systems to ensure the safety ofstudents and staff. An increasing number of districts are employing security personnel to patrol school buildings and parkinglots.

Human Resource Management

Most districts dedicate about 80% to 85% ofthe budget to personnel costs. The employment of appropriate employees for the right jobs is a critical financial matter.Insuring employees perform adequately and in the public interest is a primary responsibility for all superintendents. Although buildingadministrators may select and evaluate employees, the district hires and fires them. In most states only the superintendent maytake the names of prospective employees to the board for hiring and firing. Therefore, the superintendent is ultimately responsible forthe management of all human resources in the district. Equally important is the superintendent and district compliance with theplethora of legal requirements surrounding personnel management. Personnel actions are the management area most fraught due to timeconsumption and expensive legal problems, which can be potentially dangerous to superintendent tenure.

Personnel Needs Assessment

Superintendents typically are responsible for developing a personnel utilization plan for the district. This planis integral to developing present and future district budgets. What types of employees are needed to match program requirements and atwhat costs are important decisions made yearly by every superintendent. The superintendent must be knowledgeable aboutstate employee retirement systems, workers compensation, and state mandated personnel reporting and accounting methods. In many statesthis is audited yearly and a portion of state financial aid is affected by the accurateness of personnel records.