The item was heard at the Public Safety, Neighborhoods, & Quality of Life Committee on September 21, 2022.  At the meeting, direction was given for the Administration to meet with the QEC to understand their concerns and reasons for recommending the creation of an Education department.

The Administration met with the Quality and Education Committee (QEC) on October 10^th and with QEC member Beverly Heller on October 18^th.

Based on that input, the Administration recommends the following:

·       The division of Organizational Development and Performance Initiatives (ODPI) was recently transitioned to the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) as part of the FY 2023 Budget process.  This division was previously part of OMB for many years when the department was called The Office of Budget & Performance Initiatives.  This reorganization will help provide ODPI with additional administrative and budgetary support on an ongoing basis.  At this time, the Administration does not recommend creating a stand-alone department, but the needs of the division will continue to be monitored annually since it is a function that has grown significantly in the last few years.

·       Since the focus of the division of ODPI has changed over time to primarily support educational programs, the title of the division will be changed to Education and Performance Initiatives.  In addition, the title of the division director will be changed to Chief Education Officer from Chief Learning and Development Officer.  This change should also be reflected in a future amendment of the Classifications and Grades of the Unclassified Salary Ordinance No. 1605.

·       The staffing of the division has recently been re-evaluated.  Since FY 2019, 25 additional educational programs have been implemented.  During the same time period, full-time positions have increased from 2 to 4.  The additional positions have helped free up the Chief Education Officer’s time to focus primarily on educational items following the initial ramp up of several performance initiatives.  At this time, the Administration feels that the current staffing level matches the workload from the current mix of programs.  However, staffing levels will continue to be closely monitored as additional programs and/or initiatives are approved by the City Commission.   

The Administration does not recommend creating a stand-alone Education department at this time, but has reorganized the division to be part of the Office of Management & Budget as part of the FY 2023 Budget, and recommends renaming the division and title of the division director to reflect the increasing focus on Education, continuing to closely monitor staffing and resources to support the division, and updating the City’s website to highlight the educational programs that the City offers to prospective or existing residents.