News

Updated: April 26, 2008

POLK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HIRES THE PORTOLAN GROUP TO PERFORM AN ASSESSMENT OF ITS CONSTRUCTION AND ARCHITECTURAL SERVICE DEPARTMENTS

he Portolan Group is proud to announce that Florida's eighth largest school district, Polk County Public Schools has hired it to perform an assessment of the construction and architectural service departments. As a growing district and the 34th largest in the nation, PCPS wants to ensure it keeps pace with the growth. Over the last five years, the district's enrollment increased by over twelve percent. While this increase may slow down, PCPS is determined to provide quality schools and enough student stations for years to come.

PGI has been tasked with gauging the current costs of the district's architectural and construction services (staffing, contracted v. in-house construction, etc.) and ensuring the departments are in compliance with state statutes, building codes and regulations. PGI's Director, Rob Crosby stated, "Polk County Public Schools is the twelfth district we have served in our home state. Each of those districts made us feel like family and we are sure PCPS will be no different. We are very pleased to continue serving our Florida school districts."

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA HIRES THE PORTOLAN GROUP TO ANALYZE ITS CUSTODIAL SERVICES AND TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE IN THE USE OF THE PORTOLAN GROUP'S SAFE HARBOR/ QA PROGRAM

he Portolan Group is proud to announce The School District of Philadelphia has hired it to perform an assessment of custodial services. The majority of SDP's schools are serviced by in-house custodial staff. Sixteen high schools are serviced by a contract services company. PGI’s goal is to provide comparisons between the two options and assist the district in determining the costs and performance of each. This analysis will help the district decide whether to extend the contract services or bring the custodial services of those sixteen schools in-house.

PGI is also tasked with providing guidance to the district in utilizing its Safe Harbor Self Assessment/Quality Assurance Program. This tool allows the district to monitor performance and customer satisfaction for the services the Facilities and Operations Department provides to the schools. PGI’s assistance also includes helping the district develop key performance indicators (KPIs) for these services. Successful use of the Safe Harbor Program and the development of KPIs will help improve the use of the existing computerized maintenance work order system.

PGI’s Executive VP and COO, Terry Burgess said, "We have been privileged to work in the past with The School District of Philadelphia. We are very pleased that we can continue to assist them improve their support services operations. SDP has a great professional staff. We look forward to continuing our work with them."

SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT HIRES THE PORTOLAN GROUP TO ASSESS ITS CENTRAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTS AND GUIDE IT THROUGH SERIOUS REDUCTIONS IN STATE FUNDING

he Portolan Group is extremely pleased to announce that it has been retained by San Diego Unified School District, the nation’s 9th largest district to do an assessment of all central office departments. The district is facing serious reductions in state funding. It is taking the opportunity arising from a crisis to right-size itself.

The Portolan Group is pleased to follow up on its sixteen months of work in SDUSD in which it helped reorganize the district’s maintenance and operations department. Phil Stover, president of PGI and project manager for SDUSD said, “We are very honored with the decision of the SDUSD administration and board to utilize our services for such a vital project. We look forward to working with district managers across all business, technology, support services and other non-school departments to help them weather the storm. We are pleased we have earned the district’s trust. We look forward to this significant engagement.”

OAKLAND UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT HIRES THE PORTOLAN GROUP TO HELP THEM DEVELOP A CUSTODIAL MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE PROGRAM FOR THEIR "EXPECT SUCCESS" PROGRAM

he Portolan Group is very proud to have been selected to partner with Oakland Unified School District in its “Expect Success” program. This program is a multi-year commitment to ensure that every OUSD student graduates from high school prepared for college and career.

A key component of the district’s vision for the accomplishment of this goal is that all schools will be clean, healthy and safe. The Portolan Group has been selected to provide guidance, support, resources, organizational design and technology to the district’s newly centralized custodial department. This six month engagement involves PGI personnel on-site providing expertise and support to help the district achieve its goal.

Phil Stover, PGI’s founder and president says “I am thrilled to be working with the dedicated custodial professionals in OUSD. I am very impressed with their dedication and commitment to improve the services they provide to school staff, students and parents. It is a privilege for PGI to have been chosen to partner in this all important effort.”

THE PORTOLAN GROUP HELPS BILOXI CITY SCHOOLS AND JACKSON COUNTY SCHOOLS MANAGE THE FOOD SERVICE MANAGEMENT COMPANY RFP PROCESS

he Portolan Group has been hired by two of it's current clients (Biloxi City Schools, MS and Jackson County Schools, FL) to help them manage the process of writing an RFP, reviewing the responses, selecting and negotiating a contract with a food service management company.

This is the second time PGI has helped them in this process. PGI also helps them monitor the contracts and the performance of the selected FSMC. Terry Burgess, PGI's VP and COO states, "We are pleased that these two districts have found our support is beneficial to them, and that they continue to seek our guidance for complicated tasks such as contracting with a FSMC."

THE PORTOLAN GROUP PROUDLY SPONSORS THE FSBA, FADSS, FSBAA, FEN, FERMA, SUNSPRA, FELL, FASA 62ND ANNUAL JOINT CONFERENCE IN TAMPA

he annual joint conference of the Florida School Boards Association (FSBA), Florida Association of District School Superintendents (FADSS), Florida School Board Attorneys Association (FSBAA), Florida Educational Negotiators (FEN), Florida Educational Risk Managers Association (FERMA), Sunshine State School Public Relations Association (SUNSPRA), Florida Education Legislation Liaisons (FELL) and Florida Association of School Administrators (FASA) was held last week at the Grand Hyatt in Tampa, Florida. This conference brings together industry professionals, superintendents, board members and district administrators from across the state.

It allows an opportunity for the members to interact, network and share solutions to critical issues with each other. It also provides an opportunity for the industries best to introduce there latest products, technology and services. Leadership training, policy and procedural updates, new ideas to old problems, best practices and strategic solutions are just some of the things that are beneficial to each member of this conference.

The Portolan Group is proud to have been one of many sponsors of this years conference. Rob Crosby, PGI's Director of Corporate Support Services states, "Each year this conference provides an opportunity for these prestigious district leaders to come together to discuss critical issues across the state and to learn and grow. We are excited to be a part of that growth. I personally enjoy attending the receptions each evening. It allows everyone to relax a bit. We get to share our accomplishments, show our battle scars and to just catch up with friends. We thank and congratulate those involved in coordinating the efforts and making this years conference a success. As in previous years, this conference was well coordinated and managed. We are thankful for the opportunity to provide sponsorship to this conference and look forward to sponsoring many more in the future."

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI SCHOOL DISTRICT RETAINS THE PORTOLAN GROUP FOR THE DISTRICT'S FACILITIES DIVISION REORGANIZATION AND TRANSITION PLANNING PROCESS

he Portolan Group announced today that it has been retained by the Kansas City Missouri School District to provide support to the district's facilities division reorganization and transition planning process. This reorganization is the result of the intensive review that PGI did of KCMSD’s facilities division. "Being asked to provide support to the district's staff in its implementation of recommendations from our assessment is indeed high praise for the work we do. Helping districts improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their support services is our core expertise. We are always pleased when a district adopts our recommendations. We are proud to have been asked to guide them through this process,” said Phil Stover, PGI president.

THE DUVAL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT OBTAINS SUPPORT FROM THE PORTOLAN GROUP

he Portolan Group is pleased to have been chosen to provide a focused transportation study for the Duval County Public Schools transportation department. Duval County is a school district with an excellent reputation. PGI's Executive V.P. Terry Burgess said "We are excited to be supporting Duval County Public Schools. They are the 19th largest district in the country and we are proud to have been chosen to help them with their needs."

Students are transported by several contracted student transportation companies. PGI will assist the director of transportation operations, Leslee Russell and the transportation staff to identify key performance indicators and develop a business improvement plan. The study will include an organizational review of the program and an analysis of routing and system efficiency. Specific analysis will concentrate on student ridership times. The study will research ways to maximize the routes and reduce ridership times and the accompanying cost.

This study demonstrates The Portolan Group’s commitment to providing a broad range of consultant services to America’s largest districts. This study will take us well on our way toward achieving our goal of twenty percent revenue growth for 2007.

THE SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT EXTENDS THE PORTOLAN GROUP CONTRACT TO CONTINUE WITH IMPLEMENTATION ASSISTANCE

he San Diego Unified School District has extended the Portolan Group’s contract with the district for a second time to provide implementation assistance related to the maintenance and operations study that was performed last year. PGI was hired in the first part of the year to provide assistance with the implementation of many of the recommendations that came from its four month study of the district’s physical plant operations.

The former M&O department is being reorganized into a physical plant operations division. This new PPO division will include departments for maintenance, custodial, grounds, energy and PPO support services. The implementation of the recommendations is expected to take two to three years. The Portolan Group has assisted in the creation of a district-wide Task Force and Performance Teams to provide direction to the reorganization. Senior management, rank and file and unions are all represented on the various teams. It is exciting to watch the teams grow in the performance of their specific tasks.

Phil Stover, PGI's President said "The changes that are taking place are very important to the success of the district's goals (Clean, Safe and Orderly Schools). We are very pleased to have been extended to continue facilitating the achievement of those goals. It has been a privilege to work with the entire staff of SDUSD. We look forward to continuing our relationship through the end of this year."

SAINT ANDREWS SCHOOL HIRES THE PORTOLAN GROUP TO PROVIDE AN ASSESSMENT OF THEIR FACILITIES DEPARTMENT

he Boca Raton, Florida based Saint Andrews School has selected the Portolan Group to conduct an assessment of their facilities (custodial, maintenance and grounds) department. The assessment comes at a time when the administration wants to know how its department is performing in comparison to other schools of its size.

Saint Andrews School is a member of the Florida Council of Independent Schools. The Portolan Group is pleased to have provided consulting support to three different FCIS schools. These campuses represent the finest tradition of Independent School education in the State of Florida. PGI Director, Rob Crosby said, "This school has a beautiful campus reflecting a commitment from the administration to provide students with the best opportunity for a quality education. We are pleased to have been chosen to support them in that mission."

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