Educational Services Company

Our Services

The following is a list of the various services we provide:

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

Financial Advisors

• Since 1989, Educational Services Company has served school corporations as financial advisor for over 150 bond issues totaling over $2 billion in bonds. The size of the issues ranges from $500,000 to over $100,000,000. As financial advisor, we assist school corporations’ with preliminary budget planning and scheduling, public hearings and meetings, Control Board documents and presentations, and marketing the bond issue. There is no bond issue too large or too small—we do them all.

Budget Services

• As part of the financial advisory services for construction projects, we prepare the project budget for review and approval by the school corporation. Our knowledge of the construction process and the bond market allow us to provide accurate and realistic budgets.

Design-Build Services

• The design-build approach to school construction projects allows the school corporation latitude in picking the builder and shortening the time line. The key to the design-build process is the design criteria developer. We have a retired licensed architect with many years of school experience, to be the design criteria developer and assist school corporations with the all-important front end mechanics, such as leading the technical review committee, preparing the request for qualifications, and preparing the request for proposals.

Feasibility Services

• Our consultants work with school and community groups in consensus building as schools cope with school construction planning and the community’s response to it.

• Danville Community School Corporation Superintendent John E. McKinney stated that the key part of their [feasibility] study was the “ability of the consultants to bring a consensus and agreement from a disparate group from the community.”

Project Management

• Educational Services Company can supervise facility construction through the use of our consultant and a clerk of the works. Most project management jobs we do are priced at 40-60% below our largest competitors.

Calculation Tools

• Need a quick answer for the tax impact for a construction bond issue? Just enter information such as the size of the issue, the number of years of repayment, the interest rate assumption, and assessed valuation, and you will have an immediate response to your question.

Equipment Purchase Services

• Our consultants have assisted many school corporations in planning and purchasing the furniture and equipment for new or remodeled schools and building additions. Comparing our cost to the allocation of an administrator/principal is one reason to use us.

OPERATIONAL SERVICES

Budget Services

• Budget planning and assistance is one of the core components of our consulting firm. Our consultants have decades of experience in this area, and we are very good at designing programs to fit the needs of individual school corporations.

Interim Services

• As transitions from one permanent executive to another occur in Indiana’s school systems, school boards often find it necessary to retain the services of an interim school executive until the appropriate permanent appointment is made. Engagements range from sixty days to one or more years with most involving our consultant being on the job two to three days a week.

Treasurer Training

• We have former school treasurers as a part of our consulting team. We provide training services for new treasurers as well as accounts payable and payroll personnel and interim services for transitions.

Retirement Plan Services

• Dr. Tim Long, the former Superintendent in the Anderson Community Schools, said, “We had ten years of deficit financing when I took over in 2001, and one of my first calls was to Educational Services Company….Educational Services Company…did our initial study and will certify that any settlement they are involved with will not result in deficit financing for the corporation. I view that as a win-win and appreciate their efforts on behalf of the taxpayers in Anderson.”

Group Insurance Consulting

• Group insurance and retirement severance issues are having a greater impact than any other single factor in controlling school costs and determining budgets. Educational Services Company has several options and approaches to dealing with this important issue.

Property-Casualty Consulting

• If you are considering the newly allowed pooling arrangement available to school corporations via HEA 1006, Educational Services Company will be a resource for the actuarial requirements contained within the provisions for this new approach in the property and casualty area. With the property and casualty market showing signs of softening, this is an opportunity to maximize savings on premiums.

Transportation Studies

• ESC has experienced consultants who have extensive background in pupil transportation. We can evaluate the current transportation system or assist with the dreaded R word – redistricting. Our consultants are experienced in facilitating the community meetings involved in changing attendance areas and bus routes to accommodate new attendance districts.

Food Service Studies

• We have experienced consultants who have done successful studies which have enabled school corporations to solve perceived problems in their food service programs, such as cost overruns and low participation by students and staff.

BOARD SERVICES

Strategic Planning Assistance

• Many school boards recognize the need for planning that involves curriculum, personnel, finance, and facilities. Our consultants are experienced in facilitating and leading school boards through the appropriate activities to develop and effective strategic plan that can be updated to meet changing priorities.

Shared-Services Reviews

• One of the current foci in education circles today is to move school dollars from non-educational expenses to classroom expenditures. One of the ways to accomplish this goal is through shared support services among two or more school corporations. Our consultants have completed two such studies and are experienced in looking at the appropriate components that may lend themselves best to sharing between school districts.

Special Project Support

• We facilitate many kinds of special projects. Our financial health analysis, for example, is useful to set up a financial road map for two to four years into the future. Having this information available is also a great asset for school boards when they are recruiting a new superintendent or business manager.

Board Training

• Our consultants are skilled at educating school boards members as to their roles and responsibilities to the community and the school corporation. We design assistance programs to meet the varying needs of both large and small school corporations.