Another Open Records Request

Below is the content of another Open Records Act request sent today to Mrs. Ramona Tyson, Interim Superintendent of the DeKalb County School System. A copy of this request was also sent to Mr. Tom Bowen, Chairperson of the DCSS Board of Education.

This request is based on items identified as the result of an extensive study of the Ernst & Young Compensation and Classification Chronology -- a 220+ page binder of mostly useless documents presented by Mrs. Ramona Tyson, DCSS Interim Superintendent, March 2011. But, among the chaff there were a few kernels of interesting information.

Also found was an unintentional, hide-in-plain sight "Easter egg" (look it up!) -- appropriate for this time of year, don't you think?

The question remains, though: What is DCSS hiding?

Open Records Request to Ramona Tyson

April 10, 2011

Mrs. Ramona Tyson

Interim Superintendent

DeKalb County School System

Copy to: Mr. Tom Bowen

Chairperson

DeKalb County School System Board of Education

RE: Open Records Act Request

Good morning, Mrs. Tyson,

Thank you for providing the Ernst & Young Compensation and Classification Study Chronology. Based on the information and referenced deliverables contained in that chronology, I am requesting the following under Georgia’s Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 through 50-18-76 :

(1) A copy of the signed contract between the DeKalb County School System/DCSS BOE and Ernst & Young, containing specified deliverables, as approved at the September 8, 2003 Board of Education meeting, to include:

• Comprehensive compensation survey completed for surrounding and comparable school systems, as required in detailed RFP. [Part I, Item 8, page 3]

• Estimated implemented costs and projected annual fiscal impact to DCSS Department of Human Resources. [Part I, Item 8, page 3]

(2) The following items, listed and described in the Compensation and Classification Summary of Services provided to the DeKalb County School System by Ernst & Young, LLP; [summary] prepared by Reanee N. Ivey, Ph.D., January 14, 2005:

• Written compensation philosophy (draft) based on input from the Board of Education, then-Superintendent [Johnny Brown], PGT members and input obtained during focus group meetings with employees.

• A draft of the management plan for salaries that exceed the market (developed and proposed by Carl Beck, Rick Cost, Vivian Davis, Reanee Ivey and Vicki Correls) requested by then-superintendent Johnny Brown.

(3) The spreadsheet presented to DCSS/DCSS BOE on or about April 18, 2005 by Steve Sullivan of Ernst & Young.

(4) The RFP that led to Deloitte Consulting LLP’s selection to prepare Developing the DCSS Compensation and Classification Program (originally one of the Ernst & Young contracted deliverables [September 8, 2003] for which Ernst & Young was paid a total of $341,000 for all deliverables.)

(5) The signed contract between the DeKalb County School System and Deloitte Consulting LLP, containing specified deliverables.

(6) Official record of a request from DCSS to Ernst & Young to return payments for deliverables not satisfactorily completed and the official record of funding returned by Ernst & Young to DCSS. [See #4, above.]

(7) From the September 6, 2005 BOE meeting:

• The complete executive summary report on the Position Compensation and Classification Study as presented to the DCSS BOE on September 6, 2005 by Jim Landry of Deloitte. (A copy of the complete report is noted as being part of the official file of the September 6, 2005 BOE meeting.)

• The answer to BOE members’ request on September 6, 2005 for information regarding the potential cost impact of the Position Compensation and Classification Study to DCSS.

The taxpayers of DeKalb County paid more than $341,000 – when you factor in the as yet undisclosed expenses for Deloitte -- for the deliverables from this salary study. The information I am requesting should be easily available electronically, as well as in hard copy, in DCSS files. A study of this magnitude and importance – not to mention cost – should be readily available on request.

Mrs. Tyson, you went to a lot of trouble assembling a “chronology” of the salary study (albeit with large gaps of time) which mentions the existence of the very things I am asking for. The chronology, itself, given to and apparently mostly ignored and unread by current BOE members, does not provide the deliverables we paid for. Simply not having the documents now, whether due to carelessness, incompetence or intent, is not acceptable.

You have the option to produce these documents, at no cost, for taxpayers in response to my request. Since I and other taxpayers have already paid for the documents with our tax dollars, I would greatly appreciate it if you would simply make them available at no charge on the DCSS website within the 3 business days allowed by law – by Thursday, April 14, 2011.

Thank you for your consideration and cooperation,

Sandy Spruill

shspruill@gmail.com