Summary of 2012

Without a doubt, our assignments during 2012 were  as different as their locations: Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont  and, of course, Massachusetts. They were as varied as their  organizational models: cities, towns, regional and vocational schools, a  collaborative and two insurance companies, a local one based in MA and a  national one based in San Antonio, Texas. CPI initiated nine projects  and have completed eight. Following are brief descriptions of some of  our work during this calendar year:
 

Our relationship with three client insurance companies continued.
 

1. For our national insurance client we provided a review of a claim  against a municipal’s parking ticket department. Hundreds of thousands  of dollars were involved in this claim.
 

2. For the tenth year our advice and suggestions were requested and  provided to state-wide broker and insurance experts, Mosse and Mosse. We  assisted this company not only with advice but also in marketing and  presentations at the following national and state-wide conferences: the  February AASA Conference in Houston, MASBO’s annual May Conference, the  annual MASS Summer Institute and the annual MASC/MASS Conference in  November. In each case, CPI teamed with George Mosse and Brian  Fitzgerald to provide solutions for employer/employee insurance issues.  Special focus was directed toward health and disability coverage as well  as sick leave banks and buy backs of unused sick leave.
 

3. In a Cape Cod school district, we assisted the superintendent and  business official in devel-oping a strategy and then a RFP for a long  term Food Service contract.
 

4. and 5. We returned to two former clients, one from fiscal 1996, a  town; the other from fiscal 2011, a collaborative. CPI assisted both  with analyses of their respective financial services. Using regional,  national and industry standards, we were able to provide significant  identification of problematic areas and then recommendation for short  and long term solutions.
 

6. With a new Vermont client, we provided significant advice and  suggestions concerning the small school’s financial functions. The  school recently came under significant scrutiny when its superintendent  changed and a FL consultant reviewed its entire operations.
 

For two clients we provided assistance that focused on the districts’ grants:
 

7. In one of the state’s largest cities, three CPI associates  interviewed, analyzed and recommended prescriptive solutions that better  served the district with its annual grants of over $25,000,000.   Comprehensive surveys by mail and phone as well as personal visits to  the districts occurred.
 

8. In one of the largest vocational schools in MA, the Budget  Senseaccount structure was refined to improve the school and its  conformity to state regulations.  
 

9. In a previous assignment, CPI had recommended several suggestions to  improve the transition of students from Grade 8, middle school, to Grade  9, high school.  Now that client asked us to review the progress of  this effort.
 

Finally, at the end of 2012, over two  days and with the significant help of Glen Koocher and  Mike Gilbert  (MASC) and the expertise of Mike Zepantis on Entry Plans, CPI was able  to plan, arrange and conduct three sessions that would help aspiring  superintendents. Twelve different senior administrators, nearly all from  Massachusetts but also one from Vermont and one from New Hampshire,  attended these sessions .