November 1, 2013

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL AND QUALIFICATIONS

WEST MORRIS REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT

RESTRUCTURING FEASIBILITY STUDY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Borough of Mendham on behalf of a consortium of agencies including Mendham Borough, Mendham Township, Chester Borough and Chester Township is seeking a professional consultant (the “Consultant”) to prepare a high-level feasibility study (the “Study”) to provide the partnering organizations and the residents of the communities they represent with a study examining the educational and financial benefits and/or detriments of a set of structural alternatives to the presently configured West Morris Regional High School District.

Consultants interested in providing the services described in this Request for Proposal are asked to submit five (5) printed and one (1) electronic copy (.pdf via e-mail) of the proposal and qualifications (the “proposal”) by 4 p.m. on December 13, 2013 (the “Proposal Submission Date”) to:

Maureen Massey

Municipal Clerk

2 West Main Street

Mendham, NJ 07945

Telephone: 973-543-7152 ext 15

Fax: 973-543-7202

Email:

Additional questions or clarifications regarding this Proposal should be addressed to Ms. Massey. To be considered, all questions must be submitted in writing no later than seven business days after the RFP release date.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY OVERVIEW

The West Morris Regional High School District is comprised of five communities: Chester Borough, Chester Township, Mendham Borough, Mendham Township and Washington Township. The children of the residents of Chester Borough, Chester Township, Mendham Borough and Mendham Township primarily attend Mendham High School located in Mendham Borough, while the children of Washington Township attend Central High School located primarily in Washington Township with a small portion of land in Chester Township.

There are currently five school districts in the communities that are served by the West Morris Regional District: West Morris Regional High School District (“WMRHSD”); Chester School District (K-8 for both Chester Borough and Chester Township); Mendham Borough (K-8); Mendham Township (K-8) and Washington Township (K-8). The consortium of participant agencies, lead by Mendham Borough, wish to perform a study of the educational and financial benefits and detriments of dissolving the district and forming two new districts, one for each of the high schools.

This study should include evaluation of the two alternatives available to the municipalities of the district that would serve the residents of the Mendhams and the Chesters. The first alternative to be considered is de-regionalization of the district with each of the Chesters and the Mendhams maintaining their existing K-8 local school districts and the creation of a separate limited purpose regional high school district serving the Mendhams and Chesters. The second alternative to be considered is de-regionalization of the district with each of the Chesters and the Mendhams forming a single K-12 district. Under either of these alternatives, Washington Township would have a single K-12 district. This is an initiative to determine both the educational and fiscal cost and benefits of these options.

The study should compare the costs and benefits, short-term (5 years) and long-term (10 years), of making any changes, and of each alternative in relation to the existing configuration and each other. The study should also provide an analysis of the tax impact of each alternative and the existing configuration on each municipality of 5 funding scenarios. The analysis should cover a 5 year period using demographic and enrollment trends from the demographic study being done for the WMRHSD by Whitehall Associates and due to be completed in August 2013. The 5 scenarios to consider are: (1) 100% per pupil; (2) 75% per pupil/25% equalized property value; (3) 50% per pupil/50% equalized property value; (4) 25% per pupil/75% equalized property value and (5) 100% equalized property value.

The study should propose measures of educational quality and should evaluate the existing configuration and proposed alternatives against those measures. The study should further provide an analysis on the probability for improvement against those measures in the existing configuration and the proposed alternatives over 5- and 10-year periods. The study should identify and take into account any impacts resulting from any transition to a new configuration.

A feasibility study is the necessary first step in understanding the potential impact of dissolution of the district and concurrent formation of either a 9-12 or a K-12 district for the Chesters and the Mendhams and a K-12 for Washington Township.

SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

It is requested that written proposals include the following information:

  1. Firm name, address, telephone number and fax number, email address
  2. Type of organization (partnership, corporation, etc.)
  3. Names of principals
  4. Lump sum fee
  5. Provide a brief background of the firm and any proposed consultants, including both school finance and educational expertise
  6. Location of office(s) where the bulk of the work will be carried out
  7. If the above designated office is not local, what will be done locally and by whom
  8. Develop a summary of the firm’s approach to each phase in providing service for this project
  9. Copy of business registration certification
  10. Copies of other required disclosure certifications
  11. Supply resumes of lead personnel and other personnel who would be assigned to this project
  12. Supply references as outlined in section entitled References and Consultant Qualifications

TIMELINES

RFP will be released by November 1, 2013. All feasibility study proposals are due by 4 p.m. on December 13, 2013. The feasibility study will be completed within 60-90 days after the award of the contract (each bidder should state whether this deadline is sufficient to allow for a well presented and comprehensive study).

BIDDER RESPONSIBILITY

The bidder assumes sole responsibility for the complete effort required in submitting a bid proposal in response to this RFP. No special consideration will be given after bid proposals are opened because of a bidder's failure to be knowledgeable as to all of the requirements of this RFP. The municipalities are not responsible for any expenses that vendors may incur in submitting their bid.

RESERVATION OF RIGHTS

The municipalities individually and collectively reserve the right to waive any informality and to reject any and all bids.

PROPOSAL REVIEW AND SELECTION OF CONSULTANT

The selected consulting firm will work under the direction of a project steering committee consisting of one designated elected official each of the participating municipalities.

The Steering Committee shall interview all Proposal finalists and make a recommendation to Mendham Borough (the “Lead Agency) for the selection of the Consultant. The firm or consultant(s) will have demonstrated school finance and education expertise. The selection of the independent Consultant shall only be made upon receiving the support of the majority of the Steering Committee. It is anticipated that decision on the selection of the Consultant would be made by February 1, 2014, at which time the terms of a professional services agreement would be finalized with the Consultant. Once a Consultant is selected and an agreement approved, the Steering Committee shall also be the group authorized to work with the Consultant to complete the project work plan.

Since this is a Proposal for the receipt of professional services, the Proposal that may best serve the partnering agencies is not solely determined on the proposed fee alone. The partnering agencies will also consider all relevant and material factors that pertain to the qualifications of the consulting firm.

The Lead Agency reserves the right on behalf of the partners to reject any and all Proposals that they believe are not in the best interest of the partnership.

FEASIBILITY STUDY MEETINGS & CONSULTANT COORDINATION

If selected, the Consultant would primarily hold meetings with the Steering Committee throughout the preparation of the Study. The Consultant should also be prepared if necessary to attend a public meeting of the participating agencies to present or clarify the findings included in the final report.

The Consultant’s primary point of contact will be the Municipal Clerk for the Borough of Mendham, who will coordinate the meetings and the distribution of Consultant –provided material to the Steering Committee members. The Consultant will be responsible for facilitating any public meetings, deciding on meeting content, preparing the public meeting agendas, preparing documents for distribution, and preparing draft and final meeting minutes.

PRIOR STUDIES & RELEVANT REPORTS

Consultants interested in submitting a Proposal and completing the Study should be aware of the following previous studies, documents, and reports which will be made available through the Borough of Mendham’s Clerk’s Office:

  1. Report on the Feasibility of Reorganizing the Six School Districts of the West Morris Regional Area in Two or More k-12 School Districts, August 1974
  2. Deregionalization Study Report, April 1988
  3. Feasibility Study of Proposed Deregionalization/Regionalization Models in West Morris Regional School District Involving Chester, Mendham Township, Mendham Borough and Washington Township, March 1990
  4. Washington Township Board of Education: Study of Withdrawal of Washington Township form West Morris Regional High School District, December, 11, 1998
  5. A Study of the Feasibility of Reorganizing the West Morris Regional High School District, January 2002

CONSULTANT QUALIFICATIONS & REFERENCES

The Consultant shall describe how the project is to be approached and describe why they are the most uniquely qualified firm to prepare this Study for the participating organizations. To be considered, the Consultant must possess significant experience in preparing a feasibility study evaluating school district restructuring. Experience with similar studies in the state of New Jersey is a pre-requisite.

The Consultant shall identify all such studies, including any school district restructuring or dissolution studies, which it has prepared over the past ten (10) years. The response shall include whether the firm was the principal firm on the project or whether it was a sub-contractor, together with a listing of responsibilities on each project. At least three (3) school and/or municipal references from different agencies must be provided for similar projects. A detailed history of the Consulting firm as well as the qualifications of all firm principals and staff to be assigned to the project shall also be provided in the Proposal. Firms selected to be interviewed should be prepared to provide samples of prior studies relevant to the project. A sample professional services agreement shall also be included in the Proposal.

SCOPE OF WORK

The successful bidder will gather information from the school districts as prescribed. The role of the bidder is to collect and analyze the following data that will enable the municipalities, the districts and the Executive County Superintendent to make an informed recommendation concerning the configuration of the school districts:

1. A brief, general description of the community of the constituent school districts including

  1. Population;
  2. Selected and projected population demographic characteristics, based on the most recent Census and the Whitehall Associates, including projected enrollment at each of the high schools over a five year period;
  3. Socioeconomic complexion, based upon the most recent data collected by the State of NJ.

2. Race, age distribution, average education attainment, median household income, housing units, and median price of single-family homes.

3. General description of proposed de-regionalization alternative arrangements, including names of constituent local public school districts, school buildings and grade levels by school district and area of the total proposed regional school district. Analysis should consider the following:

  1. De-regionalization of the West Morris Regional High School District with the concurrent formulation of new regional 9-12 school district for Mendham High School, leaving the existing K-8 structure of the Chesters and Mendhams in place, and the formation of a single K-12 for Washington Township due to de-regionalization
  2. De-regionalization of the West Morris Regional High School District with the concurrent formation of a single K-12 district for the Mendhams and the Chesters and the formation of a single K-12 for Washington Township due to de-regionalization;
  3. Continuance of the existing West Morris Regional High School District.

4. The proposed structure of the new board of education of the proposed K-12 regional district and of the proposed 9-12 regional district for the Chesters and the Mendhams that ensures representation from all constituent communities.

5. A statement of the maximum salary available for a superintendent in the resulting districts and an analysis of the market for highly qualified superintendents expected to preside over some of the best districts in the State at that salary, including the expected time it will take to hire such a superintendent and subsequently any staff.

6. An analysis of the impact of de-regionalization, if any, on the ranking of West Morris Mendham High School and West Morris Central High School in annual surveys of public high schools, and the impact of de-regionalization, if any, on the ranking of the high schools by number of AP and IB exams taken per student.

7. An analysis of administrative staffing, collective bargaining agreements and compensation guides of the constituent school districts and including but not limited to:

  1. The existing and proposed administrative organizational structures of each constituent local and regional high school school district(s), including any cost sharing efficiencies that will be lost or gained as a result of the proposed alternatives;
  2. Copies of each constituent school district's bargaining agreement(s) and the associated salary guides.
  3. Identify any labor relations issues – e.g. placement of teachers (NJSA 18A: 13-42, 49, 64). This section shall specifically discuss the potential for movement teaches between Mendham High School and Central High School due to the de-regionalization of the district, the likelihood of any such movement occurring and how that potential differs, if at all, from the current ability to move between the two high schools.

8. A summary report showing each constituent local public school district's first and last step of the salary guides for the current and last year of each school district's current bargaining agreement(s); showing lowest and highest starting salaries among the salary guides and the lowest and highest top salaries among the salary guides for current and last year of each school district's current bargaining agreement(s); the length of the guide; each school district's current average teacher salary and average years of service, and any provisions for longevity pay.

9. The impact on total teacher compensation in every school in any resulting districts (k-8, k-12 and 9-12 in the Mendhams/Chesters and in Washington Township) that may result from the proposed alternatives as compared to the existing structure.

10. A statement of the recommended measure(s) of educational quality and, using such measure(s), a comparative analysis of the existing and each proposed public school districts’ educational program, an analysis of the impact on those measures of the existing configuration and alternatives over a 5 year and 10 year period (including explaining and accounting for any impacts resulting from any transition to a new configuration) and recommendations and guidance for establishing the educational programs for the school districts in the existing and two alternative configurations:

  1. Curriculum covering articulation between local public school districts and across grade levels including content and pacing, and compliance with State's Core Curriculum Content Standards;
  2. Class size policies;
  3. Instructional delivery;
  1. Length of school day;
  2. Instructional time per day;
  3. Class schedules and scheduling methodology;
  4. Special, elective and advanced placement courses;
  5. Special education programs and programs for other special populations;
  6. Student support services;
  7. Extra and co-curricular activities; and
  8. Staffing of instructional and support services.

11. An analysis of potential impact, positive and negative, on the effectiveness and efficiency of the existing and proposed alternative configurations over a 5 and 10 year period (including explaining and accounting for any impacts resulting from any transition to a new configuration) including but not limited to:

  1. Existing state aid and the effect of de-regionalization on same;
  2. Existing shared programs (including, without limitation, the International Baccalaureate program), materials, administrative staff (including without limitation, superintendent, business administrator, faculty development and department leads) or faculty, including proposals for continuing and or replacing same and any associated costs or savings;
  3. Allocation of existing debt between proposed new districts;
  4. Distribution of assets other than school buildings between the two districts upon the de-regionalization of the current district;
  5. Any academic opportunities or programs that currently exist and their associated cost within the current district, the feasibility of maintaining the programs in the resulting districts, and the net cost of maintaining or replacing those programs for the resulting districts;
  6. Existing academic programs, with the intent to maintain or improve quality;
  7. Shared services and their associated cost including administration, that will be removed as a result of de-regionalization and the cost at each school of replacing any loss of these services;
  8. Special education programs and services consistent with the requirements of the IDEA (i.e.: more efficient inclusive practices, returning out-of-district placements, staff consolidation and maximization of special education class sizes to legal limits), and including the current cost of special education programs and the change, if any, in that number after the proposed de-regionalization with a goal toward maintaining existing service levels;
  9. Maximization of pupil transportation cost savings and other efficiencies through coordinated bell schedules, tiered bus routes, and other efficiencies created by the de-regionalization;
  10. Hiring superintendent and administrative staff;
  11. Movement of teachers;
  12. By comparing to other districts that currently have and have in the past had, but since terminated, international baccalaureate programs, the likelihood of maintaining the program in districts of the size that would result from the alternative configurations assuming (1) no increase in funding for any resulting regional high schools, (2) an increase in funding for any resulting regional high school and (3) a decrease in funding for any resulting regional high schools;
  1. Impact on district technologies, e.g. computer networks and administrative systems such as finance and human resource, maintenance, telephone systems, etc; and
  1. Other economies of scale to be considered are, but not limited to, staff development, curriculum development, health services, guidance services, media services, extra and co-curricular activities, common calendar, operation and maintenance of plant, etc.

12. An analysis of socio-economic and demographic information including but not limited to: