Audit: adult education needs marketing help
By Charles Batchelor

Judy Stoneman said she received a box of her personal teaching materials in the mail from the county's adult education office after she complained about how the program had been administered. Stoneman, a keyboarding and computer adult education teacher, told the school board she felt the sending of the box was meant to intimidate her. School officials say the mailing of the box was a standard endof the-year procedure. "We have personnel problems at adult education," she told the board, saying she had seen a disrespectful attitude toward senior citizen students and heard racial comments. Asked about Stoneman's concerns after the meeting, School Board Chairman Marshall Trammell said, "Personally, I'm not happy. It's one of the personnel issues we are looking into. We should know something by August."

The school system needs to improve how it is marketing adult education classes, according to a special audit performed last month by the county.

"We concur with all eleven recommendations in the audit report," the superintendent of schools said in outlining the auditors' conclusions (see page 2). Dr. Billy Cannaday viewed the report as an "action plan," saying many changes will be in place by August.

The audit was in response to two citizens, a student and an adult education teacher criticizing the management of the program at the school board meeting last month. Besides asking why thousands of printed brochures were not distributed, the critics complained about inappropriate textbooks in computer classes and staffers who were rude and not attentive to problems.

The audit did not address their complaints about personnel, but Cannaday said the "specific concerns about personnel were not taken lightly."

While saying she was pleased with the audit report and the response from Cannaday, citizen activist Brenda Stewart told the school board that personnel changes in the adult education office were needed.

"Sometimes we may forget that the schools are to serve the entire community," Dianne Pettitt said in response to Cannaday's summary of the audit report. The Clover Hill district school board member said adult education "is an important program, and we want to make it better."

Teacher Judy Stoneman had praise for the school board's response to her concerns and the audit findings. She thanked School Board Chairman Marshall Trammell for his help, telling him at the board meeting she recognized that "you can't do anything about problems you do not know about."

About 20 of the 100 adult education courses are career-oriented (technical training in trades such as heating and air conditioning or masonry) while the majority are self-help and improvement classes such as introductory foreign languages, knitting and basic computer skills. Last fall 1,190 people participated, and 1,022 were registered last spring.

The auditors reported that while the overall marketing cost using the brochures decreased by $17,637 this spring, printing too many copies wasted $8,700. Auditors confirmed that over 50,000 spring catalogs had not been distributed.

Textbook fees on some computer classes will be refunded to students.

The report also said inefficient distribution likely reduced enrollment. "The excess printing appears to be due to poor planning while changing the process and not related to fraud," the report concluded.

Cannaday had asked that the review, performed by the county's internal auditors, examine the printing and mailing of the course catalogs last spring, the processes used to promote the classes (comparing them to similar localities), and how textbooks were selected.

Stoneman and her students told the school board that inappropriate books provided for the computer course Stoneman taught were designed for a formal, full-semester college class.

Those students with the inappropriate book will be given a full refund for the cost of the book and also a voucher for a free class next year, announced Dr. Dale Kaldofen, assistant superintendent for instruction. Jo Ann Leitch, one of the students in the class with the wrong book, said she found that response satisfactory.

Better marketing of the adult education program was the primary discussion topic at the school board meeting, with both the school board members and citizens making suggestions.

Critics of the adult education management received reassurances that classes would be offered throughout the county next year.

Classes were held at Midlothian, Manchester and Clover Hill high schools last year. Chairman Marshall Trammell asked that Matoaca High School be considered also.

In other action, the school board approved two contracts, totaling over $30 million, to build the Bermuda and Harper's Mill elementary schools. Kathy Kitchen, the school's finance chief, said the bids were 22 percent over budget. Other area school districts are seeing construction costs 40 percent over what was approved by the voters in their bond referendas, she said.

The board meeting was Cannaday's last in Chesterfield. This week, he took over as Virginia's new superintendent of public instruction. Adult Ed audit recommendations -Brochures printed should be limited to the amount to be distributed. -Partner with Parks and Recreation Department's mailing of its brochures. -Market via e-mails to reach prior students. -Place ads in local newspapers. -Include the specific versions of software to be taught in course descriptions.

-Create formal procedures for textbook selection and teacher review.

-Refund the cost of the textbooks to the students in the classes who purchased books that did not match the software to be taught and also provide vouchers so those students can take another class of equal or lesser value.

The formal report said Administrator Deborah Hinton concurred with each finding and would implement changes by August.