Solutions for Our Times
For further information and to receive complete copies of any of the white papers you
 see here,
 Contact
 Al Uretsky, Managing Partner
 Estrella Partners Group, LLC
 Tel.: (623) 594-9283
 auretsky@estrellapartners.com
Challenges for Education
By Lee Eisen
Associate Partner

Introduction
Today, more than in past years, School Districts face financial challenges in meeting the
expectations for providing leadership and the highest quality educational and support
services in a safe and secure environment.  This is applicable to school districts of all sizes
in all geographies.  It includes K-12 through Universities, both Public and Private
institutions; including Charter Schools and Alternative Schools.  When school
administrative officers institute Risk Management practices they not only meet regulatory
requirements, but also demonstrating that the safety of its staff and students is a top
concern and priority.  
Districts that include stakeholders from the district administration, instructional staff, and
facilities support staff, to address multiple areas such as physical plant safety and security,
IT security, hazards emanating from neighboring properties, and natural hazards or
shortages, can develop cost effective and operationally efficient mitigations to address
multiple issues with a unified strategy.  Additionally, engaging local or regional businesses,
police / fire/ EMS as well as other local government agencies creates a community of
interests, resources, and a unified response to disasters.
Districts need to develop workable responses to emergencies.  They must understand,
monitor, and communicate awareness of their risks, preparations to mitigate those risks
and plans to execute an effective response to a crisis.  Few administrators and staff
understand the complexities of risk management and school emergency management
planning and response.  In addition, first responders generally are not familiar with the
school district’s administrative structure, communication protocols, and chain of
command.  
Recent headlines and various studies show that some schools do not yet meet their state’s
minimum regulatory requirements.  Others meet those minimums, but do so without regard
to the bigger picture and thus have incomplete plans.  It is important to not only have a plan
in place, but to communicate it to stakeholders, test the plans, and review/revise them on a
regular basis.
When planning and response to risks are segmented into operational departments or
campuses unintentional gaps emerge that can exacerbate the crisis and slow response
during a large scale emergency.   These can be avoided with full capacity planning
bolstered by coordinated drills and execution.

Understanding the Fundamentals
In so many School Districts, Risk Management is relegated to “get an insurance policy.”  
But this approach is short sighted leaving Students, Staff, Board Members and the local
community at risk.  
Insurance policies may address some of the financial burden, but when disaster strikes,
lives are shattered or lost, reputations besmirched, and students and staff traumatized and
those are not outcomes any educator wants to see or is typically prepared to deal with.  In
addition, if insufficient, actionable, documented, and tested plans are not in place,
insurance policies may not protect a district’s board members and senior administrators
from personal liabilities.
In the current practice of Risk Management, it is the intersection of categorizing, prioritizing,
and monitoring of all risks and hazards along with the planning, preparation, and the
response to those risks being actualized.  By identifying and preparing to address
prioritized array of risks, your Emergency Management becomes more effective and efficient.
In the past few years we have all seen tragedies such as Columbine, Virginia Tech, Katrina,
H1N1-flu, and tornadoes which leave death, property destruction, and disruption in their
wake.  The current practices of Risk Management can be your most effective tool to
reduce the impact of such disasters.