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Fiscal Agent and Board / Staff
FCMAT staff is comprised of 14 full-time employees, and the
team also uses outside consultants to assist on most jobs. The
full-time team members are:Thomas E. Henry, Chief Administrative Officer
Connie Lane, Administrative Secretary I
- Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance (AB1200)
- Marshall H. Wiley, Chief Operations Officer
Anthony Bridges, Director, Management Assistance
Barbara Dean, Director, Management Assistance
Andrew Prestage, Director, Technology
Patrice Richter, Consultant / Technical Writer
Tamie Triplett, Chief Accountant
Leonel Martinez, Information Specialist
Robert McDuff, Information Specialist
Laura Haywood, Information Specialist
Anna Rubio, Clerk Typist III- CSIS - California School Information Services
- Bob Friedman, CSIS Operations Officer
Russ Brawn, Information Systems Administrator
Cheryl Taniguchi, Client Support Administrator
Bernadette McGinnis, Project Manager
Chris Hall, Network Systems Engineer
Tamara Shortt, Administrative Secretary I- Professional Development
- Joel Montero, Chief Operations Officer
- Compton Recovery (AB52)
- Roberta Mayor, FCMAT Administrator
AB1200 required that one county office of education in California administer the team. Four county office proposals were evaluated by the state before the Kern County Superintendent of Schools in Bakersfield, California was selected.
Administrative Agent Larry E. Reider, Kern County Superintendent of Schools, and Thomas Henry, FCMAT CAO, report on FCMAT activities to the FCMAT Board of Directors. The FCMAT Board recently was expanded to include county superintendents from each of the 11 service regions in the state, as well as district superintendents from each region, and a representative of the California Department of Education.
Each year FCMAT submits an annual report to the FCMAT Board of Directors and to the CDE. The annual report summarizes all of the team's on-site work during the previous fiscal year, as well as any new developments or activities.
County superintendents serving on the FCMAT Board of Directors are:
- Paul Tichinin, Mendocino County, North Coast -Region 1 - Vice Chair
Jim French, Trinity County, Northeastern - Region 2
Vicki Barber, El Dorado County, Capitol - Region 3
Mary Jane Burke, Marin County, Bay - Region 4 - Chair
Diane Siri, Santa Cruz County, South Bay - Region 5
Dan White, Tuolumne County, Delta Sierra - Region 6
Tom Lasek, Kings County, Central Valley - Region 7
Julian Crocker, Supt., San Luis Obispo COE, Region 8.
John Anderson, Imperial COE, Southern - Region 9
George Lozito, Inyo County, RIMS - Region 10
Donald Ingwerson, Los Angeles, Los Angeles - Region 11District superintendents serving on the FCMAT Board of Directors are:
- Tim Justus, Rincon Valley Union, North Coast - Region 1
Mark Geyer, Etna Union, Northeastern - Region 2
Rex Fortune, Center Unified, Capitol - Region 3
Charlie Mae Knight, Ravenswood City Elementary, Bay - Region 4
Fernando Elizondo, Salinas Union High, South Bay - Region 5
William Draa, Supt., Banta Elementary School District, Region 6
Tom Michaelson, Supt., Rockford Elementary School District, Region 7
Debra Bradley, Lompoc Unified, Costa Del Sur - Region 8
Warren T. Hogarth, La Mesa Valley-Spring Valley, Southern - Region 9
Stephen C. Teele, Hemet Unified, RIMS - Region 10
Amy Enomoto-Perez, Rosemead Elementary, Los Angeles - Region 11The California Department of Education's representative on the FCMAT Board of Directors is Susie Lange, Deputy Superintendent, Finance, Technology, and Management Branch.
| Fiscal Agent and Board / Staff | Enabling Legislation |FCMAT's Function
- The mission of the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team is to help California's local educational agencies fulfill their financial and management responsibilities by providing fiscal advice, management assistance, training and other related school business services.
FCMAT operates from the office of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools under contract with the California Department of Education and the governor's office. FCMAT reports to a board of directors comprised of one county superintendent and one district superintendent from each of the state's 11 service regions. A representative of the California Department of Education also is on the board.
Assembly Bill 1200 (AB1200) created FCMAT in 1991. The team can assist county offices of education in understanding their fiscal monitoring duties as required by AB1200, sometimes suggesting specific methods of carrying out the oversight responsibilities. FCMAT also provides management studies for districts of county offices requesting them.
FCMAT also was charged with establishing a "library/ clearinghouse'' of helpful information for school business operations. To accomplish this, an electronic Bulletin Board System (FCMAT BBS) was launched in 1994. Additionally, FCMAT created this web site in late 1995.
FCMAT now coordinates statewide professional development efforts for school business officials. For more information on any of these services, keep browsing through the FCMAT home pages, or call 805-636-4611.
| Fiscal Agent and Board / Staff | Function |Enabling Legislation
Why AB1200 was created
AB1200 was created because of the need to ensure that local educational agencies throughout California adequately prepare to meet their financial obligations. The law was rooted in the concerns that arose following the bankruptcy of Richmond School District, and the fiscal collapse of a few other districts that were preparing to seek emergency loans from the state.
Through the passage of AB1200, the legislature proclaimed that even in a time of tight revenues, the vast majority of California's 1,000-plus school districts have been able to maintain balanced budgets, and that local educational agencies should not expect to be bailed out by the state when they exhibit a pattern of unacceptable fiscal management. While only a handful of the state's school districts have reached this extreme stage of fiscal failure, the disturbing trend has shown an increasing number of school districts dipping into general fund reserves and spending more than they receive. The passage of AB1200 sent a strong message to local educational agencies to put and keep their finances in order.What AB1200 does
AB1200 is a statewide plan for county offices of education and school districts to work together on the local level to improve fiscal procedures, standards and accountability. AB1200 expands the role of county offices of education in monitoring school districts and mandates that they intervene, under certain circumstances, to ensure districts can meet their financial obligations. In crisis situations county offices can call upon the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (see "The Role of FCMAT") to help determine appropriate steps toward fiscal recovery. AB1200 provisions also apply to the state in its monitoring role over county offices of education. In short, no publicly-funded K-12 school operation has been left unaffected by this innovative effort to ensure fiscal solvency throughout the state's school system.
How AB1200 works
There are several defined "fiscal crises" that can prompt a county office of education to intervene in a district: a disapproved budget, a qualified or negative interim report or recent actions by a district that lead the county office to conclude that the district will not be able to meet its financial obligations. AB1200 spells out the procedures by which a county office monitors, assists, warns, or intervenes in the fiscal operation of a school district. A district can appeal a disapproved budget or a negative or qualified interim certification all the way up to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. In any of these situations, a county office or even the state could ask for FCMAT's assistance and assessment.
The role of FCMAT
Those who contributed to the formation of AB1200 recognized that expanding the responsibility and authority of monitoring agencies was not enough. A statewide resource focusing on fiscal and management guidance was needed to assist monitoring agencies in the performance of their tasks and to assist educational agencies that request help in school business management and related areas. Therefore, AB1200 called for the creation of a Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT). The mission of FCMAT is to help local educational agencies fulfill their financial and management responsibilities by providing expedient fiscal advice, management assistance, training and other related school business services. This can occur under several different circumstances. For example, if a county office reviews and disapproves a school district's annual budget, that county office may call upon FCMAT to examine the district's financial records, develop an approvable budget and/or provide other operational recommendations that will ensure fiscal stability. In addition, FCMAT can respond directly at the request of a school district or county office that may seek advice to improve management practices, business policies and procedures or organizational structure. The state, in its monitoring role, also could ask for FCMAT's assistance.
How FCMAT was established
AB1200 specified that one county office of education would be selected to administer the team. In the spring of 1992, all county offices of education were notified of the opportunity to apply to be the administrative agent for FCMAT. The selection, as required by law, was made by the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Secretary of Child Development and Education. The office of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools was selected to administer FCMAT and signed a contract with the governor's office to administer the team in June, 1992. Overseeing the establishment of policies for the new unit is the FCMAT Board of Directors. The board is comprised of one county superintendent and one district superintendent from each of the state's 11 service regions. A representative of the California Department of Education also is on the board. The board meets quarterly to set policies and to monitor FCMAT's progress.
What FCMAT has done to date
As of this writing, FCMAT has contracted to assist more than 80 local education agencies, including school districts and county offices of education. It is noteworthy that in all the districts and county offices where FCMAT has conducted studies, not one has sought an emergency loan from the state. Some of these local educational agencies were experiencing severe fiscal crises that took years to develop. Some made direct requests to FCMAT for assistance with management or organizational issues. Through special communications and by making presentations on FCMAT services throughout the state, the team has called attention to the need to comply with AB1200 and has educated school business officials about its ramifications. The team has established this web site and a free electronic bulletin board system (BBS) to provide information and resources (including state budget development software) that will assist all public school agencies statewide. Finally, FCMAT is working with public and private organizations to develop training programs for school business officials statewide.
Full AB1200 Legislation: On-Line | Download | FCMAT Home Page |