People wonder how the Escambia Children’s Trust has budgeted nearly half its tax revenue on underperforming Out-of-School Time (OST) programs. They also want to see if the board will repeat the mistake for another year tomorrow with little or no objective data to show outcomes.
The process has been deliberate but flawed.
1) The Board approved a Strategic Plan that called
a) for Kim Krupa to::
1) Introduce outcomes/results-based system of
continuous program evaluation that engages all
stakeholders in the analysis and reporting of child
outcomes
2) Monitor and evaluate grantees’ performance
b) Divided the funding -which included carry-forwards from the previous year:
1) Provide matching funds to increase or maintain
availability/accessibility to family and children’s
services (e.g., early childhood education/care, civil
legal services, K-12 wrap-around services, child abuse
prevention, access to healthcare, or family-
strengthening programs) – $4,175,382
2) Issue an RFP and fund proposals to increase the
availability/accessibility of high-quality out-of-school
time (OST) programs, including school-age and early
childhood education programs – $5,845,534
3) Issue an ITB and fund a local provider to develop a
comprehensive, coordinated system to perform routine
health assessments, including preventive care/wellness
visits; mental health; immunizations; screenings for
vision, hearing, and speech; dental; and
developmental status – $1,670,153
4) Issue an RFP and fund proposals for mental health
support services for children and youth who do not
have a diagnosed mental illness – $3,340,305
5) Designate funding for special projects that address
unanticipated or emergency needs (e.g., hurricane,
fire, pandemic, etc.) that cause a disruption of services
to children – $1,670,153
2) In October 2022, the Grants Committee reviewed OST proposals and made its recommendations.
Committee members: Tori Woods, Melissa Sidoti, Sam Mathews, Lynsey Listau,
Suzanne Ryals, Carmen Powe.
Staff/Advisors: Tammy Greer, Executive Director; Kimberly Krupa, Ph.D., Director of Programs
and Performance; Meredith Bush, Esq., Legal Counsel; Alma Ellis, Board Liaison and
Administrative Specialist; Tammy Abrams, Director of Finance and Operations, Rick Stone,
Programs and Research Coordinator
According to the minutes, ECT received 37 proposals totaling $11.182 million. Each proposal was scored by committee members, and any proposal scoring less than 70 was dropped. We don’t know what instructions the members were given to do their analysis or what staff did to verify data in the proposals.
The scoresheet shows that Urban Development Center was in the top five, while Chain Reaction and Children’s Theater barely made the cut.
- Chain Reaction was questioned because: “Majority of funding is salary but opening satellite location.”
- Children’s Theater: “Confusing proposal, Agency is based in New York, appears to be a for-profit, and has no history here. The dosage meets RFP requirements. The proposed program does bring in variety. During contract negotiations, ask the agency to submit a detailed budget to support line items for personnel.”
The YMCA proposal was rejected:
High cost per participant; high sub-grants to be awarded to other organizations with no detailed budget breakdown of what subcontract entails. The budget breaks down to $15,000 per participant, with additional funds to other agencies (BBBS, Lakeview, etc.). Expensive purchases (vans) and big programs merged together. Bare narrative to help the committee understand these costs.
The committee could recommend the smaller amount to the ECT board, as this budget represents one-fifth of the ECT budget set aside for 280 kids.
The committee approved an amended moon to remove the proposer from the list – because funding is one-fifth of the ECT designated budget for OST RFP, and costs per child are excessive
James B. Washington Education & Sports has failed to meet the threshold.
3) The board met in late November. Tori Wood motioned to table the recommendations to give staff time to gather more financial data and for the grants committee to meet individually with each provider.
The meetings were held in January. The minutes reflect only who attended and who made presentations.
4) In February, the Grants Committee approves new recommendations. Urban Development Center moves to #4 on the scoring sheet; Valerie’s House #5. The YMCA gains a few points to get above the 70 pt. Threshold. James B. Washington Education & Sports (66.7) is still below the threshold, but the committee bows to political pressure and approves it.
- Escambia County’s Neighborhood & Human Services had two programs that scored higher than Washington’s, but the Grants Committee rejected their programs.
- Total recommended: $5,104, 482.
5) The board approves the recommendation. “Ms. Hightower motioned to approve the recommendation, Mr. Peaden seconded, all in favor, recommendation approved.”
