DATE: December 17, 2024
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Kirk Haynes, Chief Probation Officer
SUBJECT: Retroactive Revenue Agreements with Fresno Unified School District and Sanger Unified School District for Campus Deputy Probation Officers
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a retroactive revenue Agreement with Fresno Unified School District to provide partial funding to the County for services provided by nine Deputy Probation Officers assigned to various Fresno Unified School District school campuses, effective July 1, 2024, not to exceed three consecutive years, which includes a one-year base contract and two optional one-year extensions, total not to exceed $1,095,682; and
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a retroactive revenue Agreement with Sanger Unified School District to provide partial funding to the County for services provided by one Deputy Probation Officer assigned to Sanger Unified School District school campuses, effective July 1, 2024, not to exceed three consecutive years, which includes a one-year base contract and three optional one-year extensions, total not to exceed $121,743.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) will provide $351,000 in funding for Fiscal Year 2024-25 toward the nine Deputy Probation Officer (DPO) positions. Sanger Unified School District (Sanger USD) will provide $39,000 in funding for Fiscal Year 2024-25 toward one DPO position. Both FUSD and Sanger USD will increase their contributions by 4% each year over the potential three-year terms. The remainder of direct costs for these positions will be funded with Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA) funds. The Probation Department (Department), FUSD and Sanger USD recognize the benefit of collaborating to provide services and having DPOs participate on the Police/Sheriff/Probation teams located on school campuses. Due to the collaborative nature of these agreements, the Department recommends your Board deviate from the County policy requiring full cost recovery (including indirect costs). This practice is consistently applied to similar agreements with other school districts. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If your Board does not approve the recommended actions, the Department will not have sufficient funding to continue providing on-campus DPO services to FUSD and Sanger USD.
RETROACTIVE AGREEMENT(S):
The Department has been in discussions with FUSD and Sanger USD regarding continuing to provide on-campus services, including a fiscal year rate increase to cover general operating cost increases including salaries and benefits. Once the recommended agreements were finalized, they were scheduled for the next available School Board meetings, which were November 6, 2024, and November 12, 2024 respectively, at which time they were approved. The Department is bringing this to your Board on the first available Board date within the agenda item processing deadlines.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The total FY 2024-25 cost for the nine DPOs assigned to FUSD is $1,814,949, including $1,717,263 in salaries and benefits and $97,686 in estimated services and supplies (covering vehicle, radio and cell phone costs). FUSD will contribute $351,000 towards salaries and benefits of these nine DPOs, with the remaining $1,463,949 funded with JJCPA funds. The total FY 2024-25 cost for the DPO assigned to Sanger USD is $201,661, including $190,807 in salaries and benefits and $10,854 in estimated services and supplies. Sanger USD will contribute a total of $39,000 towards the DPO’s salaries and benefits, with the remaining $162,661 funded with JJPCA funds.
Based on the Department’s current indirect rate of 20.65% of salary and benefits, the indirect costs associated with the DPO positions at FUSD and Sanger USD are $354,615 and $39,402, respectively. It is recommended that FUSD and Sanger USD portions of these indirect costs not be charged to the districts, considering the collaborative nature of the recommended agreements, and the fact that the DPOs provide supervision to youths who reside within the school districts’ boundaries. JJPCA funding requirements limit the portion of indirect costs that can be covered by JJCPA funds to 0.5% ($7,320 for FUSD and $814 for Sanger USD). Therefore, the Net County Cost for the indirect costs are $347,296 and $38,589, respectively. Should the recommended agreements be extended beyond the current fiscal year, each school district will increase their contribution by 4%. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues, including Department indirect costs, for these positions are included in the Department’s FY 2024-25 Adopted Budget Org 3430 and for the remainder of the agreement terms.
DISCUSSION:
Since the 1993-1994 school year, DPOs have been paired with Police Officers and Deputy Sheriffs on school campuses to promote campus safety and positive behaviors in the school, home and community. The relationship developed between the school districts and the Police/Sheriff/Probation teams is designed to be preventative in nature. The primary focus is a collaborative effort to closely monitor juvenile probationers on school campuses while developing and implementing school-based prevention and intervention programs. DPOs work with school district staff to monitor school attendance, maintain school safety, supervise probationers, serve as liaisons between the school and the courts, supervise student activities, and screen students for various programs.
The current agreements with FUSD and Sanger USD, approved by your Board on January 21, 2020 and November 5, 2019, expired on June 30, 2024. The recommended agreements increase funding contributions by 4% from the prior agreements, and also include a 4% increase for each subsequent year.
The recommended agreements differ from the County’s model contract in that they contain a mutual hold harmless clause, which has been reviewed and approved by Risk Management. This clause makes each party responsible for losses arising from their own negligent acts. The recommended agreements are also for a one-year term, with two one-year renewals upon written approval by both parties, differing from the model contract of three years with two one-year renewals. This allows the Department to review available JJPCA funding each year before renewing for an additional year.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #36, January 21, 2020
BAI #32, November 5, 2019
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Agreement with FUSD
On file with Clerk - Digital Signature Audit Report FUSD
On file with Clerk - Agreement with Sanger USD
CAO ANALYST:
Fine Nai