Times are changing at Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District (CRPUSD) in Sonoma County California. Just a few years ago the district was seeing a decline in their enrollment, but today administrators are reopening buildings and breaking ground on new facilities due to an increase in community development and population growth. To reduce many of the challenges that accompany student population growth, the Administration at CRPUSD have chosen a web-based analytics solution from GuideK12.
With the current and projected growth, the district realized a need for a comprehensive solution that provided much needed data and insights to make these changes as smooth as possible. CRPUSD has selected GuideK12; geovisual analytics tool to inform strategic planning. GuideK12 is a web-based, decision support software that allows administrators to visualize student data on an interactive map.
“As a Superintendent, relating to the various stakeholders within our district and community is essential, from our educators and administrators to the school board and families, said Cotati-Rohnert Park Superintendent Dr. Robert Haley. "I see data as a critical element to making informed decisions that allows me to communicate effectively with each of these stakeholders.”
Student needs, appropriate special program placement & open enrollment
With more than 40 school districts in Sonoma County as well as charters, it is important that CRPUSD take special care in deciding what programs to offer at what schools to maintain and increase its student-capture rate. It is increasingly important for administrators to visualize where kids are coming from and where they choose to attend school to accurately assess the district’s current offerings.
Capacity and Boundaries
Over the next year, the district will see roughly 275 apartment units and more than 2,000 single-family homes built in their district, in response to this, CRPUSD will be reopening closed schools and building new ones. GuideK12 will be an essential element in the process to analyze school capacity as well as to anticipate and visualize potential boundary changes.
Funding
California schools have a few options for raising additional dollars. CRPUSD will be asking voters to renew and extend a current parcel tax in November 2015, utilizing GuideK12, the district will have the ability to visualize voter data and cross tabulate that with data from a political consultant. This will allow the district to better understand their voters and more clearly communicate the benefits to passing this parcel tax.
“Open enrollment presents unique challenges to school districts. It is important to be able to visualize where students are coming from and where they are choosing to go. Understanding enrollment patterns and trends was the first thing about GuideK12 that appealed to us,” said Haley. “We do extensive marketing outside of the district and a tool like this helps us focus our energy and dollars.”
“We are thrilled to be working with Dr. Haley and his team from Cotati-Rohnert Park USD, said Chuck Amos, GuideK12 CEO said. "We are also very excited they will be providing to their community GuideK12’s SchoolSearch tool so parents can see their assigned schools, but also all the magnet offerings and other programs as well.”
