Marion County School Board members received a multi‑department update Oct. 16 on Goal 4 of the district strategic plan — fiscal and operational efficiency — covering technology, transportation, facilities, food and nutrition, procurement, risk management and finance.

Interim Superintendent Dr. Danielle Brewer and departmental presenters summarized outcome metrics, work underway and outstanding challenges. Technology staff reported system availability at 99.918% against a 99.99% target and listed infrastructure and cybersecurity upgrades planned or underway. Transportation leaders reported measurable improvement in morning on‑time arrivals, while noting continued afternoon challenges tied to drop‑off restrictions, staffing patterns and tiered runs. Food and nutrition officials said the district served about 9.8 million meals last year and exceeded a participation goal of 82% combined for meal programs.

Finance staff reiterated the ongoing budget pressure from a prior $64 million end‑of‑year shortfall and described site‑based budgeting as a central strategy this year. The board was briefed on steps the finance team is taking to reach an ending fund balance target (4.64% or about $23.1 million) including monthly reporting, principal budgeting training and closer tracking of positions added throughout the year.

Presenters gave department‑level updates and near‑term actions:
- Technology and Information Services said it is replacing network switches at schools, replacing wireless access points (with E‑rate funding pending), rolling out multifactor authentication, launching simulated phishing campaigns and deploying digital classroom management software for grades 6–12. Device counts noted in the presentation: roughly 63,000 devices on the network daily, about 52,000 Chromebooks and other teacher/administrative devices; more than 50,000 annual help‑desk tickets were reported.
- Transportation reported progress toward a 95% AM on‑time target and an 80% PM target; AM on‑time percentages have improved while PM arrival percentages lag in part because of PM parent pickup limits, PM‑only vacancies and temporary staff availability. The department now uses new routing software and tablets and added 18 buses approved by the board earlier in the week.
- Facilities cited HVAC and UVC installations, an ongoing facilities assessment with RossEMs and continued work to prioritize maintenance needs.
- Food and Nutrition said farm‑to‑school efforts grew (including a harvest from Amber Brook Farms that provided more than 8,000 corn servings on one day), named Farm‑Fresh Friday offerings and menu innovations; participation hit the plan target and the department served 9,800,000 meals last year.
- Procurement and risk management teams reported process improvements and lowered incident counts; staff noted a continued need for training at school sites on procurement rules.

On site‑based budgeting, staff described training scheduled to launch and the objective of giving principals more budget authority and accountability while tracking revenue per full‑time equivalent (FTE). Board members discussed long‑range implications including facility subsidization between schools and the need for timely reports on staffing additions so the board can track recurring costs.

Board discussion ranged from operational questions about driver staffing and vendor partnerships to broader policy issues such as the future of the referendum funding that currently supports art, music and other positions. No formal board votes were taken on Goal 4 items during the session; administrators said follow‑up briefings and monthly financial reports will return to the board.