Sarasota district outlines Studer-fueled organizational excellence rollout after Barancik grant
Summary
District leaders told the board Jan. 6 that a Barancik Foundation grant and Studer Group partnership have driven a two-year organizational excellence effort focused on service standards, employee engagement and measurable scorecards; staff promised a Feb. 1 training rollout and survey updates in March.
At a Jan. 6 Sarasota County School Board workshop, Superintendent Conner and district staff presented progress on a multi-year organizational excellence program funded by a Barancik Foundation grant and implemented with the Studer Group.
The update focused on operational changes aimed at “fostering employee engagement” under Pillar 3 of the district strategic plan. District leaders described Year 1 deliverables — department scorecards, service-excellence standards, quarterly Studer coaching and a train‑the‑trainer/influencer model — and laid out near-term timelines for training and measurement.
District staff said the employee experience survey drew dramatically more responses over three years: 1,557 in 2023, 1,608 in 2024 and 2,767 in 2025, a 71.3% increase that staff described as evidence the engagement initiative is prompting greater participation. The employee Net Promoter Score reported for 2025 was 9.54, which district staff characterized as “stable and solid” for K–12 contexts. Leaders also cited operations-division scorecard goals such as increasing the employee‑engagement mean from 3.74 to 3.89.
Chief of Human Resources Ashley Ramotka framed measurement as central to the work: “We cannot improve what we cannot measure. We measure what we value,” she said. Jody Dumas, executive director of facility services, emphasized pushing training beyond central offices to frontline workers — custodians, bus aides and food-service staff — using trainers and peer influencers to embed consistent customer-service behaviors.
The district described specific tactics: leader rounding (each leader to round on staff twice yearly and report three themes, two opportunities and one action), monthly operations check-ins, and a results‑rollout process that translates survey data into department action plans. Studer is scheduled to return on-site for a second round of trainer sessions the week after the workshop, and the district plans to begin districtwide employee training on Feb. 1.
Board members asked for measures the board can track. Mister Edwards and others pressed for turnover rates and clearer onboarding metrics; staff said turnover is generally low and that HR is updating onboarding so new hires receive core training before they begin. The superintendent and HR staff agreed to provide turnover data to the board by email and to include progress reporting at the March workshop.
Several board members stressed the risk that initiatives become “one more thing” unless behaviors are hardwired. Mrs. Rose and Missus Marinelli praised leader rounding as a practical lever; Missus Barker said strengthening customer service is key to competing in a school‑choice environment. Staff acknowledged the need for sustained attention beyond the three‑year grant.
Next steps: staff will proceed with the Studer trainer schedule, begin district employee training Feb. 1, launch an employee experience survey on Jan. 14 and return to the board with turnover and implementation updates in March.
