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Board discusses moving school finances from RDA to Edmonds for efficiency; conversion costs outlined
Summary
Board members discussed a proposal (from auditors) to migrate school financials from RDA to Edmonds to consolidate county and school systems; conversion fees and training (about $14,000 and $12,000 respectively) plus subscription/hosting were cited, and the board agreed to continue committee-level work and public coordination.
Essex County supervisors discussed a plan to consolidate school and county financial systems by moving the schools from RDA to the county’s Edmonds platform, a transition auditors recommended and staff has been evaluating.
Board members said consolidating systems would improve reconciliations, payroll and reporting and produce long‑term efficiencies. Staff said the conversion of three years of data would cost about $14,000, training roughly $12,000, and that subscription and hosting fees would be additional ongoing costs. Schools reported paying about $35,000 in support in calendar year 2025, which staff said could be lowered after conversion.
Staff and board discussed sequencing and timing: the conversion requires data migration, parallel system operation for testing, and focused cleaning of general ledger codes and budgets. Board members asked that staff and school leadership meet to answer outstanding questions; staff said a committee meeting will be convened and a March decision is likely to provide a green light to begin detailed work if both boards agree to proceed.
No formal motion to adopt a system change occurred during the session; the board indicated support for further committee work and asked staff to return with recommendations and a timeline.
