SBCSS News and Press Releases

County Schools Purchases New Administrative Site

2011-06-17

SAN BERNARDINO - Following the approval by the San Bernardino County Board of Education at its June 13 meeting to purchase a new administrative site, departments of the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools are expecting to move into the new facility in the Hospitality Lane area of San Bernardino in the next year.

The new facility is located at 760 E. Brier Drive in San Bernardino. The facility, which has nearly 52,000 square feet of office space, was purchased for $6.935 million, said County Superintendent Gary Thomas.

"This new facility, which is being funded with redevelopment agency monies, will have a positive impact on our general operating budget long-term, because it will free money that has been used to pay for a lease at our Cooley Ranch administrative site," Thomas said.

County Schools will be vacating its Cooley Ranch administrative site over the next year. It would cost approximately $470,000 to lease the 48,000-square-foot Cooley Ranch facility for the 2011-12 fiscal year. Those leasing funds come directly from the general operating budget of County Schools.

"In these difficult fiscal times for funding for public schools, this decision will provide long-term savings for our organization," Thomas said.

The redevelopment agency funds that will be used for the purchase only can be used for capital expenditures and do not impact the general operating budget that funds salaries and benefits for employees.

The new facility will house the following departments at County Schools: Business Advisory Services; Business Support Services; District Financial Services; Human Resources; Information Technology; Internal Business Services; and Risk Management. Those departments, as well the rest of County Schools offices, provide a wide array of services to the 33 school districts, more than 530 schools and 417,000 students who attend public schools in the county.

County Schools' services range from fiscal oversight for districts to those that support student achievement and accountability, as well as personnel, information technology and credentialing services. County Schools also provides direct student instruction for preschool, alternative and special education students.