CLASS TITLE: School Office Specialist

To perform responsible administrative secretarial/clerical support services to a school site administrator and to coordinate the day to day operations of a school office. Employees in this classification receive limited supervision from a school site administrator within a broad framework of policies and procedures. This job class performs complex and responsible administrative and secretarial support functions requiring an advanced level of abilities and skills. This job class requires the use of initiative, organizational skills, problem solving skills, and independent judgment in the process of routine administrative details.

The classification of School Office Specialist provides administrative secretarial/clerical support to a cluster of student/instructional program. Incumbents are journey level administrative secretarial/clerical support and are expected to exercise independent judgment relieving the site administrator of routine actions not requiring immediate attention.

This classification is distinguished from the higher classification of School Office Coordinator in that the responsibilities of this classification are characterized by the performance of duties requiring use of discretion and judgment in choosing the appropriate procedural guide and instruction in completing the work and in recognizing problems requiring referral to other school office personnel.

• Performs responsible administrative secretarial/clerical support to a school site administrator and coordinates the day to day operations of the school office; assists in arranging and coordinating school and/or student/instructional program activities and facility usage

• Receives, processes, facilitates, and disseminates student/instructional program information between the school office, school districts, public, and community agencies, parents, staff, and students; maintains the confidentiality of sensitive information and ensures timely responses as necessary

• May provide training, guidance and assistance to other school site personnel; directs student assistants; serves as a resource regarding applicable rules, regulations, policies and procedures

• Establishes and maintains school staff filing systems; develops staff and school calendars; monitors attendance and certificated contracts for payroll purposes; monitors performance evaluation timelines for regular, temporary, and substitute staff; records, prepares, and submits the appropriate reports to the administrative office

• Assists in the preparation of the annual budget; establishes open accounts, prepares purchase requisitions, orders equipment, warehouse and other supplies

• Monitors, records, and maintains budget, account balances and expenditures; resolves invoice discrepancies; initiates, prepares, and submits budget revisions and corrections

• Receives and reviews financial reports and informs the site administrator of budget status, accounting procedures, and other matters affecting the student/instructional program’s financial solvency

• Maintains, receives, and responds to requests regarding student files including, but not limited to, enrollment/withdrawal, attendance, A.D.A, test scores, transcripts, bus transportation, course grades, health/immunization and lunch eligibility

• Prepares student registration, and withdrawal packets; maintains and updates student waiting/contact lists and/or bus transportation routes; notifies parents/students of available vacancies, withdrawals and/or suspensions

• Schedules meetings, staff interviews, student interviews and orientations; notifies participants of meeting dates; attends meetings and takes minutes as necessary

• Interprets and explains student/instructional program procedures and policies to parents, students, and school districts; assists parents and students in completing intake and registration forms and reviews forms for completeness and accuracy

• Confers with the site administrator and human resources department regarding staff employment, vacancies, substitute coverage, and personnel procedures; obtains staff for interviews; reviews interview procedures with staff; seeks and completes employment referrals

• Operates a personal computer, typewriter, duplicating and fax machines, and other peripheral and standard office equipment in the course of assigned functions

• Utilizes a variety of accounting, word-processing, graphic/presentation, and data base software applications programs

• Types, develops, and prepares a variety of correspondence, reports, memorandums, forms, evaluations, newsletters, requisitions, and purchase orders

• Enters and edits accounting, purchasing, and student data into automated systems; generates and reviews reports; identifies and corrects discrepancies; confers with technical and programming staff regarding system modifications and information needs

• Receives, opens, and distributes incoming mail; initiates and/or or transmits inter-office memorandums and notices

• May represent the County Office of Education and the student/instructional program, and/or site on various committees; participates in the development of school site improvement plans

• Performs all other related duties as required.

Knowledge of:

• Effective office principles, procedures, and practices including indexing, filing systems and maintenance, telephone techniques, and report writing

• Correct English usage, grammar, punctuation, vocabulary, and spelling

• Principles of leadership, training, and customer service

• Basic financial record-keeping, budgeting, accounting, and mathematics

• Computer office software application programs utilized for accounting, word-processing, and data base system purposes

• Applicable state and federal laws, rules, and regulations

Ability to:

• Follow and understand oral and written instructions without immediate supervision

• Interpret and apply applicable state and federal laws, rules, regulations, procedures, and policies

• Use discretion in organizing activities and setting priorities to meet established deadlines

• Establish and maintain a variety for filing systems for students, staff, and the assigned student/instructional program

• Perform a variety of administrative secretarial/clerical support work with speed and accuracy

• Type and prepare a variety of correspondence, memorandums, forms, and concise reports

• Analyze information and materials and formulate conclusions

• Operate a variety of office equipment including, but not limited to, a personal computer, copy machine, fax machine, calculator, and other peripheral equipment

• Use a variety of financial and student on-line systems and software application programs

• Type at a corrected speed of 50 words per minute

• Serve as a resource to other school office secretarial/clerical personnel

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the performance of required duties

May require:

• Bilingual/biliterate skills in a specified language as designated by the County Office of Education

• Possession of a valid Class 3 California Driver’s License and a driving record which meet the County Office of Education’s insurance requirement

Generally, the required knowledge and abilities would have been acquired through completion of computer office administrative/secretarial coursework and at least two years of administrative/secretarial support experience preferably in an educational environment.

BARGAINING UNIT: Office, Technical and Business Services (OTBS) Unit

WORKING CONDITIONS: Incumbents will work indoors in an office environment and will be required to be in direct contact with a variety of individuals including, but not limited to, County Office of Education staff, school district staff, parents, special needs students, students in community schools and in court supervised institutions and adult students. Incumbents will be required to drive from the school to the central county office and to other cluster sites/classrooms as needed.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Incumbents regularly stand and sit for extended periods of time, walk short distances on a regular basis; dexterity of hands and fingers to operate computer keyboard and other office equipment; kneeling, bending at the waist, and reaching overhead, above the shoulders and horizontally, to retrieve and store files and supplies; seeing to read fine print; hearing and understanding voices over the telephone and in person; moving and transporting office materials, and lifting light objects.

Approved by the Personnel Commission: February 5, 1999; Revised: May 8, 2008