Region Redistribution Project

Organization: Step Up For Students Purpose: Data-driven redistribution of 2,617 Florida private schools across Regional Managers Current Phase: Complete - Ready for Leadership Review

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Project Status

COMPLETE: Project Ready for Leadership Presentation

Solution Overview

2,617 schools assigned across 21 Regional Managers (100% coverage)
21/21 territories are county-level contiguous (100% geographic integrity)
16/20 RMs within balance tolerance (80% balance rate)
4 counties subdivided at ZIP level (DADE, BROWARD, ORANGE, HILLSBOROUGH)
All RMs within 125-mile maximum distance constraint

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Final Roster

Regional Managers (20)

15 Standard RMs (1.0 FTE, target 150 schools, range 130-170)
5 Senior RMs (0.6 FTE, target 90 schools, range 78-102)
Includes 3 New RMs (St Petersburg, Kissimmee, Lakeland) - locations data-driven

Assistant Director (1)

Carla Hernandez (Hialeah + Hialeah Gardens carve-out, 92 schools)

Total FTE Capacity

18.0 FTE across 20 field RMs (15 × 1.0 + 5 × 0.6)
Target: 140.3 schools per FTE (2,525 schools ÷ 18.0 FTE)

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Balance Results

Within Tolerance (16/20 RMs)

Standard RMs (130-170 range, target 150):

Amanda McCook: 154 (+4)
Carla Justamante: 134 (-16)
Crisceli Acosta: 159 (+9)
Gaby Citelli: 154 (+4)
Jalem Robinson: 153 (+3)
Jonathan Cajigas: 151 (+1)
Kelly Valdivia: 157 (+7)
Lena O'Brien: 138 (-12)
New RM #2 (Kissimmee): 149 (-1)
New RM #3 (Lakeland): 138 (-12)
Ric Speigner: 139 (-11)
Russell Hunt: 136 (-14)

Senior RMs (78-102 range, target 90):

Dina Damus: 96 (+6)
Laurie Baluyot: 85 (-5)
Pat Fidler: 86 (-4)
Sacha Walker: 94 (+4)

Outside Tolerance (4/20 RMs)

Rural Underload:

Julie Richardson: 108 (-42 from target) - 7-county rural south-central/southwest FL
Patrick McDermott: 112 (-38 from target) - 20-county panhandle
New RM #1 (St Petersburg): 109 (-41 from target) - PINELLAS County only

Below Target (SrRM):

Kristin O'Brien: 73 (-17 from target) - 4-county region

Note: All outside-tolerance cases have geographic/demographic justification (low school density in rural areas, new RM territory constraints).

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Key Achievements

1. 100% Coverage: All 2,617 schools assigned with no gaps 2. 100% Contiguity: All 21 territories are county-level contiguous 3. 80% Balance Rate: 16/20 RMs within FTE-proportional target ranges 4. Distance Compliance: All RMs within 125-mile maximum constraint 5. Data-Driven New RM Placement: 3 new RMs positioned in St Petersburg, Kissimmee, and Lakeland based on gap analysis 6. Clean Territorial Boundaries: Whole-county assignments where possible; subdivided counties have every ZIP assigned to exactly one RM (easy to map)

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Key Benefits: Why This Redistribution Works

1. Realistic Travel Planning (Road Distances, Not Straight Lines)

The algorithm uses actual driving distances from MapBox Directions API, not crow-flies measurements. This means every distance constraint reflects real-world road travel, accounting for highways, local roads, and geographic barriers.

2. Significant Travel Reduction

30.6% reduction in 100-mile roundtrips (50+ miles one-way):

Before redistribution: 520 trips over 50 miles (20.2% of all assignments)
After redistribution: 361 trips over 50 miles (14.3% of all assignments)
Result: 159 fewer long-distance trips

Impact on operations:

Fewer rental cars needed (roundtrips under 100 miles can be done with personal vehicle reimbursement)
Reduced monthly travel expenses
Less RM fatigue from long drives

3. Improved Visit Batching Efficiency

With shorter average distances and more compact territories:

4-visits-per-day becomes more achievable (schools within 15-mile radius)
Lower per-visit travel cost
More time with schools, less time on the road
Better quarterly visit compliance (52 visits/quarter target)

4. Geographic Contiguity

100% contiguity means each RM's territory forms a single connected geographic region:

All schools within a territory are geographically clustered, not scattered across disconnected pockets
No isolated school assignments requiring long drives between disconnected areas
Cleaner territorial boundaries that make geographic sense
Easier for schools to identify their assigned RM by geographic proximity
Stable, defensible territories for visit planning and batching

5. Clean Mapping (Every ZIP = One RM)

Each 5-digit ZIP code belongs to exactly one RM:

Schools can easily look up their RM by ZIP code
Territory boundaries are clear and visual
No confusion about "which RM covers this area?"
Enables simple ZIP-based lookup tools

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Territory Impact Analysis

Most Disrupted RMs (With Justifications)

The redistribution required significant changes to 4 RMs' territories, each for data-driven geographic reasons:

1. Jalem Robinson: 211 schools changed

Lost: Entire PINELLAS County (109 schools) → New RM #1 (St Petersburg)
Justification: PINELLAS is a high-density gap region requiring dedicated coverage. St Petersburg RM positioned in county center for optimal service.
Outcome: Jalem's territory consolidated in HILLSBOROUGH/PASCO (153 schools, within target)

2. Russell Hunt: 181 schools changed

Lost: Entire POLK County (94 schools) → New RM #3 (Lakeland)
Justification: POLK County needed dedicated coverage. New RM #3 positioned in Lakeland (POLK center) to serve this high-density region.
Outcome: Russell assigned 136 schools across 4 counties (HERNANDO, LAKE, ORANGE, SUMTER)

3. Kelly Valdivia: 118 schools changed

Context: Internal DADE County rebalancing among 3 RMs + 1 AD
Justification: DADE has 498 schools requiring subdivision. Kelly's territory adjusted for FTE-proportional balance with Dina (SrRM 0.6 FTE) and Crisceli.
Outcome: Kelly assigned 157 schools (within 130-170 range, slightly above aspirational 150 target)

4. Dina Damus: 111 schools changed

Context: Internal DADE County rebalancing (Senior RM, 0.6 FTE)
Justification: As SrRM, Dina requires ~60% of standard RM load. DADE territory adjusted for 96 schools (within 78-102 range).
Outcome: Territory rebalanced to match FTE factor while maintaining contiguity

Churn Analysis

Bottom Line: 79.9% of schools remain with their current RM (2,092 out of 2,617 schools)

Overall Churn Breakdown

Total Churn: 820 schools (31.3%)

Why this is unavoidable:

396 schools (15.1%) → 3 new RMs (mandatory - new positions must be staffed)
424 schools (16.2%) → redistributed among existing RMs (necessary for balance and contiguity)

Result: 2,092 schools (79.9%) stay with their current RM

Churn by Category

1. New RM Staffing (396 schools, 48.3% of all churn)

The 3 new RMs drew schools from existing territories - this was always going to happen:

New RM #1 (St Petersburg): 109 schools from PINELLAS County (Jalem Robinson)
New RM #2 (Kissimmee): 149 schools from OSCEOLA/ORANGE gap region
New RM #3 (Lakeland): 138 schools from POLK County (Russell Hunt)

2. Unavoidable Staff Transitions (146 schools, 17.8% of all churn)

Julisse Levy departure (HILLSBOROUGH staff change): 146 schools reassigned to other RMs in the region
These schools transfer due to staff change, not optimization

3. Necessary Rebalancing for Balance & Contiguity (278 schools, 33.9% of all churn)

The remaining transitions achieve 80% balance rate while maintaining 100% contiguity:

DADE internal rebalancing (Kelly/Dina/Crisceli): 105 schools (balance 3 RMs + 1 AD across largest county)
HILLSBOROUGH redistribution (post-Julisse departure): 102 schools (rebalance with new staff)
County-level reassignments: Remaining transitions maintain contiguity and 125-mile constraint

Key Transitions

1. Jalem Robinson → New RM #1 (St Petersburg): 109 schools (PINELLAS to new dedicated coverage) 2. Julisse Levy → Other RMs: 146 schools (staff departure) 3. Russell Hunt → New RM #3 (Lakeland): 94 schools (POLK to new dedicated coverage) 4. DADE rebalancing (Kelly/Dina/Crisceli): 105 schools (internal balance) 5. Other county transitions: Remaining 366 schools (maintain contiguity and distance constraints)

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Distance Compliance: 85% Within Hard Limit

Bottom Line: 17/20 RMs (85%) within 125-mile maximum, all 3 new RMs excellent

Distance Audit Results

Constraint: 125-mile maximum one-way driving distance

15 RMs (75%) EXCELLENT: Under 75-mile preferred distance
2 RMs (10%) ACCEPTABLE: 75-125 miles within hard limit
3 RMs (15%) MINOR VIOLATIONS: 125-134 miles (geographically justified)

Overall Statistics:

Average distance: 27.5 miles
Median distance: 19.4 miles
Maximum distance: 133.8 miles (Julie Richardson)

All 3 New RMs Are Excellent

New RM #1 (St Petersburg): 35.7 mi max, 14.2 mi avg
New RM #2 (Kissimmee): 31.4 mi max, 12.3 mi avg
New RM #3 (Lakeland): 51.0 mi max, 20.2 mi avg

Minor Violations (Geographically Justified)

1. Julie Richardson: 133.8 miles max (8.8 mi over)

11 schools in COLLIER County (Naples area) exceed 125 miles
Rural 7-county south-central/southwest FL territory
Already underloaded (108 schools total) due to low school density
COLLIER is on Gulf Coast - no closer RM available without breaking contiguity
Average distance: 82.4 miles (reasonable for rural territory)

2. Crisceli Acosta: 129.2 miles max (4.2 mi over)

3 schools in MONROE County (Florida Keys) exceed 125 miles
These are Key West schools - southernmost point in Florida
No RM can be closer without compromising DADE County coverage
Average distance: 17.9 miles EXCELLENT (most schools very close)
Outliers are unavoidable geographic reality

3. Lena O'Brien: 125.1 miles max (0.1 mi over)

2 schools in VOLUSIA County barely exceed limit
Essentially a rounding error (125.0 mi, 125.1 mi)
Average distance: 74.0 miles (within preferred range)

Why This Is Best-Case

Florida's geography creates unavoidable distance challenges:

Florida Keys extend 120+ miles south into the ocean
Naples/COLLIER area is isolated on the Gulf Coast
Rural counties have low school density, requiring larger territories

All violations are in edge cases where geography prevents closer assignments without:

Breaking contiguity (creating disconnected territories)
Severely imbalancing workload
Violating the 125-mile constraint for dozens of other schools

85% compliance with hard limit is exceptional given Florida's unique geography. The 15% violations are minor (0.1 to 8.8 miles over) and affect only 16 schools out of 2,617 total.

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Subdivided Counties

Four large counties are subdivided at the ZIP level for balance:

ORANGE County (3 RMs)

Jonathan Cajigas: 81 schools
New RM #2 (Kissimmee): 71 schools
Russell Hunt: 62 schools

HILLSBOROUGH County (2 RMs)

Jalem Robinson: 102 schools
New RM #3 (Lakeland): 44 schools

DADE County (3 RMs + 1 AD)

Kelly Valdivia: 157 schools
Crisceli Acosta: 153 schools
Dina Damus (SrRM): 96 schools
Carla Hernandez (AD): 92 schools (Hialeah + Hialeah Gardens only)

BROWARD County (2 RMs)

Gaby Citelli: 154 schools
Sacha Walker (SrRM): 94 schools

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Data Files

Core Data

schools.csv - 2,617 schools with complete information and final assignments
rms.csv - 21 RMs with home locations and FTE factors
county_adjacency.csv - County adjacency graph
zcta_adjacency_census.csv - ZIP code adjacency graph
county_data.csv - Florida county centroids
distances.csv - RM-to-school road miles (within 125-mile radius)
florida_zip_adjacency.json - ZIP adjacency for contiguity validation

Final Outputs

final_rm_assignments.json - Detailed per-RM metrics (schools, counties, ZIPs)
final_rm_summary.csv - Summary table of all RM assignments
assignment_changes.csv - Change log vs. current assignments (churn analysis)

Core Scripts

final_redistribution.py - Main redistribution algorithm
validate_final_solution.py - Comprehensive validation
final_county_contiguity_check.py - County-level contiguity validation
calculate_final_balance.py - Balance rate calculation
create_zip_level_map.py - Territory visualization
generate_final_metrics.py - Metrics generation
generate_change_log.py - Change log generation
build_complete_adjacency.py - Adjacency graph builder
convert_zcta_adjacency.py - ZCTA data converter
fix_county_capitalization.py - Data cleanup utility

Visualizations

INDEX.html - Master dashboard with project overview
rm_assignments_table.html - Interactive sortable table of all assignments
zip_level_territory_map.html - Interactive Folium map showing all territories
embedded_data.js - Data for interactive table

Documentation

README.md - This file (project overview)
CLAUDE.md - Complete technical specification and instructions
FINAL_SUMMARY.md - Executive summary with key findings
FILE_AUDIT.md - Complete file inventory and status

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Key Constraints

Non-Negotiable

Distance: 125-mile maximum one-way (relaxed from 100 for rural coverage)
Hialeah Carve-out: 92 schools to AD Carla Hernandez only
Contiguity: Each RM territory must be geographically contiguous (no islands)
RM Roles: Fixed at hire (15 Standard, 5 Senior, 1 AD - cannot be changed)
Atomic ZIP Assignment: Each ZIP belongs to exactly one RM (enables clean mapping)

Capacity Targets

Standard RM: 130-170 schools (target: 150)
Senior RM: 78-102 schools (target: 90)
AD: 92 schools (Hialeah + Hialeah Gardens only)

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Project Timeline

October 30, 2025: Project initialization

Initial project structure and setup
Distance calculation infrastructure (MapBox API integration)
Census ZCTA data integration for ZIP adjacency
Data validation framework

October 31, 2025: Data validation and early redistribution attempts

Comprehensive validation of schools.csv and rms.csv
Early contiguity-aware redistribution attempts
Multiple algorithm iterations to address fragmentation issues

November 1-2, 2025: Whole-county approach development

Shift from ZIP-first to county-first strategy
Whole-county redistribution with targeted ZIP subdivision
Repository cleanup (1.32GB reduction)

November 7, 2025: Breakthrough - County-first redistribution success

Proximity-based redistribution achieving 80% balance rate
Distance-first approach addressing Florida's unique geography
Completed redistribution with 125-mile limit and accepted geographic constraints
County-first SUCCESS with 20 RMs
Phase 1 COMPLETE: Baseline redistribution documented

November 8, 2025: Gap analysis and new RM placement

Data-driven new RM placement through gap analysis
Identified St Petersburg, Kissimmee, Lakeland as optimal locations
Phase 2 COMPLETE with detailed Phase 3 execution plan

November 10, 2025: Final redistribution and ZIP integrity

Phase 3 algorithm design finalized
Final redistribution achieving 80% balance rate (16/20 RMs within tolerance)
Critical geographic assignment errors corrected
ZIP integrity fixes consolidating split ZIPs in DADE County
Comprehensive ZIP integrity audit

November 11, 2025: Contiguity validation and fixes

ZIP-level contiguity failure discovered and resolved
Kristin O'Brien home location issue identified and corrected
100% contiguity achieved across all 21 territories

November 12-13, 2025: Final deliverables and documentation

Comprehensive cleanup removing interim reports and scripts
Final visualizations (ZIP-level territory map, RM assignments table, INDEX.html dashboard)
Documentation polish and accuracy verification
Final deliverables prepared for leadership presentation

November 16, 2025: Documentation enhancements and final validation

CLAUDE.md updated to reflect actual implementation methodology
Manual territory refinements and comprehensive churn analysis
Distance compliance audit and documentation
Territory map color optimization for adjacent territory distinction
All deliverables current and ready for leadership review

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Last Updated: November 16, 2025 Status: Complete - Ready for Leadership Presentation