Superintendent Budget Interview

     The TASBO Budget PowerPoint states that the superintendent is “the budget officer for the district and prepares or causes the budget to be prepared.” During an interview with my district’s superintendent, I was also told that a superintendent’s role in the budget process is often determined by the size of the district.  She described superintendents she knew that were completely involved in the process to the extent that they handle all budgeting, paperwork, and communication with the state. However, our district has a CFO and the superintendent oversees the budget process. She discusses the process with the CFO meets regularly with him as the budget is being prepared.  She stated that with the state of school finances and our district moving to a zero-based budget next year, she has been much more involved in the planning for the budget.

     The superintendent shared that she began preparing for next year’s budget in the Fall by meeting with the CFO, executive cabinet, and board members about ways the district can survive on a smaller budget.  She and the CFO are currently seeking input from the campuses and will work together with the school board to get input from them.  She said they have had many board workshops on budget and will continue to so as they prepare the 2011-2012 budget. She made sure that I understand that the school board does not prepare the budget, but seeking their input and educating them on what is needed to improve academics, is critical to the budget getting approved and adopted.

     When asked about her experience with the budget during her first year as a superintendent, she claimed that she depended on the CFO to get her through that first year and that she was never embarrassed to ask questions. As advice, she told me that aspiring superintendents should learn everything they can about the budget process, but know that there will always be changes that will cause you to keep learning every year. She reminded me that mismanagement of money is one of the biggest issues that cause people to lose their jobs. She said her best advice would be to make sure that you have a CFO that you can work with and absolutely trust to handle the finances.

     In reflecting on the interview, I realized that the budget process could easily take up most of a superintendent’s time if you did not have a Chief Financial Officer.  School finances are complicated and are currently more challenging than ever. The superintendent has many responsibilities that are time consuming, and even with a CFO, the superintendent is often working on budget through budget workshops with the board and executive cabinet and seeking input from stakeholders. After this interview, I know I will only want to work in a district that has a CFO.

EDLD 5342 - Goal Driven Budgeting

     According to Dr. Arterbury in week two’s lecture, “the purpose of a goal driven budget is to assist in the attainment of a shared vision for the school district and each campus.” He goes on to explain that a goal driven budget is the result when campus and district goals reflect commitment to expending funds to achieve the shared goals of the stakeholders in a district.

     In Sheldon ISD, a goal driven budget process is evident in our District Improvement Plan. At the beginning of the plan, the district improvement plan process is described.  A needs assessment is conducted by surveying employees, parents, community members, students, and other stakeholders.  The results are then evaluated by the DWIIC (District Wide Improvement Council.) This group looks at the needs and goals of these stake holders and then looks at the school boards goals and state and federal goals to determine the overall goals of our district.  These goals are then written into the plan template which includes a chart to explain how the goal will be achieved.  In this chart the committee lists the resources, materials, and costs that are needed to achieve this goal.  Later the executive committee, which includes the superintendent and CFO, determine which funds will be used to pay for the needed resources or personnel. Also included on the district plan template is a column for who will be responsible for the attainment of the goal, the timeline for the goal, and the formative and summative assessments that will determine if the goals are met.

    An example of goal driven budgeting found in our district plan is the implementation of the C-Scope curriculum in grades K-12. The funds in the amount of $48,599.00 will come from Title I and local funds and the materials will be purchased from Region VI.  The curriculum will be implemented in August 2010 and will continue through June 2011. The curriculum specialists, principals, and teachers are responsible for the implementation. The success of the implementation of this curriculum will be determined by increased academic performance of all students and an increase in TAKS scores. All of the districts goals are laid out in this format in the district improvement plan.  This format allows all stakeholders to not only see what the goals are but how much is being spent on attaining the goal and where the money will come from. 

     Although there are many budget processes that districts can use, I believe that districts must use the goal driven approach in order to spend their money wisely and to accomplish their vision.  If a district just spends money here and there impulsively for something or someone that sounds or looks good, they will not get the most “bang for their buck.” Money will be spent in many directions sometimes on the same things wanted by different stakeholders.  However, by establishing district goals that are supported by the campus goals, money can be allocated more appropriately. This process also allows stakeholders to know if the district can even fund the goal they want to attain. This prevents a campus or district establishing a goal they will never reach because there are no funds to support it. Through goal driven budgeting, a district can achieve their vision and inform all stakeholders of how the district budget is being used to support the goals that they helped create.

EDLD 5342 - Week One Assignments

School Finance is as complicated today as it was when public school were first organized.  There are still many issues surrounding school finance such as how the budget is dispersed using controversial formulas and whether or not the funding is equal, equitable, and adequate.  I am looking forward to learning more about school finance in this course.  If you would like to see my reflections on what I have learned so far, check out my wiki at denisemustin.@wikispaces.com