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.