Springtime is Budget Time
Tiffany Jackson, Director of Membership Services
It’s nearly April, so for most school board this means you’ll be working on the budgeting process. School boards play a crucial role in the budget process. School board members are elected officials responsible for the oversight of operations of the school district. One of the primary responsibilities of the school board is to make decisions on how to best allocate resources to meet the needs of the district.
The budgeting process typically starts with the Superintendent, likely in conjunction with the business manager, developing a proposed budget for the upcoming school year. This proposed budget is presented to the school board for review. During this review process, the board can adjust the proposed budget based on the needs and priorities of the district, and available resources.
The school board should ensure the proposed budget aligns with the district’s priorities and goals. Whenever someone is looking for guidance on how to budget funds, we always recommend the they review the strategic plan to identify how it can be achieved through the budgeting process.
The school board should also look to engage with the community during the budgeting process to gather input on what’s being proposed. You may have seen this play out recently in the state when some districts have held town halls to discuss scenarios impacting the school district budget. It could also look like soliciting feedback via surveys or online forums, and communicating with parents and other education stakeholders to ensure their voices are being heard.
Once the board has had the opportunity to review the proposed budget, and hear community input, it’s left with making the difficult decision of how to allocate limited resources to meet the district’s needs. This may include prioritizing spending on certain programs or initiatives, or deciding which positions or programs to cut, all in the name of balancing the districts needs with its resources.
Once the budget has been approved by the board, the role of the board isn’t over. It must work with the administration to monitor spending, review financial reports regularly, and make adjustments as needed/recommended by the superintendent to ensure the district remains on track financially.
It’s not an easy job, especially when income hasn’t kept up with inflation. 85-90% of the budget is non-changeable with MOAs, salaries, benefits, heating, etc.; this leaves less than 10% of the overall budget as ‘flexible funds’.
The final important thing the board could do to help with the budget, is develop a relationship with your legislators and let them know the realities your district is facing. Are programs at risk of being cut? Are Schools at risk of being closed down? Advocating for your district, especially this year when there is a proposed increase to the BSA being discussed, is critical for all of our districts.