Final Reflection on School Finance Course

My Reflection about School Finance

          As I contemplate what I will focus on in this paper, there is so much I could say about school finance. I entered this course unaware of the magnitude and the scope of what all is involved in school finance. It has been overwhelming, but there were several things that I have learned.

          Actually looking at the school budget, especially the M & O budget was especially interesting. I was able to learn what programs were funded under this budget. Budgets are goal driven. The school board develops the goals and then district and campus plans are developed around those goals. Once those goals are defined, the school budget is developed from those goals. Everything must have the students in mind in the end. This year, in my district, the focus is to prepare seniors for that next level, whether it is college, career, or the military. They must stay in school in order to prepare them for that long range goal so additional counselors have been hired at the high schools in order to focus on getting students to remain in school and preparing them for what life has to offer in the future. In order to hire additional personnel, first the goal had to be established by the school board regarding the dropout rate for secondary students. Then the Superintendent must look at the budget in order to make sure there is enough funding to support hiring additional positions in the district. I think that learning about developing the goals and then the budget around your goals was the main idea that I know as a superintendent I will want to do first and foremost. The weekly lectures, readings, and resources were very informative. There are so many resources out there to assist any Superintendent needing assistance with the district budget that I was not aware of. As a Superintendent, I will need to have a well skilled numbers person employed as CFO of the district. Our CFO resigned his position in August and one has not been named as of yet but, interviewing the Superintendent and the Business Manager of the district helped me to understand school finance was interesting. They helped me to learn as much as I can in a short period of time on school finance. This topic is one that I know I will need to continue to study and have hands on experience in because it is so detailed oriented and so involved, one can’t possibly learn all there is to learn within 5 weeks.

          Communicating with fellow colleagues and professors through Blogs and WIKI’s has been interesting to say the least. I know that we are in a technology age and as time progresses, so will the technology. There was overwhelming opportunity to practice this skill so I believe I have the hang of it. I think finding the time to reflect on lessons learned through Blogs should be an important part of the Superintendency. Most times we go about our daily lives working in our respective positions and rarely hear from our top leader. By creating and communicating through a blog helps the Superintendent promote the following Superintendency Competency: interact with district staff, students, school board, and community, in a professional and ethical manner. As far as the Superintendency Competency, I don’t know everything and have grown in some areas through this course. I have more to learn and many areas to grow in. Continuing to grow and learn is what makes us great leaders.

Educational Ethics Violations

Ethics Violations

Question 1

The way that I am going to state the situations have happened in real life but names and places have been omitted to protect the rights of individuals and school districts.

(1) 1.2 The educator shall not knowingly misappropriate, divert, or use monies, personnel, property, or equipment committed to his or her charge for personal gain or advantage. Example: There was an employee who defrauded the district by submitting overtime time cards for personnel that were not employed by the district. This employee had an accomplice (time cards submitted in their name). The accomplice would deposit the checks and transfer the funds to the employee’s personnel bank account. The employee managed to do this because they were the only one that had to sign off on the payroll since they were the immediate supervisor.

 

(2) 1.3 The educator shall not submit fraudulent requests for reimbursement, expenses, or pay. Example: Two employees of the district were approved to travel to the same conference. Ironically, the employees are husband and wife. Everyone attending the conference received advanced travel. When receipts were submitted for reimbursement, a Board Member noticed that they both received advance monies for mileage but only one person submitted receipts for parking. They sort of new that any where you went in this particular city, you had to pay for parking whether it was at the hotel or at a restaurant. This matter is still under investigation.

 

(3) 1.6 The educator shall not falsify records or direct or coerce others to do so.

Example: I choose this one but really did not have an actual example but here is an example that would fall under this category: There is a district that offers a full day Pre-K 4 program at several elementary campuses. In order to qualify for the program, the parents must meet certain requirements such as low income without government assistance, receiving  government assistance such as SNAP or Medicaid, Parents are in the military, or there is a language barrier. One parent that applies can only qualify on the basis of income

So the employee certifying the income falsifies the document by not reporting all of the income so that they can qualify for the program. They knew the parents had two incomes, but only took the side job documentation.

 

(4) 2.7 The educator shall not retaliate against any individual who has filed a complaint with SBEC or who provides information for a disciplinary investigation or proceeding under this chapter. Example: An employee at a district career center was allegedly asked to install equipment at a District Level Administrator’s residence. When the employee refused, the employee was let go. The employee filed a lawsuit stating they were retaliated against because they refused to install the equipment.

 

(5) 2.5 The educator shall not discriminate against or coerce a colleague on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, disability, family status, or sexual orientation. Example: A teacher alledges that a principal requested that she not allow a student to attend an adult night course due to the student’s sexual orientation and the principal not wanting others of the same orientation coming to the campus. The teacher states that when she did not do as asked of her, the next day a notice was posted stating that the course could no longer be offered due to lack of funding. She felt that she had been teaching this course for years and why all of a sudden the course was closed. She believed it was due to the principal’s insensitivity to the adult student’s sexual orientation.

 

Question 2 (Short and Long Range Consequences)

 

(1) 1.2 Short Range Consequences: The employee looses his/her job and faces indictment and prosecution for theft of public funds. Long Rang Consequences: Events such as this affects everyone. I don’t know why people attempt to steal what is not theirs. Eventually you will get caught. Districts tend to be more reactive. Since the employee was the only one to sign off on time cards. The district now wants there to be a better checks and balances of employees. All employees including maintenance, warehouse employees must have a background check and at least two people have to approve overtime pay for all employees.

 

(2) 1.3 Short Range Consequences: If the employee’s knowingly submits fraudulent claims for reimbursement, the district can ask the employee to reimburse the funds or face criminal charges and possibly loose certifications or be placed on probation. Long Range Consequences: The Board of Trustees may choose not to approve any more out of state conferences or may be asked to pay out of pocket for expenses to travel to conferences and then have to submit receipts to get reimbursed.

 

(3) 2.7 Short Range Consequences: The employees may face immediate termination for working off campus on district’s time and may be asked to reimburse the district wages for time not worked. Long Range Consequences: The reputation of the district leader is at stake due to the fact that the leader asked an employee to perform job duties at the employee’s residence during district’s time.

 

Question 3

Preventive Action Plan for 1.2

(A) Model and promote the highest standard of conduct, ethical principles, and integrity in decision making, actions, and behavior. The Superintendent should always consider the consequences of employee someone that has a history of not making good decisions. As much as someone may need a job, it is not always in the district’s best interest to give them that opportunity to redeem themselves. Make sure that the personnel director does thorough background checks on all employees. In the past, background checks were just conducted on teachers or persons in immediate contact with students. Now it is important to do a background check on everyone.

 

(B) Exhibit understanding and implement policies and procedures that promote district personnel compliance with The Code of Ethics and Standards Practices for Texas Administrators. All employees should have refresher training on The Code of Ethics, what they are and the consequences that can happen if you fail to follow them. We train our employees each year on proper testing procedures and what can happen if you fail to follow appropriate testing procedures and the same should be done with The Code of Ethics.

 

Preventive Action Plan for 1.3

(A) Again Model and promote the highest standard of conduct, ethical principles, and integrity in decision making, actions, and behavior. The Superintendent as for standard 1.2 inform employees of the consequences they will face if they file documents in order to receive funds that do not belong to them. When you falsify documents for reimbursement this is the same as stealing. Informational sessions and training must be held in order to inform staff members of proper procedures when failing documents for reimbursement. What can or can’t you be reimbursed for.

 

(B) Exhibit understanding and implement policies and procedures that promote district personnel compliance with The Code of Ethics and Standards Practices for Texas Administrators. The same method used in Preventive plan for standard 1.2 applies here.

 

Preventive Action Plan for 2.7

(A) Along with the competencies applied in the last two examples I would also include the following: The Superintendent must interact with district staff, students, school board, and community in a professional and ethical manner. Interacting in a professional and ethical manner does not include asking employee’s to perform work at your residence while they are on the district’s time. District employee’s should keep professional and personal business separate from each other.

 

 

Interview of Superintendent about the Audit

Interview of Superintendent or Business Manager

 

          On last week, I had the opportunity to interview Devin McCraney, Director of Finance for Beaumont I.S.D. I asked him the questions assigned concerning the Annual

External Financial Audit. This interview was conducted during week 3, so I was not aware of what the purpose of an audit was but, after listening to the lecture with Dr. Stephens, Devin stated the same information regarding external auditing as Dr. Stephens.

1. How  is the external auditor selected? The district advertizes requests for proposals every 5 years. They look through the proposals and the businesses that have the better bids are selected for final analysis. One is chosen and then presented to the Board for approva and they receive a contract for 3 years.

 

2. How does this external auditor conduct the audit? Normally, the external auditor informs the district that they will send a team into the district for several weeks to look at documents. Central Personnel may be interviewed by the team. Once the audit has been completed, they send a report to the district.

 

3. What does the audit conclude about financial procedures and actions? The auditor’s documentation is very detailed. It describes everything in writing. If there are any discrepancies, those are placed in detail through a written letter to the district.

 

4. How are the results communicated?

Once the audit is complete, the team presents their findings to the Board. The results are reported to the media so that the community is aware and then the report is sent to the Texas Education Agency.

 

The audit process is very detailed oriented and timelines must be followed accurately.

Teacher Salaries

Understanding Personnel Salaries in District Budgets

 

          Teacher salaries are the largest expense in education budgets. When interviewing Devin McCraney, Director of Finance for the Beaumont I.S.D, he stated that the total for personnel salaries is 83% of the budget. I would think that this is true in every district for at least 80-85% is spent on personnel salaries.

          If districts gave a 5% pay raise across the board it would very well attract more people to leave their current field and pursue teaching and would help retain qualified teachers which is a positive aspect. The negative impact would be that giving a 5% across the board pay raise would not necessarily make teachers any more effective. More districts are tying pay with academic success. In our district, we were blessed to receive an increase in salary compared to last year when there were salary freezes. For the past several years, the Board has given incentive pay that could range from 1%-5% of your salary. The incentive pay is based on staff attendance, student attendance, and test scores. Districts would have to weigh the impact of giving across the board raises to their employees. Teacher groups are always asking for this type of raise for teachers.

Reaction to Superintendent's Comments Regarding School Budget

In drawing upon the weekly readings, TEA website, and the TABSO power point, I have come to the conclusion that developing the school budget can be a very tedious process. The school budget lays out the Board of Trustees and The Superintendent’s goals and vision for the district. You must begin very early in the budget process in order to meet deadlines. Even though development of the budget is the responsibility of   the School Superintendent, it is a collaborative effort with the Board of Trustees and all stakeholders in the district to do what is best for the students with the funds that are available.

I had the opportunity to ask our Superintendent of the Beaumont ISD about his role and responsibility in the budgeting process. Dr. Chargois stated that his role and responsibility was to ensure that the budget is aligned with board/district/campus and community goals. Are we getting the best bang for our buck? Basically, are we spending (assuredly and accountably) taxpayers dollars that increases student/teacher success.

His comments really have summed up what has been stated in the readings, lectures, and the power point presentation. The school budget process is a community effort. Everything and everyone must be on one accord. When something is out of alignment with the district goals, then mismanagement of funds can occur.

Perception of T.E.A Budget Guidelines

After reviewing the TEA Budgeting Guidelines January 2010, I realized that there is a wealth of information out there that can assist a Superintendent and all stake holders in learning about the budget process and making sure that all federal, state, and local guidelines are adhered to. This document holds a large amount of information that it is so overwhelming for someone like me who really did not know much about the district budget process. If a superintendent didn’t know something or needed assistance

 in developing a district budget, he or she could use this manual as a basis to look for needed information. Some things that I learned from reviewing this document is that there are 5 types of budgets that school districts could use. I always thought there was one basic format. Those five types are line-item or traditional budgeting, Performance Budgeting, Program and Planning (PBB), Zero Based Budgeting, and Site Based Budgeting that more and more school districts are utilizing today. I also learned that when calculating ADA under Tier 1, Career and Technical and Special Education Students are subtracted out before calculating the regular block grant. I assumed they were calculated in the ADA and a different formula was used to develop the cost per student participating in special programs to receive additional funding. I also learned that there is funding to assist school districts with Instructional Facilities. This funding can be used for payment of newly issued bonds and lease purchase agreements.

Very important in the budget process are meeting deadlines. The Superintendent along with members of the school board must agree upon the budget and give notification to the public that they will adopt the new budget. Before this new budget is in place, months of preparation have been involved in assessing the needs of the district such as projection of student enrollment in general programs as well as special programs. New hires and nonrenewal of employee contracts must also factor into the budgeting process all before the August deadline date.

In order to receive appropriate funding and additional funding, school superintendents along with the Board of Trustees must know what is involved in the budgeting process and research various funding sources to know what additional funding can be available to school districts.

Top 5 Important Dates in Creating A District Budget

District Budget Development-Top 5 Important Dates

Every fiscal year, Superintendents along with the approval of the Board of Trustees meet regularly to vote on budget for the upcoming school year. Dates to the development of the district budget are important for several reasons. Districts depend on state budgets for their revenue. There is a close relationship in the final approval of the state budget, school finance legislation, and the adoption of the school district budget. Development of the school district budget takes place over several months. There are several reasons for this.  Districts have to determine whether to hire or replace employees based on the number of students enrolled in the district, decide on pay raises for employees, and review programs for the districts. Decisions about the budget are based on legal matters as well. If a teacher or staff member will be laid off, they must receive their notice by February 1 (non-renewal period). Districts that lay off employees must readjust their budgets. The following is a list of the top 5 important dates in the budget process:

 

1. The district budget must be prepared by a date set by the State Board of Education, currently August 20 (June 19 if the district uses a July 1 fiscal year start date).

 

2.Public Meeting of the Board of Trustees giving 10 days public notice in a newspaper for the adoption of the district budget.

 

3.The budget must be adopted by the Board of Trustees, inclusive of amendments, no later than August 31 (June 30 if the district uses a July 1 fiscal year start date)

 

4. Preparation of the budget calendar listing critical dates for the preparation, submission, and review of campus budgets for the school district is prepared during the budget planning process at the district.

 

5. Budgets for Multi-year Construction Projects are to be reviewed periodically.