Sunday, April 22, 2012

Additional Stakeholder Input in the Budgeting Process

Additional Stakeholder Input in the Budgeting Process

Below is what I found out about the types of input received from the following groups in the budget process.

Central Office Administrators and Staff
                The central office has their own budgets they are responsible for developing and turning in to the business department.  Each assistant superintendent and or director goes over what they are responsible for overseeing and then meets with the superintendent and Director of Finance.  The assistant superintendents also meet with the campus principals and directors along with the superintendent and director of finance in going over each of the departments budgets.

Principals
                The principals of the district get the campus budget and give each department head their department’s budget.  The teachers in the department meet with their department head and turn in the needs of the department.  The department heads then meet with the principal to go over the department’s needs.  The principal then prepares the campus budget to turn in to central office.

Site Based Decision Making Committee
                The site based decision making committee goes over the goals and objectives of the campus.  The committee lists the resources it will take to meet these goals and objectives.  The principal and department heads makes sure these resources are listed in the budget.  The goals should, hopefully, be tied to the goals the Board of Trustees has for the district. 

District Improvement Plan
                The district improvement plan is overseen by a committee that establishes the goals and objectives of the district.  The committee lists the resources it will take to meet these goals and objectives.  The deputy superintendent makes sure these resources are listed in the budget.  The goals should, hopefully, be tied to the goals the Board of Trustees has for the district.

Teacher Organizations
                Our teacher organizations are very small and raise their own money to support functions on each campus.  The specific organization gives property donations to the district to utilize the money they have raised to support each campus.  For example, they may give money to take a field trip or they may donate money to purchase a piece of playground equipment.  These organizations are especially helpful in supporting morale for teachers.  Usually representatives of these organizations serve on the site based decision committees and the district improvement plan committee.

Other Key Stakeholders like Community Members
                These members serve on our site based decision committees or on the district improvement plan committee.  Any individual may give a property donation to the district.  The Board of Trustees votes to accept or deny the property donation.

Board of Trustees
                The Board of Trustees works collaboratively with the superintendent in establishing a budget.  The board and superintendent must take an interactive approach in developing a budget through workshops.  The board will hold a public hearing and then a final budget is formally adopted.


Each stakeholder group is important in the budget process.  The principals play a major role in developing the budget since they have a campus budget and seek input from the site based committee in developing the budget.  The deputy superintendent plays a significant role in the process since she over sees the district improvement plan and implements this plan into the process.  Of course, the Director of Finance is third behind the Board of Trustees and superintendent in establishing the budget.  The superintendent relies heavily on his expertise and guidance in preparing the budget for him and the board.   Each group has a role and responsibility in the planning, preparation, and establishment stage of the budget.

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