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The Principal's Guide to School Budgeting
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The Principal's Guide to School Budgeting

Second Edition


272 pages | Corwin
Learn how to create a winning school budget during challenging economic times.

Effective administrative practices, both fiscal and academic, are continually being redefined at all levels. Developing budgets that keep up with economic changes and instructional expectations is a challenge.

This best-seller steps leaders through the budgeting process, with vision and planning as firm guides to resource allocation. Emphasizing tough budgetary climates, the book includes a budget model that shows how to align organizational goals with a sound fiscal accountability system.

This new edition features

" 25 tips for budgeting during an economic downturn

" Analysis of real school action and budget plans

" Methods for conducting a needs and program assessment

" Answers to some of the toughest budgeting dilemmas

" Case study applications and problems

" Budgeting checklist for administrators

" Selected templates, forms and resources

" Discussion questions and experiential activities

Showcasing real school scenarios and national standards, leaders learn to plan a budget, monitor funds, evaluate budget reports, and prepare school action plans that keep students achieving in fiscally difficult times.

 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Authors
 
Introduction
 
1. Understanding the Budgeting Process
The Basics of School Budgeting

 
Breaking the Budgeting Myths

 
Delineating Between School Finance and School Budgeting

 
Budgeting in Times of Economic Downturn and Fiscal Constraint

 
Allocation – The Key to the Budgetary Process

 
Sources of School Funding

 
Federal Sources of Income

 
State Sources of Income

 
Local Sources of Income

 
Ten Steps to Budgeting Success

 
Final Thoughts

 
Discussion Questions

 
Case Study Application: Fiscal Issues and the New Principal

 
Application Questions

 
Application Questions

 
Part II: "Well, It's My Money!"

 
 
2. The Budget-Vision Relationship and the National Standards
The National ISLLC Standards

 
Shifts in Knowledge and Skills

 
From Technical Skills to Interpersonal Skills

 
From Director to Consensus Builder and Motivator

 
From Resource Allocation to Accountability

 
Examining the ISLLC Standards Through A Budget-Vision Lens

 
ISLLC Standard 1 – The Vision Standard

 
ISLLC Standard 2 – The Learning Standard

 
ISLLC Standard 3 – The Environment Standard

 
ISLLC Standard 4 – The Community Standard

 
ISLLC Standard 5 – The Ethics Standard

 
Examining Three Key Terms – The Trio

 
ISLLC Standard 6 – The Global Standard

 
Final Thoughts

 
Discussion Questions

 
Case Study Application: Belle Plain Middle School

 
Application Questions

 
 
3. Culture, Data, and Celebrating Success
Culture

 
Values

 
Beliefs

 
Attitudes

 
Data

 
Data-Driven Decision Making

 
Barriers to the Use of Data

 
Dimensions of Data

 
Data Types

 
Disaggregated Data

 
Longitudinal Data

 
Perception Data

 
Qualitative Data

 
Quantitative Data

 
Assessment

 
Acknowledging Opportunities for Growth and Development

 
Celebrating Success

 
Final Thoughts

 
Discussion Questions

 
Case Study Application: L. B. Jensen Middle School

 
Application Questions

 
 
4. A Model for Integrating Vision, Planning, and Budgeting
Sorenson-Goldsmith Integrated Budget Model

 
Leadership

 
Component 1: Defining Stakeholders

 
Component 2: Stakeholder Selection

 
Committee Size and Structure

 
Diversity

 
Committee Member Training

 
Staggering the Terms

 
Component 3: Data Gathering (Needs Assessment)

 
Component 4: Data Analysis

 
Component 5: Needs Prioritization

 
Component 6: Goal Setting

 
Component 7: Performance Objectives

 
Component 8: Action Plan

 
A Planning Metaphor

 
The Elements of an Action Plan

 
The GOSA Relationship

 
An Example

 
GOSA Mapping

 
Final Thoughts

 
P.S.

 
Discussion Questions

 
Case Study Application: Shifting Paradigms With Changing Times

 
 
5. Effective and Efficient Budgeting Practices
The Budget Plan

 
Adequate Funding in an Era of Accountability and Fiscal Constraint

 
Analyzing the School Action and Budget Plans

 
Performing an Information Analysis

 
Steps to Performing an Information Analysis

 
Conducting a Needs Assessment

 
Generated Income Sources

 
Grants

 
Fundraising

 
Expenditure Accountability and Control

 
Fiscal Education and Information Management System

 
Accounting Procedures

 
Collection and Deposit Structures

 
The School Activity Account

 
Components of the Collection and Deposit Structure

 
Timely Payment of Bills

 
Budget Amendments

 
Budgetary Systems

 
Function/Object Budgeting

 
Zero-Based Budgeting

 
School-Based Budgeting

 
Accounting and Auditing Procedures

 
Fraudulent Practices

 
Embezzlement

 
Other Risk Factors

 
The Leadership Role: Ethical and Moral Behaviors

 
Final Thoughts

 
Discussion Questions

 
Case Study Application: Sex, Money, and a Tangled Web Woven

 
Application Questions

 
 
6. Building the School Budget
Site-Based Decision Making

 
Why Site-Based Decision Making?

 
Who Builds the School Budget?

 
The School Leader

 
School-Site Administrators

 
Other Committee Members

 
School-Site Directors

 
Teachers and Grade-Level or Department Chairs

 
Central Office Administrators

 
Students

 
Community Members

 
School Budget Applications

 
Budget Allocations

 
Restricted Funds

 
Coding Applications

 
Activity 1: Utilizing Accounting Codes

 
Activity 2: Utilizing Accounting Codes

 
Projecting Student Enrollment

 
Important Budget Considerations

 
The Budget Calendar

 
The Budget Hearing and Defense

 
Final Thoughts

 
Discussion Questions

 
Case Study Application 1: Shifting Paradigms With Changing Times

 
Case Study Application 2: Requisition Season at Cover Elementary

 
Application Question

 
Case Study Application 3: The Budget Development Project

 
Chapter 6 Answers

 
 
Resource A. Selected Forms
Budget Development Spreadsheet

 
Strategy Page

 
 
Resource B. Experiential Exercises
Gladys Weatherspoon Case Study

 
The Budgeting Codes Activity

 
Accounting Codes Reference Sheet

 
 
Resource C. Budgeting Checklist for School Administrators
 
Resource D. State Departments of Education Websites
 
References
 
Index

"Budgeting is the one area where future and/or new principals feel most insecure! Time and time again we hear our students say they feel like they don't know enough about handling the finances of their school. My students found The Principal's Guide to School Budgeting to be a very clear and practical resource that had information and instructive exercises to ease their anxiety about the task and help them with their jobs."

Genie Bingham Linn, Associate Professor
Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, University of Texas at Tyler

"I wish I had had this book before I became a principal for the first time! Yes, we do want to manage funds wisely. But this book goes farther; it teaches new school leaders how to think creatively and it helps them utilize resources to bring about greater equity of learning for all students. They also clearly explain how to create inclusiveness so that all stakeholders become supporters of the school's plan for improvement."

Dr. Michael Fanning, Coordinator, M.S. in Educational Leadership
California State University, East Bay

I will not teach this course this year. This text will be forwarded to the new instructor of record.

Professor James Gentilucci
Education Dept, Cal Polytechnic State Univ
October 2, 2016

Excellent Book

Dr Thomas Hall
School Of Education, North Dakota State University
March 26, 2015

I struggle to find the "right" book for students preparing to be Principals. They need something really practical and this fill the bill!

Dr Jeanne Surface
Educational Admin Superv Dept, University of Nebraska at Omaha
April 19, 2013

Richard Dwane Sorenson

Learn more about Richard Sorenson's PD offeringsRichard D. Sorenson, professor emeritus, is the former director of the Principal Preparation Program and chairperson of the Educational Leadership and Foundations Department at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). He earned his doctorate from Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi in educational leadership. Dr. Sorenson served public schools for 25 years as a social studies teacher, assistant principal, principal, and associate superintendent for human resources.Dr. Sorenson worked with graduate students at UTEP in the area of school-based budgeting, personnel, educational law, and... More About Author

Lloyd Milton Goldsmith

Lloyd M. Goldsmith, professor emeritus, earned his EdD in educational leadership from Baylor University. He was a professor for 20 years at Abilene Christian University (ACU), some of those years at ACU (Dallas), where he taught doctoral courses in leadership theory. He also served as an admissions officer as well as a former director of the Principal Preparation Program and department chairperson at ACU. Dr. Goldsmith taught school budgeting, instructional leadership, and leadership theory. He served public schools for 29 years as an elementary science teacher, middle school assistant principal, and elementary school principal. Dr.... More About Author