Reflection Part 5

     When speaking to the Chief Business Officer, I realized the budget requires everyone’s input.  The responsibilities spiral down and focus on the students.  At the central office level, administrators and staff, data and actual budget is based on what the superintendent wants to accomplish.  This school year, the principals provided the superintendent with information that would help him to determine what cuts needed to be made.  The focus went from macro management to micro management.  Site based decision making committees gave the principal information that would help with that decision.  Teacher organizations always want more for teachers.  They usually present their case to the principal and superintendent.  Key stakeholders are the teachers, administrators, principals, teacher, parents, and taxpayers.  They are the main influence in the budget process.  For example, they may voice their opinion to not increase taxes.  Lastly, the board of trustees adopts the budget. 

Reflection Part 4

The district’s budget preparation and submittal to the board of the approval is the sole responsibility of the superintendent. It is there budget and they have the ultimate say as to what does and doesn’t go into the budget.

According to the Chief Business Officer, Robert Zingelmann, Dr. Thomas brings the budget before the board. The board passes the budget. The superintendent also sets the goals and
parameters that the district is trying to achieve. He then gives Zingelmann directions that he
wants to go in the next fiscal year, and Zingelmann researchers and sees if it’s
feasible. After the research is presented to Dr. Thomas, he brings it before the board for approval.

I didn’t realize that the Superintendent played such a major role in the budget process. I was also shocked to learn that he did not have the last say in the process. The Superintendent must be conscious of the budget and the needs of the community. The budget and budgeting process allows us to use available resources for students while remaining within guidelines.

Reflection: Part 3

Budgeting and Finance has proven itself to be one of the most difficult parts of the certification. There is so much information to attain. Through this, however, I have learned that my
district is doing an outstanding job in following TEA guidelines. It also gives me the opportunity to compare my district with other districts.

Goal Driven Budget

A goal driven budget states your goals. It is very imperative that you make your
goals and determine if they will be short-term, long-term, or recurring. Goals should be prioritized. A good school district will always track their spending while creating and reviewing a spending plan.
Goal driven budgeting should be important to every school district. The school board and the district improvement plan should be aligned. They should also be motivated by setting specific target objectives. A great deal of the district’s budget is already allocated to salaries, maintenance, and transportation, etc. With this in mind, the district has to create
a budget that reflects the vision and goals of the district.
Beaumont ISD District Improvement Plan identifies goals for the district. Along with the
identification of these goals, each goal has objectives, responsible parties, a timeline, resources for funding, and an evaluation procedure. It is very easy to identify if a district’s budget is goal driven if you compare it to the district plan. BISD is driven towards excellence and won’t settle for less. The budget is created with the students and community in mind. Our district is very aware of what’s going on in the community. Our district uses a strategic planning process to shape the educational program and services offered in the schools.
In conclusion, a goal driven budget should be created with the end in mind. The purpose of a goal driven budget, according to Dr. Arterbury, “Is to assist in the attainment of a shared vision
for the school district and every campus. “