SCHOOLWIDE BUDGET

During the budget development process I’ve received a tremendous amount of information that became a little bit intimidating. To start I’ve learned each school has various stakeholders that give input into the draft of the budget that is presented to the school board for approval. Any input is reviewed and the process is repeated until a final draft is completed for submission to the school board. It is often advantageous to offer several opportunities for the stakeholders to review, question and understand the district budget. With the complexity of school budgets, any education for stakeholders will allow them the ability to understand the legal requirements of the district in regards to the budget.

There are many community members who want to ensure that funds are equitable throughout the district. Many community members attend if they believe the budget will affect their interest. The district offers many opportunities for community members to be involved through Town Hall Meetings, Parent Rallies, Workshops, informational meetings and open forums.

In the Paterson School District, the budget is already decided on by the state and the schools are just allocated the amount that was decided by the state. The community and staff have no input in the budget process and are not a part of any decisions that are made pertaining to the budget. Paterson receive federal funding for Title I, II, and III schools. We also receive funds for I.D.E.A. and other federally funded programs. These funds are allocated for specific schools or programs.

It can be beneficial for a district to involve stakeholders during the budget formation process, from beginning to end. If stakeholders are allowed to participate at all times, they may have more ownership in the budget. This also allows them to understand the budget development and provides transparency for all stakeholders.

Teacher input could be directed towards resources needed within the classroom, contracts, and curriculum development. Parental input could be directed towards school calendar, transportation concerns, and extra curricular activities. Community Leaders input should be directed towards volunteers services, facilities usage, and fundraising support.

I’ve also learned that instructional expenditures include all teacher salaries, benefits, curriculum, and material. Instructional support provides funding for guidance counseling for students, school based coaches for core classes. Instructional support expenditures also provide funding for wrap around services that provide therapy, counseling in and out of school for students. Capital expenditures provide funds for school equipment and the maintenance of the facility. Special Program are funds that’s not a part of the general fund and have strict guidelines which can only fund services specified.

In the Paterson school districts the budgets get shared with the staff and community. Each school submits their budgets to the school board for approval. In Paterson, the Superintendent receives the budgets from the school and he submits it to the State. Once the state informs him of the monies that the school district will receive the Superintendent informs the school board and the school in turns present it at the school board meeting.

The district formulas for the amount of money that will be received is the same. The amount just depends on the number of students that are in the schools. They also include any programs in the funding that will be used in the school district and is incorporated into the budget. The high school level receives more money in their budget.

References

Evans, D.W. (2014). Superintendents Welcome Back Message. Paterson Public Schools. Retrieved from http://www.paterson.k12.nj.us/11_superintendent/superintendent.php

2014. Retrieved from Paterson Public Schools Job Description School Business Administrator, www.paterson.k12.nj.us