Week 2 Part 4: Supt. Roles/Responsibilities in the Budgeting Process

Summary: I interviewed my superintendent about his role in the budgeting process. He explained that his role is to oversee the budget development process as well as make recommendations based on district priorities, available resources, and anticipated changes to district finances. During budget implementation he stated he must ensure appropriate expenditure of budgeted funds, to provide for clear and timely budget reports, and to monitor for effectiveness of the overall process. I learned that the superintendent is very involved in the three phases of budgeting; planning, preparation, and evaluation. I also learned a lot of time and effort is made to make accurate projections for student enrollment, staffing, and facilities, because each of these areas are very significant in the district budget. I also learned that an effective superintendent will clearly communicate with staff members and the board about the budget, throughout the process.

Reaction: As I have stated before, my superintendent is very honest with me about the position. He stated that budgeting was not his strength, and may have cost him an opportunity for a position in the past. He stated that he relies heavily on his Chief Financial Officer and communicates with him throughout the three phases of the budgeting process. He told me that most likely, a '3AAA-5AAAAA' school district will have a CFO with the main responsibility of the budget, though the superintendent will always oversee the process, implementation, and evaluation of it. He also stated that a '1A-2AA' school district will more than likely not have a CFO and thus the superintendent has a more demanding role in the day to day budgeting process. He did also mention that the region service centers could be very instrumental in helping support a superintendent in this position. When viewing the assignments for this course a few weeks ago, I felt very overwhelmed because I do not feel I had adequate knowledge about the district budget process. It is so important, and the skill set to effectively plan, prepare, and evaluate a budget is much different from what I do on a day to day basis. After visiting with my superintendent and CFO I felt much better about the knowledge required during the phases of the budget.