Closing a Budget Deficit
If I were tasked by my Board of Education to develop an Action Plan that would effectively and logically close the budget deficit while minimizing any adverse effects on the district’s provision of a quality and equitable education for all students I would begin by careful analysis of past budgets and then collect data on the community to determine trends of enrollment, housing, and socioeconomic conditions. According to Hartman (2003), there are two types of budget reductions: cost savings through improved efficiency and through program reductions (p. 164). Prior to making cuts I would go back to the planning process and try to close the fiscal gap by improving the budgeting process and working on efficiency.
To begin, …show more content…
I would look at trying to improve the cash management of the district because revenue from the government comes in increments, whereas, the district operates more on a monthly set of bills to pay. As a result, there are times that there is excess money in the accounts that can be invested to earn extra revenue.
Hartman (2003), also suggests charging other districts for services, such as transportation or special education programs (p. 178). Although this would not be popular, students could be charged to participate in athletic programs, being mindful of low-income students that would need to be subsidized. Another suggestion is to sell activity cards to students for admittance into events. Any of these suggestions could be discussed with stakeholders as an avenue to pursue in order to bridge the gap in the …show more content…
Being creative would be a priority because I would not want to compromise the quality of education in the district. Mike Shafer’s article, Getting Creative: Alternative Revenue Sources for School Districts, provides many examples I would consider. Initially I would need legal guidance to make sure I was following state laws, but after that, I would try almost any suggested alternative. My first initiatives would not require any initial investment. For instance, renting space in the school could generate income. Spaces like the gymnasium, auditorium, or classrooms could be used by outside groups for a fee. Using buses for companies to advertise and providing camps during the summer and vacations would also be a consideration.
If the district made an investment that would generate revenue, I would suggest leasing a cell phone tower or bond for building sites that could be rented. The rent could pay the bond and the remainder would be revenue. Other suggestions in the article made me hesitate because I have had some experience with them that the public was not in favor of and would want to have public support. For instance, providing childcare can be profitable, and my district has done that. However, every Board of Education meeting, the town business owners are there complaining that the school is taking away their
If I were tasked by my Board of Education to develop an Action Plan that would effectively and logically close the budget deficit while minimizing any adverse effects on the district’s provision of a quality and equitable education for all students I would begin by careful analysis of past budgets and then collect data on the community to determine trends of enrollment, housing, and socioeconomic conditions. According to Hartman (2003), there are two types of budget reductions: cost savings through improved efficiency and through program reductions (p. 164). Prior to making cuts I would go back to the planning process and try to close the fiscal gap by improving the budgeting process and working on efficiency.
To begin, …show more content…
I would look at trying to improve the cash management of the district because revenue from the government comes in increments, whereas, the district operates more on a monthly set of bills to pay. As a result, there are times that there is excess money in the accounts that can be invested to earn extra revenue.
Hartman (2003), also suggests charging other districts for services, such as transportation or special education programs (p. 178). Although this would not be popular, students could be charged to participate in athletic programs, being mindful of low-income students that would need to be subsidized. Another suggestion is to sell activity cards to students for admittance into events. Any of these suggestions could be discussed with stakeholders as an avenue to pursue in order to bridge the gap in the …show more content…
Being creative would be a priority because I would not want to compromise the quality of education in the district. Mike Shafer’s article, Getting Creative: Alternative Revenue Sources for School Districts, provides many examples I would consider. Initially I would need legal guidance to make sure I was following state laws, but after that, I would try almost any suggested alternative. My first initiatives would not require any initial investment. For instance, renting space in the school could generate income. Spaces like the gymnasium, auditorium, or classrooms could be used by outside groups for a fee. Using buses for companies to advertise and providing camps during the summer and vacations would also be a consideration.
If the district made an investment that would generate revenue, I would suggest leasing a cell phone tower or bond for building sites that could be rented. The rent could pay the bond and the remainder would be revenue. Other suggestions in the article made me hesitate because I have had some experience with them that the public was not in favor of and would want to have public support. For instance, providing childcare can be profitable, and my district has done that. However, every Board of Education meeting, the town business owners are there complaining that the school is taking away their