Thank you for affording me the opportunity to review your budget proposal for the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The purpose of this memorandum is to provide information regarding the implementation of a new district-wide budgeting system. As requested, I have assessed the current CPS centralized budgeting system and evaluated the desirability of implementing an equity-driven, student-based planning and budgeting policy, better known as the Weighted Student Formula (WSF). Based on the information provided, I researched the issue and developed some suggestions.
Policy Options
Funding basic education is an investment toward educational attainment. As the Budget Director for CPS, you are responsible for ensuring that the school district’s …show more content…
In relation to a school district, the budgeting process is defined as the “sequence of activities involved in planning the district’s educational programs, estimating the needed expenditures and revenues to implement these programs, gaining the necessary approval, and using the budget to assist in managing the district’s operations” (Hartman, 2003, p. 4). School district budgeting includes “the entire cycle of developing, approving, and implementing the district’s budget” (p. 4). In considering which budgeting policy should be implemented, it is recommended that a determination be made as to whether to include average or actual (teacher) salaries in the budget proposal. Moreover, it necessary to establish a teacher-hiring process that focuses exclusively on salary levels or on a mixed-method approach that ensures that the per-pupil expenditures are not exceeded. Adopting a policy that monitors, adjusts, and reports the current year’s budget would help determine the benefits of converting over to a district-wide system. Lastly, establishing a WSF model (policy) will affectively allocate funding based on the number of students that enroll at each individual school; thus, ensuring the proper expenditure and accountability of …show more content…
A policy must outline the capacity of those involved in the system, and provide “accurate information about one’s activities and behaviour [sic]” (Steets, 2010, p. 15). In particular, a policy should explicitly address who, or at what level, problems and/or decisions should be addressed. More importantly, the stakeholders must not be placed in a predicate that makes them feel that a policy is being imposed against their will. It is recommended that the policymakers identify and respond reasonably to the stakeholders’ views and/or
Policy Options
Funding basic education is an investment toward educational attainment. As the Budget Director for CPS, you are responsible for ensuring that the school district’s …show more content…
In relation to a school district, the budgeting process is defined as the “sequence of activities involved in planning the district’s educational programs, estimating the needed expenditures and revenues to implement these programs, gaining the necessary approval, and using the budget to assist in managing the district’s operations” (Hartman, 2003, p. 4). School district budgeting includes “the entire cycle of developing, approving, and implementing the district’s budget” (p. 4). In considering which budgeting policy should be implemented, it is recommended that a determination be made as to whether to include average or actual (teacher) salaries in the budget proposal. Moreover, it necessary to establish a teacher-hiring process that focuses exclusively on salary levels or on a mixed-method approach that ensures that the per-pupil expenditures are not exceeded. Adopting a policy that monitors, adjusts, and reports the current year’s budget would help determine the benefits of converting over to a district-wide system. Lastly, establishing a WSF model (policy) will affectively allocate funding based on the number of students that enroll at each individual school; thus, ensuring the proper expenditure and accountability of …show more content…
A policy must outline the capacity of those involved in the system, and provide “accurate information about one’s activities and behaviour [sic]” (Steets, 2010, p. 15). In particular, a policy should explicitly address who, or at what level, problems and/or decisions should be addressed. More importantly, the stakeholders must not be placed in a predicate that makes them feel that a policy is being imposed against their will. It is recommended that the policymakers identify and respond reasonably to the stakeholders’ views and/or