Our most recent assignment was to meet with our administrator in order to discuss the ever important, and every confusing - the BUDGET! I was able to meet with the principal and my elementary school and we discussed how the budget and funding is dealt with at our school.
At the beginning of our discussion, my principal expressed that I was lucky to be able to talk to someone about this before becoming an administrator. She described her confusion when she was first hired because she had no idea how to balance or control a school budget, in fact never having seen one in use. It was interesting to look what is refferred to as the "Blue Streak Budget Report" (due to there being a large blue streak down the side, indicated the funding that is still available). I was able to see the various funding sources that put money into the site budget, be they federal funds, categorical funds, or grants and donations. It was clear, both from our face-to-face class meeting and this interview, that budgets and funding is not a simple thing, nor one where mistakes can be made.
We discussed how each budget was used and who made the decisions. On the whole, decisions regarding budgets and funding are made based on 2 things: the School Site Plan and need. The money should be spent on efforts to close the achievement gap or improve student achievement, whether that is resources, supplies, programs, or people.
I appreciated getting to sit down and talk to my principal about this important, and sometimes overwhelming, issue. It was beneficial to get her perspective on the process and the in's and out's of daily school budgeting. Though I don't feel prepared to handle one myself just yet, I do feel more comfortable with the thought that one day, I WILL be able to.
Yes, the blue streak report is awesome in how it breaks down each fund and keeps a detailed accounting of them. We also spend money based on the school site plan and need. For example, most of our EIA monies are used to fund our CSP's because we feel that money is better spent on people than materials.
ReplyDeleteI have thought the same thing through this process. How lucky am I to be able to have access to this kind of experience before getting the job! These assignments, though sometimes overwhelming, have truly provided a great foundation from which we can build our careers.
ReplyDelete