Little is known about the characteristics and perspectives of school business officers, those who have the ear of superintendents and who help make key decisions about the spending of millions of dollars of public funds in school districts. Due to equity concerns and the paucity of research regarding this key group of individuals, this research…

The COVID-19 pandemic created a crisis all over the world challenging traditional methods of business practices, teaching, and administration in the educational sphere. International education has been particularly affected; many individuals working in different areas of the profession had to enact emergency triage to aid the more than one million…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the work that school business leaders perform in four different school districts in New York State, and to find what the impact of this work is on instruction. The research is titled, "How Do the Functions That School Business Officials Perform Affect Teaching and Learning, and Do School Business…

This qualitative study of a sample of 13 female school business officials in the southeastern region of New York offers evidence that female school business officials perceive the presence of gender bias and stereotyping in their profession. The study's findings align with Acker's (1990, 1992a) theoretical assertion that gender inequality is…

This study examines the critical role that marketing plays within the realms of public four-year higher education institutions (HEIs) in the United States, all through the lens of HEI presidents. The context is a higher education market that is rapidly evolving, stirred by fierce competition, shifting societal norms, the COVID-19 pandemic…

The purpose of this research was to explore the factors that contribute to a chief financial officer's (CFO) success and demise within a higher education setting. Relatively little attention has been given to the study of leadership in educational institutions (Vroom, 1983). Leadership defines what the future should look like, aligns people with…

The purpose of this Action Research study was to investigate and improve teacher retention at Southside Public Schools, an urban public school district in Massachusetts. Participants and data collected in Cycle 1 consisted of an interview with the school district's superintendent, a focus group that included Southside's director of human…

Community colleges remain an important component of higher education in the United States, offering readily-accessible education and career training to a diverse array of students from different backgrounds. During the 2007-2009 economic recession, community colleges experienced enrollment increases. Simultaneously, however, community colleges…

This study examined the essential skill sets needed to effectively perform as a school business official in New York State. This study surveyed 132 practicing school business officials across New York State and created a needs-based assessment of the competencies required to successfully perform as a New York State school business official. In…

State fiscal support for public higher education is declining, particularly during recessionary periods. Public colleges and universities have limited channels of revenue and depend on state appropriations for current operating needs. There is an imperative now for public institutions to do more with less, be more efficient and effective in order…

Available data indicate that colleges and universities have experienced an unexpected rise in occupational fraud over the past two decades. In order to mitigate the risk of fraud, these institutions must be proactive and have strong internal controls and policies. The purpose of this study was to examine the current controls in place at Midwest…

Due to a diminishing level of available funds, school leaders are faced with difficult decisions associated with reducing budget expenditures. The only way to prevent losing more programs and services is to reduce spending. An area which is quickly gaining popularity in reducing expenditures is outsourcing. Many schools have turned to outside…

The number of children (ages 3-21) in the United States designated as having a specific learning disability is over seven (7) million. Providing the programs, services and funding necessary to deliver appropriate programs and services to this special population is a challenge in virtually all school districts across the country. The role of school…

The purpose of this study was to identify the job responsibilities perceived as most important in maintaining school district financial solvency. Additionally, the study sought to identify specific financial management strategies school business officials (SBO) could consider to maintain financial solvency in their school districts. A total of 208…

School foodservice directors (FSDs) and school business officials (SBOs) in public school districts with enrollments between 2,500 and 25,000 in the USDA Mid-Atlantic geographic region provided responses to a paper-and-pencil survey. The FSDs assessed the level of implementation of a mandated school food safety plan in their districts and…