Over the last 18 months, school district purchasing offices across the country have been tightening the reins like never before while more top-level administrators get involved in the budget process. "When the economy really hit the skids, states got hit hard, so a lot of school districts were forced to make severe budget cuts," says John Musso,…

In the midst of growing controversy over the limits of student expression on the Internet, a federal trial court in Pennsylvania addressed the extent to which education officials can restrict the ability of student teachers and, by extension, teachers and other school employees, to exercise their rights to free speech on Internet social networking…

The 1989-90 Educational Research Service survey reports $62,698 as the mean salary paid assistant superintendents and $52,554 as the mean salary paid directors of finance and business. Salaries are related to three important variables: geographic region, district enrollment size, and per pupil expenditure level. Fringe benefit trends are also…

Notes that the new chair of the Board of Directors of the National Association of College and University Business Officers, Bret Hartley, has had a campus career (at Florida state institutions) characterized by collaboration and delegation. Highlights six major endeavors of the organization in the coming year. (DB)

Because of financial and management pressures forced on almost all institutions, a school business officer is required who speaks out on academic matters as well as business matters and can stand up to the new pressures and opportunities. (Author/MLF)

Based on data from two Educational Research Service surveys, this article compares salaries and fringe benefits of school business officials with those of teachers and other administrators and with cost of living increases. Chief business officials' salaries depend on the geographic region, district enrollment size, and district per pupil…

A survey takes an indepth look at the school business official. Questionnaires were sent to 5,200 school business officials throughout the U.S. (Author)

Annual review of periodical literature covering areas of interest in accounting and finance, school law, purchasing/supply control, safety and insurance, school lunch programs, school planning, and maintenance. (LN)

Suggests some solutions to administrators' cluttered desk problems and offers guidelines for a planning and organizing system. (MLF)

This manual attempts to clarify appropriate business-management practices for Catholic schools. It addresses relevant financial issues, such as stewardship of property and resources. The volume describes the importance of employing a business manager and explores that person's role, delving into the business manager as manager, leader, and…

The career and administrative style of Mary M. Lai, who celebrates her 50th year as chief financial officer at Long Island University (New York), are discussed. Her perspectives on change in higher education and in the institution during that time, the administrator's role, current challenges for financial officers, and the college environment as…

Strategies outlined for developing and maintaining an administrative guide as the chief communication tool in a public school system. (Author/ MLF)

Between 1993-94 and 1998-99, the percentage increase in salaries paid to assistant superintendents ($86,005) and directors of finance and business ($71,387) has generally kept pace with percentage increases in the average salaries of central-office administrators and with the average maximum scheduled salary for classroom teachers. (MLH)

In August 1999, Wisconsin school business officials and other school administrators met with police officers to discuss cooperative ventures to ensure school safety. Conference participants attended sessions on identifying troubled students, physical security measures, safety planning, dealing with bomb threats, and prevention and punishment. (MLH)

The third in a series of articles on the chief business official in public school districts examines the officials' purchasing responsibility. Data are summarized in nine tables that categorize responses by enrollment size. (MLF)