The prospect of sharing in the $100 billion in federal economic-stimulus aid has companies unleashing their sales pitches. Pittsburgh-based Apangea Learning, which offers online one-on-one tutoring, is offering school districts three years' worth of services for the price of two, to "help schools win new federal funding that is part of the…

Many people were relieved to bid farewell to 2008, a year that will be remembered for unprecedented economic woes that rippled from Wall Street to Main Street and around the globe. The world's financial problems will not be resolved overnight, and in this fragile economy, school district budget cuts are likely the norm. Is there anything school…

School business officials kept a close watch on the financial markets this week--and on district investment portfolios and teacher-retirement funds--as stock prices gyrated and once-sound institutions got government bailouts or crumbled into bankruptcy. While financial observers said it was too soon to predict how Wall Street's upheaval might…

Free speech concerns associated with collective bargaining become important when unions impose fair-share fees that charge nonmembers for costs associated with the benefits they receive through labor negotiations. When unions collect fair-share fees, those payments often support causes with which nonmembers and dissenting members disagree.…

Preserving existing revenues is an essential component of the work of school business officials. The broad ranges of activities that can affect school district revenues make identifying potential threats difficult. By understanding the issues that affect school district revenue, school business officials are better able to diminish its erosion--a…

When tough economic times set in, school business administrators heighten their normal zeal in finding ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency. The author's school district recently underwent a yearlong internal self-analysis to examine and determine the proper staffing levels for the administrative functions within the school district's…

In some ways, education institutions are like any other business when it comes to insurance coverage. Property could be damaged, accidents may be blamed on negligence, and employees may be injured during the course of the workday. Traveling sports teams, field trips, and transportation responsibilities increase the possibility that something will…

Like homeowners with limited budgets and a long list of repairs, school districts often must make tough choices when it comes to deciding what building systems to modernize, renovate, or repair--or when to build new facilities. With $44 billion now available for states and schools under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, stimulus…

Describes Governmental Accounting Standards Boards' (GASB) proposed new standards addressing the recognition, measurement, and reporting of other postemployment benefits (excluding pension benefits), the most common of which are health-care benefits. Includes a lengthy table of tentative GASB decisions on other postemployment benefits. Suggests…

Describes the Indicator System to Analyze and Assess the Components and Competencies of School Business Officials and Support Services Personnel (ISAACC), developed by the Texas Association of School Business Officials. Includes a description of the components and competencies for Texas School Business Officials. (PKP)

School officials should strive to obtain the best insurance coverage at the lowest possible cost. Large school systems can save money by establishing a self-insurance program rather than buying insurance. (Author/MLF)

School business partnerships can help school districts meet financial challenges and public demands for reform. To succeed, both parties must feel that they are benefiting from the relationship. Possible political collaboration and corporate donations are among the benefits for schools. (MLF)

Proposes several key questions that school district business officials should answer to prepare for an annual financial audit involving auditor information and resource needs, district and auditor monitoring and reporting on the audit progress, and reporting the results of the audit to the board of education. (PKP)

A sample of school business leaders was surveyed to document their experiences with and opinions about the Certificate for Excellence in Financial Reporting. Analyzes responses from 90 participating districts and 80 nonparticipating districts from a total of 36 states. (MLF))

This chapter of "Principles of School Business Management" presents an overview of risk management for school districts. The chapter first discusses four fundamental elements of risk management: (1) identifying and measuring risks; (2) reducing or eliminating risks; (3) transferring unassumable risks; and (4) assuming remaining risks.…