School Financial Management and Accounting

Catalog description

This course examines the historical precedents and current procedures that regulate and control the funding and financial operations of school districts. The leadership role of the school business administrator, ensuring the operation of the district in compliance with policy, procedure, and code, is a central theme. Judicial decisions, federal and state legislation, the planned curriculum, and generally accepted business practices that impact on the operation of the total educational program in school districts will be reviewed. Some specific topics of study will include: the leadership role of the school business administrator in monitoring, assessing and reporting on fiscal operations; determining taxation rates; and, developing non-public sources of revenue. The impact of state imposed "cap" regulations and negotiated bargaining unit benefit packages and agreements will be assessed with regard to possible budget growth and development. Enrollment, revenue, and cash flow projections; the fiscal controls used to approve, manage and track expenditures; regulations and restrictions on the use of school funds; school district surplus and debt regulations; current and emerging fiscal concerns in school budget planning and development; and, the role of the school fiscal structure in relation to the local, state, and federal governments are other important topics to be developed. Advanced study in double entry accounting procedures will be a major component in the course. Students will demonstrate course understandings through actual classroom and school applications that are referenced to state adopted core curriculum content standards and professional development standards, the Standards for School Leaders of the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium, and the candidate proficiencies developed by the Educational Leadership Constituent Council.