Preparing for my first board meeting

I think that there are certain "firsts" that occur in any career and in life as a whole.  As a superintendent there are many firsts that come and go as you learn a new position and roll within the school system.  For me the first board meeting has been one I've stressed over and have some anxiety in preparing for.  Not only is tonights board meeting my first, it is also our budget hearing for the new fiscal year.

I consider myself very blessed to work with so many wonderful people who have made this an easy first.  I also consider the stewardship over public funds to be one of the most critical elements of leadership of the district.  

The process that is used here in Park 16 is a good example of doing things the right way.  Teachers and staff are all asked to submit their budget requests in the Spring.  These requests are reviewed and tentatively approved by the superintendent.  I observed as our former superintendent carefully weighed the value of each request with student success and overall improvement of the district.  I observed as our business manager tediously reviewed each request and compared it with prior years and current year numbers.  Tonight I will observe as our school board officially approves the projected expenditures.

I am glad to be in this system where multiple points of input are sought after and there are multiple checks and balances to ensure that funds are used appropriately.

For those of you who may not be in education, school finance can often be a little confusing.  School funds come from Federal, State, and local sources.  Within each of the funding sources there are requirements and limitations that the school and district must adhere to.  I think of it as a household budget that allocates funds for various activities.  We can't move money from our "utilities" category to "entertainment."  (Well I guess we could, but the consequences would be harmful.) Likewise, in the school budget we must spend certain dollars on certain things and there are only certain dollars that we have flexibility with in it's spending.

I am proud to know that our district is in a financially sound state.  As the Wyoming economy continues to fluctuate we will continue to look for avenues to trim our spending and keep our district financially sound.