EDLD 5342 Week 2- Part 4

During the interview with the superintendent, we had time to discuss the relationship between the size of a district and the amount of staff responsible for the budget. In a small district the superintendent could be solely responsible for the development of the budget that is presented to the school board. Texas Education Code states that “the superintendent is the budget officer for the district and prepares or causes the budget to be prepared.” In our school district the superintendent oversees the budgeting process while the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) handles the development of the budget. Throughout the year, he discusses the budget with her.  They meet on numerous occasions to discuss the preparation of the budget as well as current collections and expenditures.

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Dr. Giles stated that the budgeting process should ensure that all stakeholders are involved. Superintendents must work collaboratively to establish goals for the district. The superintendent must develop a knowledge base that is proficient in terms of the TEA Financial Accountability System.  In our school district the superintendent may delegate some responsibility to the CFO; however, the superintendent is the person that is legally responsible. Therefore, she works closely with the CFO and communicates with him weekly.  She stated that having a strong CFO is very important to her success and the success of the school district.  This school year we moved to zero-based budgeting this year. She stated that the process was different from past school years. Campuses submitted requests to the Superintendent’s cabinet for review. I found it interesting to hear the superintendent say that the principals actually made deeper cuts that the superintendent would have made. 

Over the past year we have developed a new strategic plan that is currently guiding the development of upcoming budgets. Throughout the development of the strategic plan, campuses and departments have started to align their goals to the goals listed in the strategic plan so the district has a common vision. School board members, teachers, administrators, students, parents and community representatives were all involved in strategic planning to ensure continuity between the strategic plan and other action plans within the district. This process assisted the superintendent in developing a budget that is reflective of the goals.

The development of the budget is an integral part of a superintendent’s responsibilities.  When looking at all the aspects of the budget it can quickly become overwhelming.  It is important that a superintendent surrounds themselves with competent individuals who have the knowledge necessary to carry out their delegated responsibilities. A strong superintendent realizes that they do not have to be an expert in everything but they need to be able to recognize the importance of hiring experts.