Dealing with Budget Constraints Presenter: Dan Smith
How do I know if I need to reduce the budget? DE Website - (use the School Business & Finance link) IASB Services Enrollment History and Projections Budget Guarantee Scenarios with 0%, 1% and 2% growth Unspent Balance History/Trends Financial Solvency History/Trends
How do I factor the negotiations process into my decisions? History of settlements in the district Potential retirements Built-in costs within district including salary schedule, insurance increase, IPERS Negotiations process probably won’t be complete before you need to make decisions
What processes should I put in place now? Criteria to consider for budget reductions o Minimize any negative effect on student learning o Minimize any negative effect on student academic opportunities o Be sustainable long-term o Be based on realistic savings estimates/projections o Be careful about using one-time sources of money for ongoing expenditures o Maximize the use of non-general funds resources for qualified expenditures o Maintain flexibility with all program modifications to adjust to student needs There is a difference between “can we” and “should we”
More processes to put in place now … Meet with staff to review and get input on budget numbers (be careful to avoid a prohibited practice complaint) Hold public meeting to review budget and get input Post materials on website for communication and input
One example of website information
Communicate a timeline for decision-making Realize this is a long-term and ongoing process