TEA Budget Guidelines

What I learned:

     I learned many things from reviewing the TEA Budgeting Guidelines January 2010.  The things I learned include:  different types of budgeting, legal requirements, budget responsibilities and guidelines, revenue estimates, expenditure estimates, review/approval/maintenance of the district budget, financial forecasting and planning, budgeting for grant programs, and budgets for multi-year construction projects.  This among many other things.  I now feel like I have greater knowledge on the correct steps to creating a budget, understanding stakeholder roles, analyzing legal requirements, and adhering to specific deadlines. The TEA Budget guidelines provided the most comprehensive view of how a district creates a budget.  This document thoroughly explains the budget making process.  The budget making process includes:  the establishment of an overall district revenue projection, the establishment of school allocations, the development of budgets or expenditure plans, the creation of a comprehensive budget, and review and approval of the district budget.  All of the information in this document coincides with the information that I received from my campus principal, superintendent, and chief financial officer.  The district works very hard to develop a goal driven budget and any variation from this framework will result in lost resources and will stunt the growth of the district.  I also realize that if these guidelines are not followed, resources will be wasted and student needs will be unmet.  These guidelines show what role local districts and communities play in planning, implementing, and evaluating the budget.  Even though the budget guidelines focus on spending funds, stakeholders must also focus on staff, technology, and time that it takes to create a budget.  I agree with TEA’s statement that the guidelines and calendar provide a framework for the entire budget making process.

How to utilize this new information:

     The district can utilize this new information to help develop the 2013-2014 district budget by using the guideline to analyze the components of the budget making process.  The district can use this information as a type of lesson plan to identify the district goals and, more importantly, to see that the budget is created efficiently and effectively.  The information in the guidelines can be used to advise stakeholders about the when things should be accomplished, who makes which decisions, and how to adapt the upcoming budget to meet district needs.  These guidelines can be used to train the stakeholders on the part they play in the process.  Roles can be defined and delegated to the appropriate source.  The budget guidelines can serve as a foundation to train the District Improvement Committee, Site Based Decision Making Committee, new administrators, and central office staff.  My plan is to utilize the information to work more closely with my campus principal, SBDM committee, and school superintendent to learn the budget planning process through the eyes of all stakeholders involved.  As a future superintendent, one of my key responsibilities will be to act as the Chief Executive Officer of the school district.  In this role, I will need to know how to develop a budget calendar, understand resource allocations, prepare budget worksheets, learn account codes, and review projected revenue estimates, just to name a few.  By studying these guidelines, it is much easier to learn the process of completing a budget on a step by step basis.    I will continue to reference these guidelines and read updates as they become available.