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Clinical Field Experience B: Schoolwide Budgetary Needs

Bridgett M. Bates

Grand Canyon University

EAD 510: Education Finance

Scott Beckerman

September 14, 2022

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Clinical Field Experience B

Part 1: Collaborate

Development

The budget is created over the course of several months, beginning the school year before

it is put into action. The school can start developing a framework to run off by using estimations

about student enrollment, expected budget, and expected needs. Numbers are reassessed,

adjusted, and altered over the spring semester as needed. In the spring, department leads are

asked to evaluate what curriculum and digital technologies were used and should be reordered.

They are also tasked to make suggestions on what to add or remove based on usage. In addition,

furniture and other items are also starting to be ordered for the new school year, but this only

happens after the accounting and administration teams have finalized the budget.

Stakeholders & Identifying Needs

The stakeholders that are involved in this process include administration, teachers,

support staff, board members, the accounting team, the charter authority, students, families, and

the community. The duties of the stakeholders include helping to identify the needs of the

school. Surveys of the school and community, conversations with teachers and support staff, and

notes from the charter authority help to determine school needs.

Defense & Modification

The defense of and modification to the budget would rely heavily on how it was being

distributed and/or redistributed. Schools get funding in a variety of ways and must be utilized

according to each funding source’s rules/regulations; therefore, modifying the budget would

depend on where the money came from – capital funding, revenue funding, grant funding, etc.

Typically, we make a defense or request changes at an open board meeting. Expenditure

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adjustments would need to be revealed appropriately after the school year’s budget was

established.

Technology Requirements & Effects on Budget Process

Since we are a charter school, we have different technology requirements than our

neighboring county public school district. Thanks to grants that we qualified for in years past, we

can provide one-to-one technology for our students.

Analysis of Current Budget, Previous Budget, and CIP/SIP

When comparing the current and previous budget, the school principal, Ms. LeNeave,

was asked to provide her perspective on any discrepancies as well as her assessment of how

much the CIP/SIP is really supported by the budget. Ms. LeNeave indicated that due to the

neighboring county district increasing base pay and giving bonuses to their veteran teachers, she

was tasked to find a way to keep our salaries competitive and enticing to perspective candidates.

To attract new teachers and keep her current teachers, she needed to mirror the other district. She

had to find one million dollars in our budget. As a result, certain “extras” – digital programs –

deemed not as needed, were eliminated. In addition, we had to increase our class sizes slightly to

bring in more funding. Due to this unforeseen issue, some aspects of the CIP/SIP may not be

met; however, we will make every effort to meet our goals/expectations.

Part 2: Budgetary Needs Assessment Survey

A representative from each department was chosen by Ms. LeNeave to complete a

survey. The replies offered useful criticism as well as positive feedback. Some teachers asked for

additional technology or technology support/training. A few teachers asked for professional

development about developing better co-taught classroom systems. Overall, teachers noted that
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they feel that we give students good support. In addition, they felt like they were considered an

important part of the educational process.

Part 3: Schoolwide Budgetary Needs Assessment Summary and Reflection

Originally established in Florida, the Pinecrest Academy charter school system has since

spread to Nevada and is currently expanding to other states including Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii,

and Idaho. There are five sites in southern Nevada: Cadence, Inspirada, Horizon, Sloan Canyon,

and St. Rose. In addition, we have one location in northern Nevada as well. Pinecrest Cadence –

my location – has been open since 2016. We started as a K-9 campus, but over the years we have

expanded to include K-12. We also offer Dual Enrollment opportunities for qualified high school

students.

Management services are provided to Pinecrest Cadence by Academica Nevada, LLC

through a contract that costs roughly $450 per enrolled student. These management services help

to maintain high standards at each Pinecrest location; most Pinecrest locations in Nevada are

rated four or five stars. Pinecrest Cadence – my location – is rated five stars at the high school

level. Our population is approximately 2,200 students that come from diverse socioeconomic

backgrounds. This population includes many ELL, FRL, and students with special needs. One

unique aspect of the Las Vegas area is the transience of our student population. We have

consistent move-in and move-out of our student body, which is common in all Las Vegas area

schools; however, our campus does maintain a decent number of students who have stayed with

our campus since we opened. We provide one-to-one technology to integrate blended learning

for all students. In addition, we are considered a Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and

Mathematics (STEAM) school. Some of the programs that we offer include CTE and Dual

Enrollment which align to our vision and mission as a school. We intend to “prepare students for
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college and career” (Mission Statement 2016). This works together with our vision to “perform at

the highest level on all academic measures” (Our Vision 2016).

Per pupil funding is derived from the state DSA, sales-tax, and property tax. According to

the Nevada Legislature, the “per pupil funding amount for Fiscal Year 2021-2022 is $6,980”

(Nevada Electronic Legislative Information System 2021). Pinecrest Cadence’s revenue currently

is estimated to be $13,002,263. Our estimated costs are $12,966,547 which includes benefits,

salary, operations, construction, etc.

One of the biggest changes in the budget each year is salaries and benefits. This last year

has seen a one million dollar increase in the budget for salaries and benefits due to the school

trying to remain competitive and attractive when compared to the district nearby. Enrollment has

increased yearly as well which, while great for the community, has caused our campus to need to

add more special education teachers and assistance for each grade band. Due to inflation and

shipping issues, the cost of maintaining the school's facilities has increased as well.

We have put a lot of effort into building our school and community relationships. We

have accomplished this, in part, by routinely soliciting feedback via surveys, parent/community

impact meetings, and other techniques for needs assessment. The responses have mostly been

favorable; parents, students, and staff believe that their opinions are respected and heard. We're

always trying to find methods to make the school better overall, and we're always looking for

grants and other financial sources to help us do so. Student engagement opportunities is another

area that we continue to grow by adding more clubs, activities, and athletics each year. In

addition to student engagement, we have also been building community collaborations by

forming student-driven organizations to collaborate with local community small businesses to

build strong ties in the community. These ties help to create fundraising opportunities for the
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school while increasing the businesses’ revenue as well; thus, creating a mutually beneficial

relationship. As we establish these collaborations between student-driven organizations and

small businesses in the community, we are meeting PSEL Standard 8 “Effective educational

leaders engage families and the community in meaningful, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial

ways to promote each student’s academic success and well-being” (2015). Additionally, we can

meet PSEL Standard 9 as we ensure that all aspects of operations and resources are utilized to

benefit the students and community (2015).

As I continue to grow and learn from the amazing leaders around me, I know that I will

be able to assess the needs of my campus and community. I am learning that working as a team

will continue to benefit both the school community and me. I will rely on the people around me

to ensure that I am accounting for every area of need as well as adjusting budgets as needed.

While I do have ongoing concerns about my budgeting capabilities, I am confident that my

leadership team and staff will be able to help me continue to improve.

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References

Bates, B., & LeNeave, J. (2022, September 14). Principal Interview. personal.

Mission Statement. Home - Mission Statement. (2016). Retrieved September 6, 2022, from

https://www.pinecrestcadence.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=287361&type=d

Nevada Electronic Legislative Information System. NELIS. (2021). Retrieved September 14,

2022, from https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/81st2021

National Policy Board for Educational Administration. (2015). Professional Standards for

Educational Leaders. Retrieved September 7, 2022, from http://www.npbea.org/wp-

content/uploads/2017/06/Professional-Standards-for-Educational-Leaders_2015.pdf

Our Vision. Home - Our Vision. (2016). Retrieved September 6, 2022, from

https://www.pinecrestcadence.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=294580&type=d