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Field Experience B: School Budgetary Needs

Whitney L. DeBruhl

College of Education, Grand Canyon University

EAD 510: Education Finance

James Russo

June 20, 2023

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Background, Revenue, and Expenditures

Camden Middle School is located in the City of Camden, in the state of South Carolina.

The city of Camden is home to just over 8,000 people with a median household income (2017-

2021) of $44,573 (United States Census Bureau, 2022). The middle school is a part of the

Kershaw County School District and serves grades 6 through 8. Currently, 828 students are

enrolled at Camden Middle. Of those 828 students, 38% are African American, 43.5% are

Caucasian, 13.3% are Hispanic/Latino, and 5.2% are of other ethnicities and races such as Asian,

Native Hawaiian, or Other Pacific Islander. Based on the 63.12% of the student population that

come from low-income households, Camden Middle School has been identified as a Title I

school. The purpose of Title I, which falls under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), is to

provide financial assistance to “help local educational agencies (LEAs) improve teaching and

learning in high-poverty schools and help children failing or most at-risk of failing meet

challenging state academic standards” (South Carolina Department of Education, n.d.).

Title I funds, which are federal funds, make up a large portion of the budget at Camden

Middle School, as our school’s allocation amount totals $339,300.00. Our district receives Title

II funds, also under ESSA, totaling $457,027.10. These allocation totals were both found on the

State Department of Education’s website as they are available to the public. Title II funds

according to my principal, Mr. Casey Faulkenberry, are strictly used for professional

development. The other funds that we receive from the state and district each year vary based on

their analysis of our school’s needs. I am still a little unclear about the remainder of the budget as

my principal was unwilling to share information of the specifics and totals “outside of the

district”. He stated that our budget funds come from Title I, Title II, general supplies, and
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athletics. He also stated that funds for different organizations and discretionary funds raised for

pupil activity also factor in and can vary based on needs and funds raised.

As for the school’s expenditures, the district plays a large role in our allocations and what

we are permitted to spend the funds on. The Title I and Title II funds also have very strict

guidelines as well but from the federal and state level. I again was unable to get any specific

information on expenditures from my principal, but he stated that the three largest expenditures

for the school were personnel (including salaries and benefits), general supplies, and professional

development.

The Budget Process

Mr. Faulkenberry stated that the most important thing that is looked at when developing

the budget is the student population of the school, notably the number of students receiving free

and reduced lunch. This number is the data point for our Title I need. Along with the student

population, student performance is also a crucial data point when looking at a school’s needs and

the budget. Needs are assessed by looking at student performance data on MAP (district) and SC

READY (state) tests. Once needs are assessed, budget funds can be spent in the areas of greatest

need. For example, in Camden Middle’s school improvement plan, a greater focus on math

instruction was identified as a need based on the low scores students earned on the SC READY

Math Test. Because of this, funds were more heavily focused on math supplies and

manipulatives, supplemental materials and programs, and professional development for our math

teachers. Other data points, such as discipline referrals, attendance, and failure rates, factor in as

well.
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When it comes to the timeframe of the development of the budget, the month of June, and

to a degree July, are the most crucial. The reason behind this is that districts, and therefore the

schools, must wait for the general assembly to finalize the state budget each year. Once the state

budget is clear, the districts are notified of their different allocations and the districts can notify

their schools. This process is a sort of “a trickle-down effect” as Mr. Faulkenberry stated. It is

key to have information ready on what needs are most prominent so that when the district gives

the ‘all clear’, the necessary processes can occur quickly to ensure everything is in place before

the new school year begins.

Stakeholders in the budget development process include the district, the school principal

and administration, certified and non-certified faculty and staff, students, parents, and

community members. School and district personnel are the main contributors regarding the

budget process. The district is in control of much of the funds, outside of Title I and Title II, and

sets the allocation amounts and guidelines for how the money is spent. The school personnel,

like administration and faculty and staff, are on the front lines. They are in the school building

every day, teaching our students, and working towards the school’s mission and goals. They are

usually the first to recognize areas of concern and need and are constantly looking for solutions

and ways to improve the school, they just need the support and funds to do so. However,

community and parental involvement is still crucial to the process of identifying the pressing

needs of the school. Families, the community, and even students are involved as stakeholders in

the process through things such as School Improvement Councils (SICs), Parent Teacher

Organization (PTO), and surveys such as the School Climate Survey.

Defense and modification of the budget process mostly concerns the usage of the Title I

and Title II funds as they are very strict guidelines regarding what the funds can be used for.
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Regarding Title I and Title II funds, a plan for the usage of funds must be presented for the entire

year before the year begins. In this plan, principals must lay out a very detailed plan of the

budget including the corresponding function and object codes for the expenditures as well as the

line item totals. Also required is the identified need the expenditure is meeting and the data to

support the expense. While the entire year’s spending must be laid out beforehand, amendments

can be made to shift funds to other areas or to propose a new need if it aligns with the

improvement plan and can be supported by data.

The last area to consider in the budget process is the district technology requirements.

Kershaw County School District is a 1:1 district and provides Chromebooks for all students.

Teachers are also provided with laptops and each classroom is equipped with a Promethean

Board. There was the initial cost to purchase all the items, however the ongoing cost is for

maintenance and any replacements that need to occur. There are not any specific “requirements”

in terms of technology usage within the school. We do have certain programs at our disposal that

are provided and approved based on district guidelines. Anything that the school requests outside

of district provided programs must go through an approval process.

The Budget and The School Improvement Plan

When asked about the differences between the previous budget and the current budget,

my principal’s answer was that there was not much of a difference. I believe the reason behind

this may be because our school’s improvement plan is only updated every five years, and we are

in the last year of the current plan. Therefore, the goals of the current plan did not change from

the previous to the current year and thus would not require much of a change in how budget

funds are spent. From my own research, I was able to see that there was a difference in the

allocation amounts from Title I and Title II funds from last year to this year. This year, Camden
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Middle School received about $23,200 more in Title I funds. The district, Kershaw County,

received about $11,032.79 more in Title II funds.

Mr. Faulkenberry believes that overall, based on the data collected, the effects of the

budget on our school’s improvement plan and goals are positive. He stated that there is still a lot

of room for improvement and that we will continue to ensure money is being spent in the most

effective areas. As stated earlier, the school’s three largest expenditures are personnel (including

salaries and benefits), general supplies, and professional development. All three of these

expenditures align with the school’s improvement plan and our focus to improve student

performance and achievement in the areas of Math and ELA. Additional personnel are being

recruited to bring more focused, tier 2 and 3 MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports)

interventions and instruction to students struggling in these two core subjects. General supplies

such as math manipulatives are being bought to allow teachers more effective classroom

resources. And finally, professional development opportunities are being offered to staff in best

practices, data analysis to make informed instructional decisions, and technology integration to

impact student engagement and achievement.

Budgetary Needs Assessment Survey

The budgetary needs assessment survey was given to seven teachers within my school.

These teachers span across all three grade levels and all four core subjects. When asked what the

school’s current goals were that focused on student performance, all seven teachers knew that the

main goal of our improvement plan is to, as one teacher wrote, “increase overall scores using a

more intensive approach via MTSS across all academic areas”. The resources and supports that

these teachers stated were helping them to achieve these school goals within their classrooms

were supportive administration and colleagues as well as supplies and materials such as novels,
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textbooks, manipulatives, and access to online and supplemental programs. They all stated that

they felt supported by the administration of the school and that the meetings led by the

administration to analyze data and allow for goal setting has been helpful. They also stated that

they hope the collaboration amongst the staff to meet these common goals continues to increase.

Based on the responses of these seven teachers on the questions pertaining to their wants

or requests, resources or materials that are unnecessary or not being utilized, and areas of

concern or lack of support, I have identified two preliminary suggestions that I would make. The

first being to focus on updating technology. Several teachers stated that they felt the technology

they are asked to use is adequate but out of date and that they are expected to purchase with their

own money some simple supplies necessary to utilize the technology. Several did express their

appreciation for the new Promethean Boards Camden Middle received this year to replace the

old Smart Boards. However, resources to utilize the boards to their fullest capacity were also not

given such as necessary cords and adapters, wireless mouses and keyboards, speakers, etc. These

are things that would improve the usage of these boards and could be suggested as general

supplies each classroom and teacher should have. Some teachers also stated that other simple

supplies for the students were necessary such as headphones and charging stations for every

classroom.

The other suggestion I would make based on the survey responses is to focus on updating

our textbooks and their related resources. Several teachers admitted to wanting to use the

textbooks but not actually using them. Some stated that the textbooks needed to be updated and

that they wish they had a say in which textbooks the school purchased. Others stated that while

they believe the quality of textbooks is fine, they feel as if there is a lack of training on how best

to utilize the textbooks within their classrooms. This could be an area in which professional
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learning communities or professional development opportunities are offered. They also requested

additional textbook supports such as online access and consumables for their students such as

workbooks. I believe that if our focus is on improving student achievement and performance on

test scores, then we need to have the best up to date textbooks and resources that align with our

curriculum and standards.

My Future Practice

When I become a school leader, I know that the school’s budget will be a crucial part of

my job, as well as probably one of the hardest. Effective budgeting of a school’s funds falls

under Standard 9 of the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders. However, budgeting is

not the only responsibility of a principal when it comes to the operations and management of a

school. How I support curriculum and instruction, professional capacity, and community

engagement through the effective use of the budget and school’s resources and supports will also

be crucial (PSEL, 2015). It will be my responsibility to include all stakeholders throughout the

process of budgeting to ensure equitable representation of all needs within our school. Lastly, it

will be my responsibility to justify and support with data the usage of all funds to ensure that all

district, state, and federal policies and guidelines are being followed and that the funds are being

used effectively to achieve the school's goals and promote the success of all students.
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Resources:

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

Educational Leaders 2015. Reston, VA: Author.

South Carolina Department of Education. (n.d.). Title I. https://ed.sc.gov/policy/federal-

education-programs/title-i/#:~:text=The%20purpose%20of%20Title%20I,meet

%20challenging%20state%20academic%20standards.

South Carolina Department of Education. (n.d.). ESEA: Title II, Part A.

https://ed.sc.gov/policy/federal-education-programs/esea-title-ii-part-a1/

United States Census Bureau. (2022, July 1). QuickFacts.

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/camdencitysouthcarolina#