Building a Small Group Budget

Building a Small Group Budget

Karen I Villatoro Gonzalez
EAD-510-O502: Education Finance: Professor: Dr. Lesane, Katura
July 25, 2022
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Building a Small Group Budget

Overview

After meeting with our administration team and primarily the principal and assistant principal, I

have gained knowledge of our allocated funds for the success of our student's behavior as well as

attendance and academics.  The program is called the 5-star students point-based system and the

budget though basic was created with the purpose of designating funds to run the program. After

a careful review of the assessment, the principal was able to determine that training is a huge

factor in the success of this program.  I am honored that she liked the assessment form and is

passing it on to activity advisors for her to review and have an idea of what is needed in different

areas when it comes to the allocation of budget.

Mission and Vision

         The school's vision plan consists of respect, proactive, and responsibilities.  This builds

the character traits that a student needs not only within a school setting but in real-world daily

survival.  The principal shared that on many occasions we lose this focus as we only lean into the

need of academic achievement but in order for our students to be successful, we have to go

beyond that.  I mentioned to my principal the standards covered in the professional standards for

educational leaders and she admired the connection made between those standards and her

vision.  I shared with her that I believe the PSEL standard 5 correlates with bullet point d which

states, “Promote adult-student, student-peer, and school-community relationships that value and

support academic learning and positive social and emotional development.”

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Justification

In my excel google document shared below and linked for easy access, the basics were imputed

as we created this together.  This being the first year, it was a higher investment than expected

but she does have the funds to allocate for this type of student success.  The expense covers

many areas of behavior management and not only does it serve as a point-based system but as a

new way of maintaining records for hall passes, surveys and students' behavior.  Part of the

improvement plan has been to increase attendance and improve behavior and there is an area that

grants students an opportunity to join celebrations with snacks for perfect attendance monthly.

Strategies

I am fortunate to have been granted a sneak peek of what's to come and with that, it opened up

for discussion on strategies that will assist in the revenue of this program. Though not yet

approved and therefore not on the budget, it is something that they will review and that is to host

a partnership with clubs that fundraise such as school dances and carnivals to allocate donations

from their events into the cost of this program in order for it to continue without affecting the

budget with only costs to run it.  The funds donated to this program will serve as support to the

cost and to the success of students' overall performance in academics, social, emotional, and

physical needs.  This connects back to standard 5 which talks to us about the importance of the

same.  As administrators, keeping an open mind to what can benefit the school is a great way to

build relationships with not only staff but with students as they will truly enjoy the incentives

that will be given with points earned.  

 
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References:

5 STAR BUDGET FORCAST. (n.d.). Google Docs. Retrieved July 27, 2023, from

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ydMUbgM9FpVCeZoEEjQAqLExs0_jgsi4T7mJ

sMCBZQw/edit#gid=0

Small School Pricing | 5-Star Students. (n.d.). Www.5starstudents.com.

https://www.5starstudents.com/Pricing/Small

Budgetary Needs for Small Group/Club/Activity. (n.d.). Google Docs.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScv2z0WWXSeCfmb1t-Io_UpYE-

jalFcj5fWsndYZYXdzxpmUQ/viewform

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

Educational Leaders National Policy Board for Educational Administration FORMERLY

KNOWN AS ISLLC STANDARDS.

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http://www.npbea.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Professional-Standards-for-

Educational-Leaders_2015.pdf