Benchmark:

Budget Defense
Latishie L. Wodetzki
College of Education, Grand Canyon University
EAD-510 Education Finance
Dr. Angela Smith
May 12, 2021
Budget Process

Defining and Selecting Stakeholders

 The team that will help with maintain a budget aligned with school mission/vision

Defining and Addressing Mission and Vision of School

 Mission/Vision must remain at forefront of all decisions, to include the budget

Conducting Needs Assessments

Reference Past Budget and Improvement Plan

Data Analysis

Prioritizing Needs

Application of Data

Defend and Monitor Budget

 Budget Revenue
FUNCTION: Total School Revenue $ Budget

3661000 Tuition and Registration $3,162,620

3661000 Calendar Advertising $2,500

3721200 RCS Global Host Homes $0

3681000 Transportation $26,200

3671000 $90,000
Extended Care

3981000 Rental Income $14,800

3971000 Misc. Income $160,000

3802000 Development Income $200,000

  Total Revenue $3,656,120

 Present Operating Budget
FUNCTION: 1000 Instruction $ Budget FUNCTION: 2400 School Admin $ Budget

410 Professional Development $32,000 530 Communication $5,000

610 Supplies - TK-K $800 610 Supplies $10,000

610 Supplies - Gr 1-3 $1,200 611 Technology Supplies $1,750

610 Supplies - Gr 4-5 $800 810 Dues and Fees $4,000

610 Supplies - Art/Music (TK-5) $3,500 Total School Admin $20,750

610 Supplies - PE (TK-5) $500

FUNCTION: 417 Computer Operations $ Budget

610 Supplies - K-3 Science Lab $1,000

611 Technology Supplies $12,000 1002 Hardware $60,000

642 Textbooks $55,000 1005 Software $23,000

Total Instructional Supply $106,800 Total Computer Operations $83,000

Total Operating Budget: $210,550

Impact 1: Loss of Kindergarten Teacher

• Kinder enrollment is increasing rapidly

• We will not remove a Kinder teacher at this time
• Cutting a Kinder teacher would have resulted only in a $45,000 gain in our budget

• We will remove the Assistant Principal position for the next school year
• Cost savings of $70,000.00 vs. $45,000.00
 Impact 2: 10% Budget Cut

$ After 10% Loss

FUNCTION: 1000 Instruction $ Budget % Reduction $ Reduction
Directive
Professional
410 $32,000 $16,000 50% $16,000
Development

610 Supplies - TK-K $800 $640 20% $160

610 Supplies - Gr 1-3 $1,200 $960 20% $240

610 Supplies - Gr 4-5 $800 $640 20% $160

Supplies - Art/Music
610 $3,500 $3,500 0% $0
(TK-5)

610 Supplies - PE (TK-5) $500 $400 20% $100

Supplies - K-3 Science

610 $1,000 $700 30% $300
Lab

611 Technology Supplies $12,000 $12,000 0% $0

642 Textbooks $55,000 $55,000 0% $0

Total Instructional Supply $106,800 $89,840 16% $16,960

 Impact 2: 10% Budget Cut (Continued)
$ After 10% Loss
FUNCTION: 417 Computer Operations $ Budget % Reduction $ Reduction
Directive

1002 Hardware $60,000 $57,900 4% $2,100

1005 Software $23,000 $23,000 0% $0

Total Computer Operations $83,000 $80,900 3% $2,100

$ After 10% Loss

FUNCTION: 2400 School Admin $ Budget % Reduction $ Reduction
Directive

530 Communication $5,000 $5,000 0% $0

610 Supplies $10,000 $8,000 20% $2,000

611 Technology Supplies $1,750 $1,750 0% $0

810 Dues and Fees $4,000 $4,000 0% $0

Total School Admin $20,750 $18,750 10% $2,000

Operating Budget:   $210,550 $189,490 10% $21,060

 Salaries
FUNCTION: Staffing, Certificated $ Budget FUNCTION: Staffing, Hourly $ Budget

2 Kinder $105,000 1 Custodian $35,000

2 Gr 1 $80,000 2 Aides $46,000

2 Gr 2 $110,000 1 Lunch Duty $7,800

2 Gr 3 $98,000 1 Office $35,000

2 Gr 4 $98,000 Total Hourly $123,800

2 Gr 5 $100,000

1 K-3 Science Specialist $56,000

1 Music $46,000

1 Art $46,000

1 PE $47,000

2 Administration $145,000

Total Salary, Certificated $931,000

Budget Cut Plan: Upholding Mission & Vision;
Continuing to Promote School Improvement Plan

• Standard 05 Instructional Program Improvement #5.1 of the continued

development of our unit plans requires
• Requires working technology for staff
• Requires continued professional development
• Standard 05 Instructional Program Improvement #5.2 of the adoption of
new curriculum and testing programs
• Requires working technology for staff and students
• Requires continued professional development
• Standard 06 Student Care Improvement #6.1 addressing the addition of
safety fencing around our campus
• This was supported by not taking funding from any building improvements
Budget Cut Plan: Managing School Operations
Using Human, Fiscal, and Technological Resources

• Human Resources
• Trying to still meet the needs of staff to better meet student needs

• Fiscal Resources
• Utilizing other fiscal resources to leverage less loss to our teachers
• We will closely monitor and use any overages from the prior year to leverage against
the 10% cut.

• Technological Resources
• Taking only $2,000 total from any technology budget lines
Budget Cut Plan:
Mobilization of Diverse Community Resources

• We have two major fund-raisers a year:

• December Fund-raising Dinner
• Jog-a-Thon (Feb-Mar)

• These fund-raisers raised record levels in 2019-2020, even amidst the

Covid Pandemic
• The December Dinner was done more like crowd-funding, virtually, so we had no
expenses
• The Jog-a-Thon was modified with less stakeholder involvement

• Both were extremely successful despite the trying times

• We anticipate these can actually fund the projected 10% cut in this next year, and
then there will be no need for the cuts to the operating budget
Budget Cut Plan:
Advocating for Student Needs

• Appropriate class sizes and student-to-teacher ratios

• Technology to support curriculum and curricular supports
• Technology to support assessment
• Technology to function in classrooms
Budget Cut Plan: Responding to Current Political Initiatives
and Emerging Trends

• Private School
• Covid Pandemic and other world-wide impacts
• AB 1505
• Funding initiatives
Budget Cut Plan: Monitoring and Reevaluating

• Evaluate & Adjust

• Track costs
• Use social media
• Keep dialogue open
 References

Fensterwald, J. (2021, September 10). Districts charter schools soon to enter an uneasy era.

EdSource.com. Retrieved May 9, 2021, from https://edsource.org/2019/californias-

charter-schools-face-uncertain-future-under-a-new-state-law/617320

National Policy Board for Educational Administration (2015). Professional standards for educational

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

Educational-Leaders_2015.pdf

Pierce, D. (2017, August 1). Five keys to smarter school budgeting. Power School. Retrieved on May 5,

2021, from https://www.powerschool.com/resources/blog/five-keys-smarter-school-budgeting/

 References

Stephen, F. & Hovey, D. (2014). Return of investment in education: A ‘system-strategy’

approach. Education Resource Strategies. Retrieved from

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED560072.pdf.

Sorenson, R. D., & Goldsmith, L. M. (2018). The principal's guide to school budgeting. Corwin.

Zdroik, M. (2016). Prepare for budgeting. Skyward. Retrieved April 9, 2021 from

https://www.skyward.com/discover/educator-newsletter-blog/november-2016/prepare-for-

budgeting