Shortchanged Proficiency in School Finance

My View

Budget deficits and budget vote failures often are signs of trouble for superintendents. All too often, as evidenced through published news reports and my observations as a longtime superintendent, a school district’s financial woes lead to the departure of its superintendent. Understanding school finance is essential, especially during a period of shrinking public resources.

During the 17 years I was a superintendent and my subsequent time as a professor, I have seen superintendents who are sorely lacking in their knowledge of school finance. I have witnessed school districts where the lack of proper financial management processes has resulted in funding shortfalls that evolved into major financial crises. Superintendents who depend exclusively on their business managers to handle the financial operations of their school districts, without having their own knowledge of financial matters, are creating a recipe for disaster.