Leadership magazine Sept/Oct 2014 V 44 No 1 | Page 22

• Federal grants – QEIA, Title I, SIG
• Clubs, parent groups, site council
• Special funds – facilities, recycling, after-school
Knowing what to do and when is key to success. Develop
clear timelines for your site and program budgets over the
course of the fiscal year. Make sure your fiscal and instructional actions match up – if you change your plan, change your
budget to reflect the change (if needed). Memorialize your actions with text explanations that accompany your budgets
to explain what you did, why, and when you did it. Finally,
always keep your district office fiscal contact in the loop.
The last thing you want
is getting unnecessarily
sideways with this critical
gatekeeper.

6. Organize your budgets
and records.
A s site or prog ra m
leader, you will likely have
several different funding
sources you oversee – ASB,
yearbook, PTO/A, site discretionary, campus supervision, etc. It is critical that
you understand the rules and reporting requirements of each
– what you can and cannot do. ASB funds, for example, most
commonly get site leaders into trouble. They have their own
unique requirements.
Work with your district office staff to develop one overall
site or program budget that includes all funds and spending.
Organize it in a way you can easily see the macro and microcosms at the same time. You should be able to describe the
basics of your site or program budget to your staff, parents,
board members and superintendent on the spot and with relative ease.

7. Factor in personnel costs.
This best practice is absolutely essential. Personnel costs are
often the top expenditure – especially for programs. About 85
percent of your total budget is typically locked up in salaries
and benefits. Things to remember and factor into site and program budgeting:
• Total compensation – not just salary, but benefits too
• Length of position
• Certification
• Funding source – one-time vs. ongoing, categorical
• Job description – especially if a new position
• Management vs. labor position – Is it subject to the collective bargaining agreement?
• Reporting and accountability
• Layoff notification, bumping, 39-month rehire list, and
other seniority requirements
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Leadership

Remember to work closely with the human resources and
business office when personnel changes are necessary or clarification is required.

8. Make fiscal and human resources staff your allies.
Great site or program leaders should be passionate advocates for their own school or program. It’s OK to have a bit of
“push the envelope” mentality; all great leaders display some
element of this trait. But respect the fiscal process, and understand how far the envelope goes from procedural and interpersonal perspectives.
Business and human resources staff will not automatically possess your level of passion and understanding. They
will often see the world differently and be motivated by different factors than instructional leaders. This is neither right
nor wrong; it is just the way people are wired. Give them the
chance to get up to speed and serve students with you. Having
them as allies is another force multiplier example.
One of the worst things that site and program leaders can
do is get a reputation for being “high maintenance” and/or
breaking the rules. District office fiscal and human resources
staff will have their own perspectives and interpretations of
the world around them. This can be frustrating for instructional leaders, but it is what it is. Understanding these characteristics and motivations shows respect and builds trust. Great
leaders do this with all those they interact with.

Timeless strategies for effective educational leadership
You do not need to be a budget whiz to be a great instructional leader. Business and human resources staff will not expect you to be a budget expert (and they may not want you
to be). You do, however, need to have a baseline competency
and appreciation of your agency’s budget, fiscal timelines,
regulations and oversight. More importantly, you need to respect timelines and administrative processes – they are there
because they are required in order to protect you, your site or
program, and the agency as a whole.
LCFFs, LCAPs and other education finance models will
come and go over time. F