Tag: Education Code

Annotated Timeline for School Funding (California)

When I first started out in California school business, I was a bit confused by the state’s revenue certifications and re-certifications.  I wished I had an overview of the entire process. So – here’s one I put together: Annotated Principal Apportionment Timeline This does not contain enough detail to be used instead of your complete annual calendar,

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Resources for Aspiring School Business Leaders

Continuing my series for future school business leaders, I offer short commentaries on some of the most useful technical and policy resources for California school business aspirants.  In no particular order, here they are: 1.  School Services of California.  This is a subscription service.  If you are in California it is likely that your school district is a

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Not Usual

He is a senior silicon valley executive.  She is an analyst in a governmental agency.  Their third grade daughter cannot read. He is an abusive deadbeat dad who hides his assets and pays no child support.  She is a low wage earner barely scraping by.  Their eighth grade daughter is one of the top students in

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Governmental Cost Recovery

I have heard the mantra again and again “we don’t make a profit” meaning, if we charge for services it’s only on a cost recovery basis. Yet I just read that Inyo COE charges a flat 7% to its charter schools for providing business services.  If a charter school now receives significantly more funding under the Local Control Funding Formula,

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Winners, Losers and Political Sausage

When I attended the Edsource Symposium last May, the head of the state board of Education, Michael Kirst, got a bit testy when audience members started asking pointed questions about “winners and losers“.   Paraphrasing broadly, he said to forget the past funding formula.  It is over.  Stop comparing yourselves to others and stop talking about

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Budget Advisory Committees are Hard

When the Budget Advisory Committee was approaching my boss and I would look at each other and groan in unison “Ugh BAC!”  Why? It was not that we didn’t want to talk budget with the community.  Hey, we’ll talk your ear off with all sorts of budget geekiness if you let us.  It is because a BAC

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We Don’t Need No %@# Standards?*

Imagine comparing two school districts’ test scores, where each district uses different tests.  That would be meaningless, right? Yet, this situation exists on the business side of things. Legislation will require a calculation, but the implementation is unclear.  Subsequent guidelines and regulations (if any) sometimes just cite the statute verbatim. For example, prior to the new funding formula, conversion

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Creativity versus Rules

As I was preparing to leave a former position I spent most of my time writing instruction booklets.  I knew that the new incumbent might be newly promoted or new to the business of education.  This person might need a few guidelines. I have never regarded these instructions as rules.  At best they are helpful

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