Week 5 Part 1

Week 5 Part 1

Code of Ethics for School Leaders

Standard 1.1 – The educator shall not intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly engage in deceptive practices regarding official policies of the school district, educational institution, educator preparation program, the Texas Education Agency, or the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) and its certification process.

Example:

High School athletic director was pawning school video equipment for his gambling habit.

Standard 1.2 – The educator shall not knowingly misappropriate, divert, or use monies, personnel, property, or equipment committed to his or her charge for personal gain or advantage.

Example:

Superintendent purchased furniture for his home using district funds.

Standard 1.3 – The educator shall not submit fraudulent requests for reimbursement, expenses, or pay.

Example:

Teacher was given a purchase order to purchase items from local store. The store gave the teacher a gift card for a small amount that was not used. Teacher used the gift card to purchase personal items.

Standard 2.3 – The educator shall adhere to written local school board policies and state and federal laws regarding the hiring, evaluation, and dismissal of personnel.

Example:

Principal hires a family friend for a teaching position, without interviewing other candidates.

Standard 2.6 – The educator shall not use coercive means or promise of special treatment in order to influence professional decisions or colleagues.

Example:

Principal tried to coerce the assistant principal to change a teacher’s PDAS evaluation to a lower rating. The principal was trying to terminate the teacher.

Short and Long Range Consequences

Standard 1.1

Short range – Athletic director was placed on paid leave and an investigation was ordered.

Long range – Athletic director admitted to committing the crime. He was terminated and his certificate was suspended for three years.

Standard 1.2

Short range – District and community lost faith in the superintendent. Superintendent was placed on leave.

Long range – Superintendent was terminated and later prosecuted. The superintendent served six years in prison.

Standard 1.3

Short range –Teacher was ordered to reimburse the money. Documentation was placed in teacher’s file.

Long range – Teacher can be terminated and prosecuted.

The superintendent must model ethics and integrity. It is important that all employees exhibit the same type of behavior. All employees must know the policies and procedures for the district. The reality is that everyone is going to make mistakes and sometimes exercise poor judgment. It is important that these areas are addressed.  The superintendent must communicate with district staff and stakeholders. When employees do not follow district policies, they must be held accountable. The superintendent must have the ability to apply laws, policies, and procedures. Trust is placed in the superintendent’s role to lead the district. The superintendent must maintain moral and consistent standards across the board.

Week 5 Part 2

Week 5 Part 2

Self- Assessment of Superintendent Competency 8

When comparing my answers from the week one to week 5, I have made several changes to Competency 8. I believe this course has improved my knowledge of the finance system. School finance was one of my areas of weakness. This is due to the fact that I had little exposure in this area. While working through this course, I have become exposed to various financial topics. A few of the areas that I have considered strengths such as:  using district and staff evaluation data for personnel policy development and decision making, managing one’s own time and the time of others to enhance district operations, and applying knowledge associated with personnel management, including requirements related to certifying, recruiting, screening, selecting, evaluating, disciplining, reassigning, and dismissing personnel. I had previously marked these areas as competent on the pre-test.

The areas that I marked as competent are:  applying procedures for effective budget planning, establishing district procedures for accurate, effective, ethical purchasing and financial record keeping. Also acquiring, allocating, and managing resources accordingly. Applying legal concepts, regulations, and codes are considered competencies.  I would like to continue working on this area, so that I will have more exposure and eventually consider them as strengths.

I have two areas that I need to improve my knowledge: developing and implementing plans for using technology and information systems to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of school district operations. The second one is using revenue forecasting and enrollment forecasting to address personnel and budgetary needs accurately. My goal is to become competent in the two areas. This will happen as I am exposed to the areas.

Overall, I believe that I have a better understanding of school finance. I feel that all superintendents must be familiar with school finance. It is paramount that districts hire competent CFOs, because this individual will be working very closely with the superintendent.  It is important that decisions are based on needs of the students.

EDLD 5342 Final Reflection

Week 5 Part 3

Final Reflection

EDLD 5342 School Finance has been a very valuable class. Prior to starting this class, my knowledge of school finance was very limited. I began to appreciate and have a better understanding of entire process of school finance. It was interesting to look at the history of school finance and comparing budget data of different school districts. School finance is very complex and there are many variables that affect the system.

The competency eight self- assessment was an interesting assignment. I had to decide whether I was competent in specific areas or determine whether I needed to improve in areas. There were areas such as managing one’s own time and the time of others to enhance district operations; I believe that I was competent in this area. The majority of the other areas, I stated that I needed improvement. The reason is that my exposure to school finance has been very limited. My rationale for this decision was to work and study in the specific areas to improve my level of knowledge. I feel that school finance is an area that all superintendents should know and understand thoroughly.

The weekly lectures were very helpful in the sense that they provided an explanation for the upcoming assignments. They served as an extension to the assignments. I truly enjoyed week one’s lecture, Dr. Nicks explained the History of Texas School Finance and Dr. Arterbury discussed the concepts of equity, equality, and adequacy. The lectures were a great tool. The interviews have been the most interesting assignments. It is very beneficial to hear first-hand from individuals such as the CFO describing processes such as the annual external financial audit. This reinforces the weekly lesson. The readings and resources are great references to further study the various areas of school finance. Learning from the Best: Lessons from Award-Winning Superintendents, has be very insightful not only through this course, but the previous courses too. School Finance 101: Funding of Texas Public Schools, in my opinion was a resource that I referred to quite often. This document provided detailed information about all areas of school finance.

The weekly assignments were challenging and informative. The assignments using the district snapshots were the most intriguing. Week four required the cohort to compare data between two districts. Some of the information requested was total revenue per pupil, total operational expenditures per pupil, and economy of scale between the two districts. This assignment really exposes the advantages and disadvantages of small versus large districts. I found that larger districts seem to operate more efficiently. Also, smaller districts rely on state funding to maintain operations. The interviews with the Superintendent and the CFO were very informative. The interview process allows one to hear first hand about the financial operation of school districts. What I learned from this process is the Superintendent must have an experienced and trustworthy CFO. There are areas in which the Superintendent must rely on the CFO. Prior to the interview with my district’s CFO, I was not aware of the annual audit. I found the interview to be informative about the selection of an auditor and the importance of the process.

I have found the reflections to be helpful for having a clearer understanding of the assignments. My approach to reflective writing is looking at what I have learned and processing the application of the new material. I enjoyed working on the group assignments. I was able to collaborate with three classmates on several assignments. Through this process, we were able to share our thoughts and experiences. There is a lot to be said for cooperative learning, even through media programs such as Skype. Overall, I believe that I expanded my knowledge on school finance and have more of an insight of the process. I still have areas that I want to study more in depth. 

Week 4 Part 4 Personnel Salaries

Week 4 Part 4

Personnel Salaries

The Rockwall ISD Budget for 2010-2011 is $101,171,531. 79.35% of the budget is earmarked for personnel salaries. The total for personnel salaries is $80,277,347. The remaining amount of the budget is used for contracted services, supplies and materials, and other operating costs. Rockwall ISD reduced personnel salaries by $3,458,566 due in part to the current budget deficits.

Increasing all personnel salaries by five percent would create positive and negative impacts. A five percent increase would raise overall payroll by $4,013,867, which would total $84,291,214. A five percent salary increase would raise moral among all district employees. It would also allow Rockwall ISD to be more competitive with surrounding districts to attract a larger pool of experienced teachers and staff. The negative impact of the increase would be budget reductions for other expenditures such as contracted services and supplies and materials. The reduction in other areas could be detrimental to the district and student achievement.

Week 4 Part 5 Financial Audits

Week 4 Part 5

Financial Audits

When school districts are creating their budgets for the upcoming school year, the budget must be audited. The purpose of the audit is to make sure the system is managed and operating correctly. I interviewed Mike Singleton, CFO for the Rockwall I.S.D. to discuss the annual external financial audit. I asked Mr. Singleton several questions pertaining to the annual external audit.

How is the external auditor selected?

The new Superintendent for the Rockwall I.S.D. wanted to seek new auditors for the district. The contract for the previous auditors had expired. The first step is to request for proposals. The request for qualifications is to select an auditor based on CPA ethics and professional services, not fees. The candidates were narrowed to three and face to face interviews will take place. Once the new auditing firm is selected, the school board will have to approve the selection.

How does the auditor conduct the audit?

The new auditor will meet with the Superintendent and CFO. During this meeting they will discuss the timeline of the work to be done. The auditors will spend time with the district finance office conducting preliminary field work. This process will take two to three weeks. The auditors will return in August to conduct field work in the financial office. Once the auditors have completed the field work, they will provide the district with a report stating their opinion about the financial operation.

What does the audit conclude about district financial procedures and actions?

This process will take about five weeks. The intent of this audit is to determine if the financial statements are reasonable and materially correct. The auditors will conduct tests that will measure the accuracy. The auditors will observe and test internal controls to make sure that transactions are properly handled. The system is tested to identify material weaknesses. If the auditors find a problem during the audit, the auditors will report to the Superintendent, CFO, and School Board. State and Federal grants will also be observed. The auditors will look to see if the district is using funding properly. The auditors will give their opinion and assurances about the system overall.

How are the results communicated?

The auditors will provide the district with an annual financial report. This report will state their assurances and opinions concerning the district’s financial operation. The auditor and the CFO will present the findings to the Board of Education in December. The district will submit a copy of the audit to the Texas Education Agency.

Reflection:

The annual external financial audit is a very important process. The purpose of the audit is to observe and test the district’s financial operations. The audit is very thorough and detailed. The process takes several months to conduct. The auditors conduct field test that measure all areas of the finance department. This audit is reassurance to the community that funds are managed and handled properly. During this process, the auditor will report to the Superintendent, CFO, and school board if any weaknesses are found in the system

Reviewing and Analyzing the Rockwall ISD M&O

Week 3 Part 4

Rockwall ISD   2010-2011

Revenues

Local                                                                                 $62,005,372

State                                                                                    42,493,310

Federal                                                                                     100,000

Total                                                                                 104,598,682    

                                                                                   

Expenditures

Instruction (11,95)                                                               61,250,754

Instructional Resources and Media Services (12,13)      2,868,431

Curriculum Development and                                            1,964,586

Instructional Staff Development

Instructional Leadership (21)                                                 895,250

School Leadership  6,526,529

Guidance, Counseling Services                                         2,533,043

Social Work Services                                                                   1,980

Health Services                                                                      1,139,840

Student (Pupil) Transportation (34)                                   3,380,117

Co-curricular/Extracurricular Activities (36)                     3,697,332

General Administration (41)                                               4,086,678

Plant Maintenance and Operations (51)                         12,681,754

Security and Monitoring Services (52)                                  693,287

Community Services                                                               326,080

Debt Service                                                                              546,485

Capital Outlay                                                                              25,000

Other Intergovernmental Charges                                                     775,060

Total                                                                                   105,095,728

Excess of Revenues Over Expenditures                                         497,046

The Rockwall I.S.D. receives $104,598,682 million in total revenues. Local property taxes account for 57%, state funds 36%, and Federal funding 0.1%. Additional revenues originate from other State funding (4.0%), and other Local funding (2.1%). A large portion of the revenues is allocated into instruction.  82.74% of the general fund is allocated for salaries and benefits. The cost per student for the 2010-2011 school years is $7,505. The tax rate for the district is $1.04. $61,250,754 is allocated for instruction. The district has 13,732 students and 23% are economically disadvantaged. Twenty-seven percent of students are at-risk. The Rockwall ISD is focused on classroom instruction. Despite the budget shortfall this year, the district has done an outstanding job with the budget.