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Dealing with Budget Constraints. Presenter: Dan Smith. How do I know if I need to reduce the budget?. DE Website - www.iowa.gov/educate (use the School Business & Finance link) IASB Services Enrollment History and Projections Budget Guarantee Scenarios with 0%, 1% and 2% growth
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Dealing with Budget Constraints Presenter: Dan Smith
How do I know if I need to reduce the budget? • DE Website - www.iowa.gov/educate (use the School Business & Finance link) • IASB Services • Enrollment History and Projections • Budget Guarantee • Scenarios with 0%, 1% and 2% growth • Unspent Balance History/Trends • Financial Solvency History/Trends
How do I factor the negotiations process into my decisions? • History of settlements in the district • Potential retirements • Built-in costs within district including salary schedule, insurance increase, IPERS • Negotiations process probably won’t be complete before you need to make decisions
What processes should I put in place now? • Criteria to consider for budget reductions • Minimize any negative effect on student learning • Minimize any negative effect on student academic opportunities • Be sustainable long-term • Be based on realistic savings estimates/projections • Be careful about using one-time sources of money for ongoing expenditures • Maximize the use of non-general funds resources for qualified expenditures • Maintain flexibility with all program modifications to adjust to student needs There is a difference between “can we” and “should we”
More processes to put in place now … • Meet with staff to review and get input on budget numbers (be careful to avoid a prohibited practice complaint) • Hold public meeting to review budget and get input • Post materials on website for communication and input
Communicate a timeline for decision-making Realize this is a long-term and ongoing process