Superintendent's Roles and Responsibilities - Budgeting Process

            This was a difficult week to interview the Superintendent, considering our school was out for the entire week for Thanksgiving holidays. However, with that being mentioned, I am grateful for our Superintendent taking the time to meet with me regarding his role in the budgeting process for Lumberton School District. As mentioned in previous assignment responses, the school district is currently in a focus of reorganization. Prior to this year, the school district had a Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, and a Director of Finance and Operations. Currently, we only have a Superintendent, and he has had to share all the roles and responsibilities of all three positions. With this being mentioned, he is currently in his first year as Superintendent, and having to learn many aspects of the budgeting process. I am thankful that he has given me the opportunity to participate in various webinars and participate in the actual budgeting process as he is learning as well.

            Mr. Valastro explained that his main role in the development of the budget is participating as the “chief financial and budgeting officer for the district and he must seek information to prepare and provide to the school board a well-balanced budget focused on achieving the goals and objectives of the district.” This being a vaguely mentioned statement he proceeded to explain the individual roles that he is currently faced with, and how different these roles are from the past. Prior to this school year, the Director of Finance and Operations prepared the forecasting templates for the district, and these items were submitted to the Superintendent for review. Through collaboration of the expected funds, and knowing the needs the district would be focusing upon the next year, a budget was created. Now, the Superintendent has to work with our new finance manager for the district to complete the templates and predict what revenue the district will be generating. He mentioned this is a wonderful time to learn about budgets considering all the issues affecting school funding today.

            Creating budgets also has political ties. Mr. Valastro has learned to be open with the school board, and to understand their views of the school district, and to incorporate some of their wishes through the budget. The main reason with the reorganization originated with the school board’s resentment towards the management of the school budget and the over expended funds that were utilized causing various line items to be overdrawn, thus overdrawing budgeted amounts in various functions. When this happened, the school board had to approve budget amendments. There were also some funding and payment transactions that occurred out of the view of the school board. All these issues created a “watchful board” on the budget and the budget process.

            The Superintendent also mentioned that budgeting must be goal driven. The goals created by the district must be adequately funded in order to achieve the desired results. The goals that must be obtained is crucial, and the budget provides the revenue to achieve merit.

            Another challenge he is facing this year is the creation of the budget calendar. There is a budget calendar that has been used in the past, however, being new at this position, he mentions that “it is an important tool to have” and give certain “checkpoints” where we need to be during the process.

            His final goal is to have a prepared budget by May to give to the board of trustees to begin the budget workshops and public forums. The school board has expressed an interest in not letting their part of the budget process last more than a month. The board would like to have a budget approved by the month of July.