School Finance Week 2 Assignment Part 1

A goal driven budget is a financial plan that matches the expenditures of school district funds with the goals of the board of trustees. Funds should be utilized to achieve board goals. Dr. Elvis Arterbury stated that a goal driven budget should include district and campus goals, which should reflect board goals.

The Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD district improvement plan reflects board goals and a goal driven budget. Five main goals are listed in the plan along with strategies for achieving these goals. The goals of the plan are: provide a quality instructional program that meets the needs of all students, provide students and staff with facilities that are conducive to an orderly, positive learning environment, provide a fiscally sound budget, and involve the community and enlist their support in the implementation of the board’s goals. As each of these goals and the strategies for implementing them are listed in the district improvement plan, the resources and budgeted funds needed are listed along with the sources of funding, persons responsible for implementation, timelines, activities, and evaluation. There are also detailed facilities and technology reports, including budget summaries for these programs. As campus and district budgets are developed, the site-based decision making teams are reminded to keep the improvement plan goals in mind so that the budget reflects these goals.

One goal in the district improvement plan is to provide a quality instructional program that meets the needs of all students. Strategy one for this goal is student accountability, and it addresses increase passing percentages on state tests to 90%, increasing commended performance percentages to 25%, improving scores of special populations, and a focus on improving the scores of economically disadvantaged, Hispanic, and African American students in math and science. In accordance with this strategy, the necessary resources are listed, such as specific instructional materials, staff requirements, professional development, co-enrolled courses, and other necessary staff or material expenses. With each of these needed resources, a source of funding and a budgeted amount is listed.

The district improvement plan for Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD clearly supports Board goals, and the corresponding resources and budgeted funds are evidence of a goal driven budget.