Week 2 Part 2

After reviewing the budget development calendar and the TASBO Power Point, here are my five most important dates with reasons:

1. September- Campus leveling analysis and review of staffing allocations. It is important to review the current needs before the budget development process begins.

2. November- Budget development planning takes place. The Executive Team identifies budget priorities and initiatives and collects and analyzes student projections. Setting priorities and planning gives direction to the process, and student projections help guide not only spending needs, but also predict expected revenue.

3. June 9- Proposed budget review, publish public notice in newspaper regarding adoption of budget, and post proposed budget summary on the district website. This is an important step in reviewing the budget and in providing for transparency in the financial matters of the district. The public is able to review the budget in light of the previous year's actual spending.

4. August 20- district budget must be prepared. This is a requirement set by the State Board of Education.

5. August 31-school board must adopt the budget by this date. This is a TEA legal requirement.

Reflection: It was difficult to pick only the top 5. Each item on the calendar seems vital to the budget development process. The two dates in August are obviously very important since they are legal requirements, but the others that involve preliminary planning, needs analysis, review, and public information are also necessary to successfully set a fiscally sound budget.