Budgets and Developing a positive culture By UAPCS Rick Veasey

Budgets Revenue Expenses Net Income Local: Parent organization, donations, school fees State: WPU Federal: Title funds Expenses Every dollar you spend is shown on your state reporting. July 1 to June 30. Net Income Revenue minus Expenses

Revenue Full Enrollment is crucial Setting appropriate fees for upper grades Setting reasonable expectations for parent organization to reach Learn the demographics of your students and what State and Federal funding you qualify for Grants and donations Prepare a budget that underestimates income Does your income sources support the charter?

Expenses Largest expense is typically employee, building, supplies, benefits, and professional services (in that order). Prepare a budget that over estimates expenses (cushion) If your budget is tight remember where you spend the most and look for opportunities there first. Some nickel and dime the smaller areas and miss more obvious opportunities Are your expenses charter specific?

Net Income This is a really important number! :o) Most of you will have bond covenants that must be met and this NI will be a part of those. Usually some ratio number that is spelled out in the bonds. Use NI to help meet cash reserve goals in your early years.

Strategies to consider: Start with your big areas first when building the budget (building and wages). Keep in mind funding streams and how the budget is built. Reading money, Title 1, Title 2a, Land Trust, Special Education, etc. Build with cushion! Review and understand the budget often, so you can direct the work of the school.

What do you see?

Did you see this?

Did you see this?

Did you see this?

Focusing the School Culture on the Students Everything should be focused on the kids. Programs, meetings, policies, procedures, boards, staff, parents, admin, committees – everything focused on the kids. Is this power struggle on behalf of the kids? Is my job focused on the kids? Is the board focused on the kids? Are the teachers focused on the kids? Are there conflicts distracting us from the kids? The Big Picture question for everything – How is this benefitting our kids?

Focusing on the Positive Negativity sucks the life out of a school. A culture of complaining, backbiting, gossiping, doubting, naysaying, infighting – this will destroy a school no matter how innovative its mission is, how great its board and staff are, or how much money is available to the school. This culture in a school begins with the staff. Proactively avoid negativity – to focus on the positive.

Respecting Everyone As soon as a person feels they have lost your respect, they either quit contributing to the school in a positive manner, or they become a working force against you – staff, board, parents, students. The same goes for the teachers – if you stop respecting someone, you stop working on their behalf. Proactively show respect for everyone. This is very tough, but work at it.

Learning to Listen Stop talking and listen. The more we listen, the more we learn. Most people just want to be heard. So many problems solve themselves if we just listen – let people air out their frustrations and state their points. Listen to as many voices on an issue as possible. It is the ultimate form of respect to listen to another person with meaning. You have to actually want to hear what they have to say. Don’t fake it. We all love people who we can tell are listening with attention and are vested in our opinions and thoughts. Be that person as a principal.

Constantly Communicating Email, phone, text, and in person communication. Avoid letting someone get caught by surprise on an issue. Keep people out of the dark. Weekly emails to parents. Make frequent contact during the day with problem students Proactive communication solves problems before they arise on so many occasions.

Living a Balanced Life (self-health) Take care of your own health. Set time aside for hobbies. Relax frequently. Close your door and think. Don’t take too much work home with you. Enjoy your significant other and kids if you have them. Do unexpected things – break up your routine: take someone out to lunch, go on a trip to get away, go for a walk off campus. Eat well, drink lots of water, and exercise. A healthy teacher is a happy teacher.

Fostering Cooperation Create teams within a school that actually affect the school – focus these on the kids. Don’t have committees just to have them. Foster teacher-teacher cooperation. Foster kids helping kids. Foster parents volunteering and helping kids. Foster the board interacting with the school in meaningful ways – especially the kids. Resolve conflicts proactively.