Benchmark Budget Defense Michelle Williams EAD-510 8/07/218

Process of Developing a Budget Conduct a Needs Assessment and define prioritized list Gather a Committee of Steak- holders Develop a Vision/ Mission Review the Data Create Budget The principal should analyze and gather on going data as well as look at previous data, create financial reports that detail financial activities. Reports should contain funding sources of funding expenditures with problem areas highlighted. Annual equipment costs must be evaluated and adjusted accordingly. Because fund raising is a way for communities to support the school, the principal can lead or place a team in charge of fund raising activities and insure that funds are appropriated correctly. A member of the community should also be invited to join the committee. The committee should draft a mission statement the committee should be one staff member to represent each department of the school That same committee can work together on creating the budget, of course with the principal being the overseer. Each member can contribute what they feel their department needs in order to carry out the school’s mission. The needs assessment should identify high priority items The budget committee will then create a budget allocating funds to hi priority items. The Budget committee must revisit the budget making adjustments as they deem necessary.  

Income Revenue Projections Budget for 2017-2018 Income Revenue Projections 2017-2018 State Funds 4,580,10 Local Funds 2,359,200 Federal Funds 445,268 Total Revenue 7,384,578

Budget Operations Expenditures Instructional Personnel 54- Gen Ed. Teachers 4 -Sped Teachers 1- Manager of Counseling 8-Advisory Teachers Total instructional Personnel 4,057,956 Average Monthly Salery-39,900 Average Monthly Salery-39,000 Average Monthly Salery-60,500 Average Monthly Salery-36,750 Average Monthly Salery-243,050

Budget Operations Expenditures Cont. Furniture & Equipment Office Supplies Copier & Reproduction Computers and Software Communications and Telephone Postage 5,255,088 52,763 20,000 5,000 5,400 30,000 52,100 Other Testing and Assessment Travel and Conferences 110,000 125,000 Personnel Operations Total Expenditures 7,354,602 Total Revenue 7,384,578

Revised Budget Operations Funds Allocated Adjustments Furniture 52,763 -30,000 Copier Reproduction 5,000 -3,000 Communications and Telephone 30,000 -5,000 Office Supplies 20,000 -15,000 Postage 52,100 Testing and Assessment 55,000 Travel and Conferences 50,000 Rationale for reducing spending in the areas that I chose. Furniture-At this point, NCCA is fully established. Furniture was purchased in the 1st 2 years. The office is fully furnished. Copier Production-Move toward digitizing documents. When school’s request records, the records should be sent digitally, saving paper and other printing costs. Documents to be shared with the staff should be presented digitally through email or during meetings via PowerPoint. Remove phones and use Google Voice an ISP phone service. Each staff member would create their own Google Voice account for outside communications. Now that we are in out 3rd year, more teachers are working from home. They are not in the office to use the supplies. Costs can be cut in this area. Postage-Send Document digitally. Testing and Assessment-Since teachers are traveling anyway, reduce paying for families to stay in hotels. Have teachers to the students. Travel and Conferences-Allow teachers to participate in conferences that at provided by the state for free. This will eliminate mileage expenses, hotel stays and food.

Adjusted Operation Budget Cut by 10% Personnel Operations Total Expenditures 7,358,602 10% Cut Actual Amount Cut Surplus 73,586 78,000 4,414

Alternative Solution for Keeping K-Teacher Reasons for Keeping Position Student to teacher ratio will increase Less personalized learning experience K-Teacher’s livelihood will be lost Solutions Reevaluate positions where teachers are being paid to take on another duty. Cut duties that are not necessary to run the school Give physical text books to only special education students Insure that all students are accounted for during semiannual head count-We need all funds for all students.

Students’ Needs are Priority All students are being provide the resources to be successful in their virtual education environment. Class sizes will remain small. Qualified teachers will remain in place. Budget is developed based on students’ needs.

NCCA Mission Statement The mission of North Carolina Connections Academy (NCCA) is to empower children with knowledge, skills, and character traits to be successful in their education through an engaging, personalized learning experience in a full-time virtual school.

Monitor, Evaluate and Implement Meet monthly with budgeting team. Allow all parties to have input. Allocate stated funds to designated areas. Team makes sure that all monies spent are related to goals and mission of the school. Make adjustments as needed. Pull from areas that seem to have excess.

Using Human, Fiscal, and Technological Resources to Manage School Operation The budget is based on our school’s mission which is to empower students and create 21st century ready students. Students learn virtually. All instruction and course work is delivered through technology. The day to day operation of NCCA is managed though the board, superintendent principals at the elementary level, middle school level and high school level. NCCA is a virtual school. The budget was created in an effort to bring a virtual charter school to the state of North Carolina. A virtual school uses technology to deliver instruction to students and communicate with parents. Student textbooks are presented virtually. Their lessons are presented though Live Lessons. Teachers are required to come into the office to work 1 day a week after their 1st full year of employment.

Political Initiatives and Emerging Tends Virtual Schools have grown in the United Stated over the past few years. Keeping Pace-conducted research on virtual schools. North Carolina’s virtual school began with high school. NC opened 2 elementary - high school virtual schools in 2014. Virtual schools offer flexibility to students who have difficulty accessing there general education curriculum in a brick and mortar school. Keeping Pace found that various programs are being developed be states, districts and consortium. Virtual schools provide various learning opportunities for both students and parents.

Community Resources Local Business Donations Local Community Volunteers Churches Colleges Fundraisers Big Brother Big Sister Programs Goodwill Foundation Community Centers Businesses can donate funds and time to students and schools.

References Barbour, C. (2012). Using data to realign resources. Principal Leadership, 13(1), 24-28. Kathie, K. (2017).   Creating Budgets with Stakeholders in Education.   Retrieved January 28, 2018 from, https://study.com/academy/lesson/creating-budgets-with-stakeholders-in-education.html Knudsen, K. (n.d.). Creating Budgets with Stakeholders in Education. Retrieved February 1, 2018, from https://study.com/academy/lesson/creating-budgets-with-stakeholders-in-education.html Sorenson, R. D., & Goldsmith, L. M. (2013). The principal's guide to school budgeting (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.  Watson, J., & Ryan, J. (n.d.). Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning: A Review of State-Level Policyand Practice, 2007.