Signature Assignment: Create a School Budget Plan

It is your first year as a principal, and the superintendent has decided to implement school-based budgeting for the upcoming budget cycle. You have been directed to create a budget plan for your school.

Using the information gathered in your previous assignments, you will create a school budget plan based on a vision, needs assessment, and educational goals.

Once the budget plan is developed, it must be approved by the school board. It is essential that the school board has a clear understanding of the priorities and how they align with the school’s vision/mission. As principal, you will need to present your budget to the board members who will, in turn, weigh all the factors and approve the budget or ask for modifications.

It is your task to complete a comprehensive budget plan that gives the board a complete view of the school vision and plan—with the goal of gaining their approval. Fortunately, for this assignment, you will touch on only a few key pieces of a typical school budget rather than preparing a comprehensive budget.

The superintendent has provided you with the following components that must be included in order for your budget to be approved:

A detailed description of your school, including student demographics
Vision/mission statement
Needs assessment using school data
Priority analysis
Programs to be funded
Professional and support staff
The rationale to share with the Board of Education (BOE)
Calculate the total budget for your school by multiplying the total number of students and per-pupil spending. Develop a spreadsheet that includes:

Total number of students
Per-pupil spending
Grade span and number of students at each grade level
Number of teachers and student: teacher ratio
Number of administrators and student: administrator ratio
Other faculty and staff members (e.g., psychologists, librarians)
Percentage and dollar amount allocated to salaries
Professional development
Supplies
Keep the following in mind as you put together your plan:

Why are the chosen programs necessary based on your school’s vision/mission?
How do the programs support all students? (i.e. SWD, ELL, low-income, gifted)
How is the school data being used to inform the budget? For example, ELA assessment results show the school performs below the state average. How would that be addressed in the plan?
How would you convince the BOE to support your budget?