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Purpose:
To provide a range of business management services meeting short term or long term needs. Rural school districts often report difficulty in finding local personnel with the training and experience to serve as school business managers. Business manager services provide superintendents with another alternative. Through the business manager services NCESD staff can help districts transition during business manager turnover or can offer long-term solutions by becoming the district’s business manager. Services are tailored to the needs of the individual school district.

Service Outcomes:
Insure districts meet critical deadlines;
Provide timely financial information for program and/or managerial decisions;
Analyze policies and procedure and make recommendations for improvement.

Purpose:
To develop capable business managers to serve as effective leaders resulting in sound finances for school districts. Rural school districts often report difficulty in finding local personnel with the training and experience to serve as school business managers. The business manager academy (BMA) provides superintendents with another alternative. Through the business manager academy, NCESD staff will train local personnel who are qualified, but perhaps not quite ready to take the job without training and mentoring. Services are tailored to the needs of the individual school district.

Belief Statements:

• Successful districts have successful business managers.
• Successful business managers have a solid foundation in the basics of Washington’s various K-12 finance systems.
• Successful business managers participate in effective professional development.

• Understanding and application of state and federal regulations;
• Understanding of state funding and monthly apportionment reports;
• The use of data and financial modeling to make financial decisions; and
• The ability to search available written and online resources for answers.

Strategies:
Business manager training is provided on a contractual basis to school district personnel. Continuing professional development for business managers is provided through the North Central Regional Data Center Cooperative (NCRDC). Training provided by the BMA is designed for individuals new to the job.

Delivery includes the use of BMA training modules, NCRDC workshops, Business Manager Forums, and peer networks.

The BMA includes the following:

• Training, technical assistance, and support from qualified NCESD staff.
• Peer grouping with other business managers in the region.
• Approximately 30 weekly sessions consisting of theory and background; current topics; and hands on work.
• Technology support for the purposes of reviewing resources and accessing district records for hands-on work session.
• Each session should allow participants the opportunity to get current work completed in a supportive learning environment.