Curious about how the Fargo Public Schools annual budget gets built and what takes place during the process? Read on to find out!
Budget Building
by Fargo Public Schools Accounting Director Jackie Gapp
Although budgeting, in general, happens in every business as well as in our personal lives, developing the Fargo Public School District budget requires the involvement of many different individuals and organizations across all levels of government. District financial resources come from local, state, and federal dollars, and are often restricted to specific programs.
The budget gives the District the opportunity to justify the collection and spending of the funds we receive from the public. It is our plan for the future and outlines the goals and objectives set by the Board of Education and district administration.
While District administrators are continually reviewing revenue and expenditure budgets throughout the year, the budget development process for next year doesn’t truly begin until the winter months after school is up and running for the year.
In February, administrators begin drafting their detailed departmental budgets, line by line, for the next fiscal year, which runs from July 1 through June 30. Collaboration with district stakeholders ensures involvement and transparency as we consider enrollment, compensation and benefit plan increases, teacher negotiations, new legislative requirements, curriculum changes, and for fiscal year 2016: the opening of Ed Clapp Elementary.
Throughout the spring months, initial budgets are adjusted based on feedback from staff, the community, legislature, and School Board. Prior to July 1, our goal is to have a solid budget built from the detailed plans of each department and preliminary approval by the School Board.
By August 15, the District must file our initial Budget and Certificate of Levy with the County, which substantiates our request for local taxpayer dollars.
Final budget approval takes place in September, when the School Board officially adopts the budget and we are off and running on another school year!