Syllabus

Master of Science in Education

EDU 709 – School Finance

Credits - 3

Description

This course traces the historical background and development of school finance acts and examines the intent, concepts and relationship inherent in these acts. Processes by which state subsidies are computed, allocated and distributed are considered. Budget and expenditure practices in relation to these acts are illustrated. Emphasis is placed on helping students develop a clear conceptual understanding of the overall methods by which state aid is provided to local school systems. Readings, research, and other assignments are designed to acquaint students with school finance practices in their respective states and local school districts.

Materials

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

1. Develop a basic understanding of the history of school finance in general in the United States (PSEL Standard 9)
2. Develop an understanding of and skills in sound financial principles of developing and managing system budgets (PSEL 9)
3. Demonstrate an understanding of how selected states support local public schools (PSEL Standard 9)
4. Understand the concepts of financial equity and adequacy as they relate to public schools (PSEL Standards 1, 2, 3)
5. Initiate investigations of current topics impacting school funding such as charter schools, vouchers, privatization, and the economic downturn (PSEL 8)
6. Explore through research and work with a local mentor the process of developing and managing a local school budget (PSEL Standards 1, 2, 3, 10).

Course Standards Note:

• The 2015 Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL) are used for UNE Education Leadership courses. 

Assignments

Below is a brief description of each activity or set of activities. For full description, please see the course.

Discussion Requirements

Post a response to a question or problem presented in the weekly discussion prompt(s). The initial post(s) must be completed by the end of the day on Wednesday. Responses to other students’ posts are due by the end of the course week.

Finance Compendium Notebook Assignment

There are school finance areas in which states vary. Therefore, you will need to research your state and provide overviews as well as direct links to the body of finance law and procedures pertinent to your state. For instance, you will research your state’s fiscal contribution system to local school districts, federal grants allocation, transportation requirements, charter school reimbursements, and much more. You will find more detailed instructions about this assignment by clicking on the Compendium Notebook option within the course menu tab. This is a course-long assignment.

Week 1 Assignment

Read San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez (Federal Case) and Abbott v. Burke (State Case – NJ). Write a paper using APA format describing how the two cases are related and how they differ. Both cases speak to the issues of adequacy and equity. Utilizing what you learned from the two cases and the other assigned readings, define what adequacy and equity mean for public school financing. Lastly, do you think your district is adequately funded or equitably funded? Explain why. (up to 4-page paper)

Week 2 Assignment*

Interview your local Business Manager/Finance Director or a school finance officer (superintendent, business manager, assistant superintendent, etc.) using the School Finance Interview Questions as a guide. Write a 1,500 – 1,700-word APA-formatted report of your findings. Make sure you include information on each of the questions you used in your interview. Feel free to expand on any areas or to add questions.

Once the interview is complete, analyze the responses and provide your insights. In addition to submitting this report to your instructor for grading, please post it by the end of the week to the corresponding discussion forum to share with your peers. You won’t need to comment in this discussion forum, this is just for sharing.

*Scheduling an interview with a finance manager in your school district may present challenges. Contact your instructor early and communicate your plans – an extension may be granted with the absolute deadline of Week 6.

Week 3 Assignment

In this assignment, you will create two pie charts:

• Overall district expenses (salaries with benefits or benefits as its own category, special education out-of-district placements, transportation, energy, maintenance, curriculum, technology, etc. Categories can be adjusted to fit your local tracking systems.
• From the salaries account, create a pie chart breaking out teachers, administration, coaches/advisors, paraprofessionals/aides, secretaries, technology staff, etc. Categories can be adjusted to fit your local tracking systems.

Week 4 Assignment: Budget Tracking

Obtain the most recent/current Budget Tracking document for your district. Analyze the line items and provide a write-up of which line items tracked over and why? Which line items are tracked under and why? If there looks to be/was a deficit, how will/did the district balance the budget? If there looks to be/was an overage, where will/did that money go and how will it be used in the future?

Week 4 Assignment: Wealthy Town/Poor Town

You will develop two school budgets. You will create a budget for a one-school district “Poor Town” and a one-school district “Wealthy Town.” You must decide what to fund and the criteria you will use to appropriate the funding. Please bear in mind that your goal is to fund all aspects of the school budget, not just instruction. As you make budget decisions, please record the assumptions you used. Write no more than a 2-page paper in APA format that answers the following questions: In what ways does Wealthy Town have an advantage over Poor Town? What is the purpose of a school budget?

Week 5 Assignment: Benchmarking

You will create two graphs, benchmarking to at least four other comparable districts. Submit the graphs with a one- to two-page analysis of the data. One of the graphs must be per pupil expenditure, the other may be any data of your choosing. For the graph of your choosing please explain why you included this benchmark and how it might be used to influence a budget.

Week 5 Assignment: Contract Analysis

You will identify all the fixed costs in your district’s teachers’ contract (salary, numbers of steps and lanes, stipends, tuition reimbursement, percent paid by the district for health benefits, costs for substitute teachers due to short and long-term leaves, longevity bonuses, class coverage stipends, etc.)

You will write no more than a 3-page paper responding to the following:

• List in single fashion all the fixed costs and benefits teachers are provided. When available, list the amounts.
• Look at the last negotiated contract (most are 3 years). What was the percentage increase for each of the years?
• Look back at the graph you created in Week 3 on personnel. What was the total revenue needed to support personnel?
• If you were to add an additional year to the contact at 3%, how much would that cost?
• Do you think your community would support that 3% increase? Why or why not?
• After analyzing all the data make a couple of recommendations you would like to see improved in the contract.

Week 7 Assignment

Finance Compendium Notebook Submission: This week, you will wrap up and submit your Compendium Notebook after you have added the final installment.

Week 8 Assignment

Read the Case Study and answer the prompt questions and the four questions from this week’s lecture in a paper of no more than four pages, APA style.

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Assignments	Points
Course Discussions	12
Course Assignments	40
School Finance Compendium	40
Case Study	8
Total:	100

Grade Scale

Grade	Points Grade	Point Average (GPA)
A	94 – 100%	4.00
A-	90 – 93%	3.75
B+	87 – 89%	3.50
B	84 – 86%	3.00
B-	80 – 83%	2.75
C+	77 – 79%	2.50
C	74 – 76%	2.00
C-	70 – 73%	1.75
D	64 – 69%	1.00
F	00 – 63%	0.00