School Budgeting for Hard Times : Confronting Cutbacks and Critics

"The current fiscal crisis is clearly having a negative impact on our schools. This book offers practical strategies to overcome obstacles and constraints, and is essential for all school leaders." —David Freitas, Professor Indiana University South Bend "This reader-friendly and relatable book speaks directly to the practitioner, offering down-to-earth advice and realistic examples." —David L. Flynn, Director, Commission on Public Elementary and Middle Schools, Adjunct Professor of Educational Administration New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Bedford, MA, and Cambridge College, MA A win-win solution to the battle of the budget Are you challenged to improve your school′s productivity with existing or even diminishing resources? It can be done, and School Budgeting for Hard Times will show you how. Author William K. Poston, Jr. has fought and won many budget battles. He and renowned educator Fenwick W. English, who provides the book′s foreword, contend that the needs of curriculum and learning should drive the budgeting process—not the other way around. The solution is implementing performance-based budgeting. This text gives step-by-step instructions for: Using assessment data to determine budget priorities Applying quality enhancement principles to the process Incorporating measurable performance to attain funding Discover how to do more with less. These proven strategies will help you attain the truly important goals while avoiding the dire cutbacks that threaten local educational systems′ effectiveness.