Budget Development Process

Budget Development Process - Coordinated

This is a typical budget development process. The Superintendent may want to modify this process based on factors such as past practice, needed change, and control issues.

1. Develop Budget Calendar (September)

2. Update Budget Code Description Book (October/November)

· Distribute prior year’s budget code descriptions to supervisors for corrections
· Prepare new booklet and distribute

3. New Proposals (September-December)

· Use Curriculum Cycle or Request from Budget Supervisors

4. Determine Revenues, Then Percentage of Budget Increase (November)

· Based on three years revenues and budget projections
· Three year budget projections also used to estimate tax levy

5. Determine Each Department’s/Building’s Budget Increase (November)

· Based on above budget projections
· Includes increases in any categorical aids, i.e., Textbook, Library, Software, and Hardware Aid

6. Budget Worksheets sent to Budget Supervisors (November) includes:

· Previous year’s actual expenditure
· Current year’s original budget
· Blank columns for adjusted budget, year to date expenditures, and estimated actual expenditures

7. Budget Supervisors Meet with Their Staff Fill Out Worksheets/Requisitions (November)

8. Budget Supervisors meet with Superintendent and Business Staff (January) to:

· Review their budget
· Give assistance if they have difficulty completing them

9. Meetings with the Superintendent to go Over Each Department’s Budget (January)

· Superintendent either approves or asks for changes to be made
· If changes are needed a meting is set up with budget supervisor

10. Business Office Prepares Budget in Format for Presentation to the Board of Education (January/February) includes:

· Current Year’s Budget
· Current Year’s Estimated Actual Expenditures
· Next Year’s Tentative Budget
· Calculation of Tentative Budget less Actual Budget
· Calculation of Tentative Budget less Estimated Actual

11. Superintendent (or Business Administrator) Presents Individual Department Budgets to the Board following the Budget Calendar. Superintendent Presents His and the Board’s Budget. (February/March)

12. Total Expenditure Budget and Preliminary Revenues are Estimated (March/April).

· Tax Levy is estimated
· If reductions to budget are needed to get the tax levy increase down, a committee is set up to prioritize cuts.
· Cuts are determined

13. Board Adopts the Tentative Budget (April)

14. Public Budget Document is Prepared (April)

15. Business Office Prepares Contingent Budget (in case of budget defeat)

· Budget caps are monitored.