The annual budgeting process is a valuable opportunity for districts to systematically examine both resource use and programming. They can then use the findings to optimize resource use and improve program efficacy in ways that will lead to increased student achievement. Bo Yan and Thomas Aberli discuss three root causes for districts' inability…

Managing liquidity--a college or university's ability to access cash quickly or to easily convert assets to cash--is an increasingly crucial component of enterprise risk management. Liquidity risks lurk around nearly every corner--in the endowment portfolio, the debt portfolio, and in working-capital management. It also influences students'…

Kansas school districts reduced employment by 327 full-time equivalent positions this school year, the smallest reduction in three years of cuts to district operating budgets. Districts reduced positions by 561 in FY 2010 and 1,626 in FY 2011. Districts eliminated nearly 400 "regular" teaching positions this year, but added 114 special…

Planning comes first, but once a district determines what technologies and programs to implement, the most important task is finding the funds to pay for everything. In an era when funds for education in general are limited, technology-related purchases and related expenditures must be cost-effective. In addition, when budgets are tight, there is…

Describes development of the National Association of College and University Business Officers' (NACUBO's) methodology for identifying the costs of delivering undergraduate education. The tool was developed to help institutions explain their costs to students, parents, and the general public. (EV)

Colleges are focusing increased effort--and money--to improve the physical condition of existing facilities and address a huge backlog of deferred maintenance. According to "American School & University's" 36th annual Maintenance and Operations (M&O) Cost Study, the median college spends 16.4% of total college budget on M&O, up from 11% the year…

Discusses strategic planning in libraries and outlines a cost-finding methodology to help library administrators practice strategic budgeting. Highlights include identifying products and services; types of budgets; types of costs; creating an enhanced operating budget; creating a program budget; and outputs and unit costs. (Contains six…

Discusses budgeting in corporate libraries as a basic tool of financial management. Highlights include focusing on goals; developing a list or matrix of services; resources needed for each service; shared costs; types of budgets, including operating budget, capital budget, and cash budget; and approaches to budgeting, including incremental…

Spending by school districts on maintenance and operations increased in 2006-2007, reversing years of historic low expenditures. According to "American School & University's" 36th annual Maintenance and Operations (M&O) Cost Study, the median school district spends 9.19% of total district expenditures (TDE) on M&O, up from 7.58% the year before.…

Assesses the financial impact of online services for management and describes the process of financial management of the online search service at Charles River Associates, Inc. The areas of budgeting, pricing, and controlling are examined in the context of a financial management methodology. (CWM)

Institutions are turning to responsibility-centered budgeting to instill campuswide fiscal responsibility. The approach places budget authority within individual academic units and allows decision makers to see their program's share of overhead expenses. The University of Indiana and Purdue University at Indianapolis have undertaken a joint…

In 2007, schools and universities allocated billions of dollars to build education facilities. Responsible administrators strive to spend those funds wisely, but over the years, educators and community members have not always agreed on what constitutes wise spending. In the Baby Boom years, the accelerating demand for space led many schools and…

By using an energy audit, the Cheyenne Mountain School District No. 12 (Colorado) identified fuel-consuming areas in its schools and reduced the annual increases for fuel from 25 to 5 percent. Six steps to energy savings will work for other districts as well. (JW)

Presents summaries of 1996 budget reports from public libraries, divided by nine geographic regions of the United States. Data indicates that gains in total budgets are 6%; materials 7.1%; salaries 5.6%; and that fundraising has become a crucial activity to support libraries, especially in funding increasing technology costs. (JKP)

Analyzes the real operating costs of child care centers providing quality care in order to establish a model from which funding agencies and child administrators can plan and evaluate budgets to enhance the quality of child care. (Author/MP)