In this article, the author talks about program evaluation, a strategy commonly used by instructional leaders that can help school business officials improve their budget process. As districts struggle to develop budgets in these challenging economic times, school business officials might consider turning to program evaluation for help. Program…

The author reports on the federal budget proposal for fiscal year 2012 in which President Barack Obama singled out education as an area crucial to the country's economic future. He called for bolstering programs he deems critical to his vision for a renewed Elementary and Secondary Education Act and proposed new ones in research, early-childhood…

More than a dozen education programs--including high-profile efforts focused on literacy, teaching, and learning--face the prospect of a permanent federal funding loss after they were chopped from a stopgap spending measure signed into law by President Barack Obama last week. The temporary spending law, intended to keep the government running…

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives appear determined to make deep cuts to education and related programs in the temporary spending bill that would keep the federal government operating for the rest of the fiscal year, even as President Barack Obama seeks a modest funding boost next year. That sets up a fiscal face-off in the…

The elimination of most federal aid for literacy programs at the U.S. Department of Education is raising new questions about the future of the federal commitment to promoting literacy, a role that has had a bumpy ride in recent years. Even though some of the more than $350 million in cuts to those programs this month could be reversed, as Congress…

It is the worst of times for state budgets. But across the country, some elected officials say it's the best time to rethink how their states spend money on education. Governors and other officeholders are arguing that their states have no choice but to re-examine assumptions about how schools are using the money they currently receive, given…

Principals must devote a vast amount of time and energy to campus funding and budgetary issues because budgeting and accounting procedures are an integral part of an effective instructional program. In fact, a principal's role in the budgetary process significantly impacts both budget development and instructional planning. Principals who fail to…

The Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) is a broad-based initiative that provides the opportunity for traditional and nontraditional secondary school students and General Educational Development (GED) recipients to earn scholarships that may be used at Kentucky colleges, universities, and selected technical and vocational education…

In outline form, this document presents basic information on the school district, the reasons the district considered zero-base budgeting (ZBB), the formation and membership of the advisory School Cost Analysis Team, the district's investigation of the ZBB concept, an overview of the ways the district used the ZBB process, the identification of…

Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of six types of budgets commonly used by many different kinds of libraries. The budget types covered are lump-sum; formula; line or line-item; program; performance or function; and zero-based. Accompanying figures demonstrate the differences between four of the budget types. (three references) (KRN)

Administrators should examine the role and limitations of their budgeting systems and consider overemphasis on control of spending rather than efficiency or effectiveness, limitations on cash-based budgeting, need for information on operating costs, and the short range and fragmented nature of most budgets. (MSE)

Representing the work of a Task Force on Community College Finance established by the California State Legislature, this report recommends criteria and standards for the implementation of a new program-based funding mechanism for the state's community colleges. After reviewing the legislative mandate for the implementation of program-based…

This report describes the APL (Accountable unit, Program, and line item) budget system, a computerized three-dimensional program budget system that has been implemented in the Cambridge (Massachusetts) School Department. Various chapters discuss the differences between traditional budgeting and program budgeting, present an overview of te APL…

The budget planning and review process of the Bedford Public Schools' Budget Planning and Review Committee is outlined. The objective is to develop the next year's budget and project future years' financial impact, while optimizing the quality and quantity of the programs and services of the school district. The outline is divided into two areas.…

Reviewed are the highlights of the president's 1981 budget proposal as they pertain to research and development (R&D) funds. Examined are research and development funding trends; 1981 program changes; performers; and proposed budgets for NASA, DOE, HHS NSF, and USDA. (CO)