Relates the experience of the Bettendorf (Iowa) school system in seeking widespread community involvement in planning for drastic budget cuts. The participants' ranking of school programs is included. (WD)

Zero-based, programmatic budgeting involves four basic steps: (1) define what needs to be done; (2) specify the resources required; (3) determine the assessment procedures and standards to use in evaluating the effectiveness of various programs; and (4) assign dollar figures to this information. (MLF)

Paying attention to how transportation costs are administered in a school's budget is extremely important. The Denver Public Schools did not and lost two-thirds of its bus fleet in one year. Advises districts to pay close attention to preventive maintenance practices and outlines important areas to review. (MD)

The zero-based curriculum model can help school boards and administrators make decisions about what to keep and what to cut. All instructional programs are ranked and judged in categories ranging from required to optional. (MLF)