Smarter Spending in School Divisions

I love to beg, steal, or borrow great ideas from other school districts. Last year at the Virginia School Board Association's annual conference, I was really excited to learn about great budgeting practices from Albemarle County Public Schools.

Every school division would benefit from some version of these practices, and I believe other types of organizations can, too. Here are my top five takeaways:

1. Employee Voice: Albemarle created an Employee Budget Advisory group that includes two representatives from each school and central office department. This group discusses challenges that impede teaching and learning at their best, and they’re empowered to think about what resources would help alleviate those challenges. Members review budget options, weigh priorities, and offer ideas for cutting costs. Several of the reductions approved in the school division’s most recent annual operating budget came from this group.

 2. Clear Goals and Outcomes (aka Logic Models): Anyone making a new budget request submits a form that includes clear identification of Inputs (initial, non-budgetary resources that must be invested to get started); Activities (first-year deliverables); Outputs (short-term results); and Outcomes (long-term, positive changes). Here’s an example that involves funding for specialized reading and math support.

Slide from Albemarle County Public Schools VSBA Presentation, 11/21/2024.

3. Accountability: The Superintendent and his leadership team conduct intentional, methodical follow up on investments they’ve made, using the logic models that were part of the budget requests. The owner(s) of each request meet with the Superintendent and the Assistant Superintendent for Strategic Planning each year to report on their progress. For relatively new requests, that might mean presenting information related to Inputs and Activities. Two years out, budget owners should be able to share data on Outputs. Three to five years after budget approval, budget owners need to share evidence of quantifiable, positive Outcomes. 


4. Transparency: School division leaders use the reporting described above to make decisions about whether to continue, adjust, or abandon different initiatives. In each year’s published budget book, ACPS reports how previous investments are performing. 

Slide from Albemarle County Public Schools VSBA Presentation, 11/21/2024.

5. Change Management: Albemarle recognizes that new policies, processes, and resources need to be implemented carefully. Its Budget Proposal Template includes this Change Management Matrix to encourage thoughtful execution: