BUSINESS 3110

BUDGET

Function of the Board

The Board of Education recognizes that finances and financial management are critical to the community's support of public education in Manchester. To help ensure that this support remains strong, the Board will:

1. Encourage advance planning using thorough and well thought out budget procedures.

2. Guide the expenditure of funds so as to extract the greatest educational returns.

3. Explore all practical sources of financial support.

4. Maintain a level of expenditure needed to provide high quality education within the ability of the community of Manchester to pay.

5. Establish sound and efficient accounting and reporting procedures.

Function of the Superintendent

1. Maintain appropriate and customary management, control, and accounting functions for all budget expenditures as outlined in the Town Charter, State Statutes accepted practices and policies.

2. Elicit a wide range of input in the development of the annual budget.

3. Prepare a yearly budget estimate for the Board of Education and Board of Directors as outlined in the Town Charter and Statutes.

4. Submit quarterly reports to the Board of Education projecting the fiscal health of the budget.

5. Regularly disseminate budget information to the community, parents, staff and students.

6. Maintain appropriate purchasing procedures to insure the highest quality of instructional supplies, materials and services for the lowest price.

7. Seek economies whenever and wherever possible.

Establishing Budget Priorities

Before developing and adopting a recommended budget, the Board of Education will study educational programs in relation to the present and future student, parent and community needs. Based on those needs, it will establish budget priorities for each fiscal year.

Budget Planning Process

Budget planning is a year-round process that includes specifying measurable objectives, evaluating programs in relation to those objectives and formulating budget requests to support them. To make the budget a comprehensive reflection of the needs of students, parents and the community, the Board and the Superintendent will take appropriate steps to ensure the involvement of professional and administrative staff in the budget development process and to ensure there is ample opportunity for community input.

Budget Evaluation Process

The Board will study the Superintendent's recommended budget to determine that budget line items meet the present and future needs of the students, the parents and the community, as outlined in the Board of Education's adopted criteria, including budget priorities, its strategic plan, technology plan and any and all other documents approved by the Board. The budget evaluation process is organized into three phases, with a workshop or series of workshops in each phase.

Phase One

The initial workshop will be scheduled for the Superintendent to deliver an overall budget presentation. This workshop will include, but not be limited to, a review of how new budget initiatives and present spending levels meet the Board's adopted criteria. During phase one, the Board will not entertain nor request additions/reductions to the Superintendent's recommended budget until the Board has reviewed the budget in its entirety.

Phase Two

When the Superintendent has completed his/her review, phase two of the budget evaluation process will begin. The Board will conduct a detailed financial review of the Superintendent's recommended budget. This review may include an examination of the following:

• any adjustments the Superintendent may wish to make in his/her initial recommendation,
• additions/reductions to the Superintendent's recommended budget to achieve economies,
• any necessary technical additions and/or reductions.

Phase Three

Once the Board of Directors has approved an appropriation for Manchester's schools, a phase three workshop may be held. At this workshop, the Board, in consultation with the Superintendent, will make such adjustments in the budget as are necessary to conform the budget to the appropriation.

Budget Adoption Process

The Superintendent will present the Board with a detailed recommended budget request not later than the first regular meeting of the Board in January of each year. Not later than February 11 of each year, the Board of Education will adopt a request for an appropriation and forward that request to the General Manager of the Town by February 21. The request for an appropriation filed by the Board of Education with the General Manager shall be accompanied by a copy thereof for each member of the Board of Directors and, within fifteen (15) days after said filing, the General Manager shall schedule and attend a joint meeting of the two (2) Boards for the purpose of discussing the appropriation request of the Board of Education and the recommendations of the General Manger. After such discussion, said joint meeting shall adjourn to a date not later than three (3) days before the General Manager submits his tentative budget to the Board of Directors in order to permit further discussion to be held on any decrease proposed or to be proposed by the General Manager in the appropriation request of the Board of Education. The Chairman of the Board of Education may, at any time, sign and file with the General Manager a written waiver dispensing with said adjourned joint meeting. Once the Board of Directors has approved an appropriation for Manchester's schools, the Board of Education will conduct phase three of the budget evaluation process and will adopt a final budget on or before June 8.

Adopted: September 10, 2001