Main Content
Syllabus
The information contained on this page is designed to give students a representative example of material covered in the course. Any information related to course assignments, dates, or course materials is illustrative only. For a definitive list of materials, please check the online catalog 3-4 weeks before the course start date.
EDLDR 579: Financial Management for Schools
Financial management concepts and techniques for educators: district and school level budgeting process, hands-on budget preparation workshop, and budget management.
Prerequisites for this course include EDLDR 480 or teaching, administrative, or supervisory experience.
Overview
This course examines the fiscal management concepts and techniques needed by educational administrators in order to plan, control, and evaluate their operations effectively. It is designed for general administrators who need to understand important management topics such as the district budgeting process, school accounting, budget preparation procedures, resource allocation, balancing the budget in difficult economic times, and management of the budget.
To cover the levels of involvement with and responsibility for the budget that administrators in different levels in the school district have, a dual focus is required—district and school. These two levels are compatible and, in fact, are closely articulated and interact with one another constantly.
At the district level, the process is led by the superintendent and business manager. The central office administrators provide direction to the overall budgeting operation, delegate budget related activities to school administrators and others, make critical resource allocation decisions about how available funds are distributed, set local tax rates and estimate revenues to be received, monitor expenditures throughout the year to control school and district costs, and have overall responsibility for the financial well-being of the district.
At the school level, principals generally have budgeting responsibility for their buildings. They must work within the overall budgeting framework and objectives established for the district. Depending on district practices, principals will receive allocations of different types of resources—staff, supplies, equipment—and then construct their own budgets to use these resources within district guidelines. Throughout the year, principals will approve, monitor, and control the expenditures at their schools to carry out their activities.
Rationale
Public schools are funded almost exclusively from revenues received from local, state, and federal taxes—public funds—and school administrators are accountable for the proper usage and stewardship of these funds. The primary means for managing the fiscal resources of the district is through the annual budget. Administrators use the budgeting process to plan educational programs for the upcoming year, to allocate the available funds among competing programs, and to control expenditures in order to not exceed allowable limits.
The primary purpose of the course is to acquaint you with the central importance of budgeting in management of schools and districts and to show how mastery of budgeting will make administrators more effective educational leaders. Procedures for identifying the necessary budgetary activities, as well as constraints, are discussed to provide a management context for the process. Emphasis is placed on the critical and often neglected steps in formulating expenditure and revenue estimates to teach students how budget numbers are created. This is accomplished through the development of school building and district budgets using actual data. Budget modification and analysis techniques are reviewed to provide skills for explaining and changing budget amounts. The existing resource allocation patterns are examined and modified to provide opportunities to improve teaching and learning in the schools. Monitoring procedures that prevent over-expenditure of budgeted funds are also illustrated and practiced.
Course Competencies
Upon successful completion of this course, you should understand and be able to employ
- basic philosophy behind successful budgeting and how budgets are used,
- budget process and principal activities to be carried out,
- expenditure and revenue accounting concepts and structures,
- development of a budget for a school and a school district,
- allocation of budget resources to improve teaching and learning,
- techniques for budget reduction and other allocation and reallocation decisions,
- school district tax levies, and
- use of a budget to administer and control district operations.
Measurement of Competencies
Competencies are measured by the following techniques:
- Regular problem assignments will test your understanding of the course material and your ability to apply the concepts to realistic problems.
- School and district budgets are developed in a series of workshops designed to expand on supporting information and to prepare expenditure and revenue budgets using actual data.
- Initial budgets will be revised to reallocate educational resources based on best practices to improve teaching and learning.
Course Activities
To achieve these competencies, the course is structured around a series of budget-related activities constructed to take you through the essential steps to plan, develop, and manage a school district budget. Through readings and examples, you will learn about budgets and budgeting; at the same time, you will develop and practice your budgeting skills through the associated assignments built around the crucial elements of a school and district budget for a sample school district.
- Develop and follow a budget calendar.
- Know and be able to utilize the Pennsylvania school accounting structure and appropriate accounts with their codes. (Note that the PA school accounting structure is similar to most other states, and the experience of using it in this course can be easily carried over to another state.)
- Plan and carry out the necessary steps to estimate expenditures and revenues accurately for a school district budget.
- Project student enrollments for budgeting purposes.
- Plan and justify the number and type of staffing positions needed to operate a school.
- Develop salary schedules for professional and support personnel.
- Estimate total personnel costs, including salaries and benefits.
- Allocate nonpersonnel resources (purchased services, supplies, equipment) among instructional and support units within a school.
- Estimate school district revenues by major source, including local tax levies.
- Understand the types, proper use, and size of district fund balances.
- Define the alternative approaches and procedures for making budget reductions, additions, and reallocations.
- Reallocate an existing school budget utilizing research-based practices to improve expected student learning.
- Control a school-level expenditure budget to prevent over-expenditures during the operating year.
Required Course Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.
Using the Library
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Software
One of the benefits of being a registered Penn State student is that you are eligible to receive educational discounts on many software titles. If you are interested in learning more about purchasing software through our affiliate vendor, please visit the Buying Software section of the Course Materials page.
Technical Requirements
For this course, we recommend the minimum World Campus technical requirements listed below:
| Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
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| Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
| Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
| Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)
During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Course Content
- Budget Process
- Organization
- Legal considerations
- Budget calendar
- Types of budgets
- Accounting Concepts for Budgeting
- Fund accounting
- Assets, liabilities, and fund balance
- Expenditures and revenues
- Financial statements
- Budget Development
- Enrollment forecasting
- Personnel needs
- Expenditure estimation
- Salary schedules
- Salary cost projections
- Benefits
- Nonpersonnel expenditures (purchased services, supplies, equipment)
- Revenue estimation
- Major local, state, federal, and other sources
- Fund balance
- Tax levies
- Budget Adjustment and Reallocation
- Reductions, additions, and reallocation of funds
- Resource allocation to improve teaching and learning
- Techniques for effective reallocation of budget resources
- Budget Management
- Encumbrances
- Control reports
Course Schedule
Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).
More detailed information about each lesson is contained in the Lessons section. There is a separate lesson for each week.
Assignments are due by 11:59 p.m. ET, Sunday night of the week.
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Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Grading
Your final course grade will be determined using the following scale:
| Points | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 94–100 | A |
| 90–93.9 | A- |
| 87–89.9 | B+ |
| 84–86.9 | B |
| 80–83.9 | B- |
| 77–79.9 | C+ |
| 70–76.9 | C |
| 60–69.9 | D |
| 0–59.9 | F |
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Graduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
University Policies
- Accommodating Disabilities:
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has resources for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contacts for disability services at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the SDR website.
In order to apply for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability resources office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation based on the documentation guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability resources office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
- Counseling and Psychological Services:
If you have a crisis or safety concern, mental health services are available to you as a Penn State student. Crisis and emergency contacts are available, no matter where you are located:
- Anywhere in the United States: Call the Penn State Crisis Line at 1-877-229-6400 or text LIONS to 741741. You can also contact your local crisis services or hospital for emergencies.
- Outside the United States: Please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
- At University Park: Assistance is available at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) locations on campus.
- At a Penn State branch campus: You can search for counseling information at your campus.
- Additional Policies:
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
- Deferred Grades:
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page. - Military Students:
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
- Privacy Notice:
In order to protect your privacy, course access is limited to those individuals who have direct responsibility for the quality of your educational experience. In addition to the instructor, a teaching assistant or college administrator may be provided access in order to ensure optimal faculty availability and access. World Campus technical staff may also be given access in order to resolve technical support issues.
- Student Responsibilities and Conduct:
- Students are responsible for online course content, taking notes, obtaining other materials provided by the instructor, taking tests (if applicable), and completing assignments as scheduled by the instructor. As a general rule, students should plan on logging into the course at least three times per week and spending at least three hours per course credit per week on the course, e.g., if the course is three credits, the student should plan on spending at least 9-12 hours per week on the course, just as they would in a residence course.
- Students are responsible for keeping track of changes in the course syllabus made by the instructor throughout the semester.
- Students are responsible for monitoring their grades.
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Students must contact their instructor (and teammates when working on any collaborative learning assignments) as soon as possible if they anticipate missing long periods of online time due to events such as chronic illnesses, death in the family, business travel, or other appropriate events. The instructor will determine the minimal log on time and participation required in order to meet course responsibilities. In the event of other unforeseen conflicts, the instructor and student will arrive at a solution together.
- Requests for taking exams or submitting assignments after the due dates require documentation of events such as illness, family emergency, or a business-sanctioned activity.
- Conflicts with dates on which examinations or assignments are scheduled must be discussed with the instructor or TA prior to the date of the examination or assignment.
- Students are responsible for following appropriate netiquette (network etiquette) when communicating with their instructor and classmates. For reference, see the Academic Success Kit.
- Behaviors that disrupt other students’ learning are not acceptable and will be addressed by the instructor.
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For severe and chronic problems with student disruptive behavior, the following will be applied for resolution:
- Senate Committee on Student Life policy on managing classroom disruptions: Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
- Penn State Principles
- Report Bias:
Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage.
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.