A well organized and highly effective human resources (HR) department will  reduce legal expenses 
and safeguard the local educational agency’s (LEA’s) fiscal solvency. In this era of dwindling resources,
and with as much as 90% of a district’s General Fund revenue being committed to compensating 
employees, LEAs can ill afford inefficiency in personnel management. Unexpected personnel expenses
are predictable in the absence of sound personnel management practices. This  workshop focuses on 
essential HR operations and best practices in personnel  management that, if implemented, will 
minimize legal risks and protect scarce  financial resources. 

Our annual School Finance and Management Conference has been the centerpiece of school agency financial management and business planning for the past three decades. During that time, we have appreciated the support and flexibility you have provided as we change dates, formats, locations, etc., to provide the most timely and accurate information possible. In anticipation of an on?time Budget, we have set the dates for our 35th Annual Conference for the third week in July. As always, however, there is the possibility of major changes until the Budget is signed-and as we have seen in recent years, well beyond!

School Services of Caifornia, Inc. and the Fiscal Crisis and Management Team (FCMAT) have teamed up to provide a free online workshop on fiscal solvency.

Hear from Joel Montero, Ron Bennett, and John Gray as they discuss the various aspects of district financial management including:

• Multiyear planning
• Negotiations
• Cash management
• Other budgetary challenges facing school districts today

The state of California provides funding to school agencies based on actual  attendance, which indicates that school agencies do not receive funding for  students who are not in school. The funding received for students attending school is a significant portion of school agencies’ operating revenue. California school agencies have been hit hard by the economic downturn and any adjustments to funding, no matter how small, can be significant. The importance of understanding the regulations for attendance is at an all-time high. There is too much at stake—academic achievement and funding.

In an effort to continue to meet the changing demands on our clients, we are now offering the Fiscal Implications of School District Reorganization as an online workshop. This format provides many benefits, including ease of viewing at your desk, viewing the presentation at a time that is convenient to you, and eliminating the need to travel to a location outside of the area.

Many districts are struggling with collective bargaining issues this year, but they also face very tight travel and professional development budgets. Some months ago, in anticipation of this situation, School Services of California, Inc., (SSC) made a commitment to change the mode of delivery on some of its foundational workshops. The “Fiscal Aspects of Negotiations” workshop, which we have presented in a face-to-face format for more than 20 years, has been completed and is now available as a 100% online offering.

The number one area for findings in an audit report are those in the area of Associated Student Body (ASB). It is critical that district- and site-level staff receive training in this area on a regular basis to ensure that the district as well as the employees, are being protected.

There have been changes to regulations over the last  several years related to food sales. Site-level staff need to become familiar with these regulations as they work with students and fundraising events. This format will allow the school agencies to build capacity within its organiza-tion by expanding the number of employees that receive training who are involved in the handling of ASB funds.