Fiscal Oversight Workshops

Since 2005, New York State law requires financial training for every trustee or voting member of a school board or BOCES. Within the first year of their term, members must complete at least six hours of training in their financial oversight, accountability, and fiduciary responsibilities. This training must be approved by the commissioner of education in consultation with the comptroller. NYSSBA is an approved provider of this training via our pace-setting “Fiscal Oversight Fundamentals” curriculum containing five workshops totaling six hours (workshops do not have to be completed in sequence). During the Fiscal Oversight workshops, you will learn:

1. How school districts are funded.
2. The qualifications and responsibilities of key financial positions such as the claims auditor, treasurer, and audit committee, and the relationship of these positions to the board.
3. The importance of independence and segregation of duties in preventing fraud, waste and abuse.
4. Reports you need to receive, from whom, and how often. Learn how to use these reports to assess your district’s financial condition.
5. Examine findings and recommendations from statewide audits to better understand your districts compliance to key laws such as those regulating fund balance and other reserve funds.
6. Explore common types of fraud, waste and abuse, and what actions your board ashould take if you suspect irregularities.

The five modules included in the required training are:

1. School District Finances: Roles and Responsibilities
   Learn your board’s financial stewardship role and its fiscal oversight responsibilities; the roles, responsibilities and qualifications of other key district finance officials; and who answers to whom for properly safeguarding, using and accounting for district resources.
2. Revenue Sources and the Budget Process
   Examine the principal sources of school district funds and major guidelines affecting disposition of funds from each source. Then learn why the district prepares a budget, a sound process for building and obtaining voter approval of that budget, and laws and rules affecting the budget process.
3. Building School District Fiscal Fitness
   Learn what questions to ask and how to assess the answers as you study financial management and accounting practices that promote fiscal fitness. Get indicators of a district’s sound financial condition and indicators of a financially stressed district. Learn how to accurately project cash flow, the proper way to execute budget transfers, and the encumbrance process. Understand fund balance and reserve funds, and discuss how mismanagement of these funds can impact your district.
4. Monitoring School District Fiscal Fitness
   To properly oversee district finances, the board must acquire, assess and act upon factual information. Learn what information your board should receive regularly, in what form, and from whom. Identify elements of financial reports that warrant your special attention to ensure the district’s financial health.
5. Preventing Fraud, Waste and Abuse of District Resources
   Learn common types of fraud, waste and abuse of district resources, and the attitudes and conditions conducive to those diversions. Also examine the policy and oversight actions your board can take to set the example and protect precious resources. Explore what to do if the board or others suspect irregularities.

Once completed, the mandatory six hour training does not have to be repeated, however due to changing laws and regulations it is a good idea to re-take the course, especially if you are returning to board service.

NYSSBA is offering all five workshops at each of the five New School Board Member Academies, and at the 90th Annual Convention in NYC. Throughout the year, we have scheduled regional workshops at various locations throughout the state. For more details on specific locations and times, click on the “Upcoming Dates” link on this page.

To serve our members well, NYSSBA schedules additional regional and local workshops in collaboration with BOCES, local school board associations, individual boards or several districts in an area. For workshops in your area or to arrange workshops:

Contact
Barry Entwistle, Director of Leadership Development
John Carroll, Leadership Development Manager
Darci McGinn, Leadership Development Manager
Marilyn Morey, Leadership Development Manager