BBA (CFD)

DEERFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT

BUDGET MANAGEMENT POLICY

The school board shall reasonably prepare a budget of school expenditures and make suitable and timely assignment of the school money to the various needs of the schools. In state-aided districts, accounts shall be kept as the state board shall require and shall be open at all times to the inspection of the superintendent, any other officer of the state board and to the public in accordance with the laws of the state of New Hampshire - ED. 303.01(d), Duties of the School Boards.

1. The Deerfield School Board holds full legal responsibility and authority to manage the school district’s budget within the confines of the appropriation voted at the annual district meeting. The school board will manage the approved budget in a fiscally responsible manner based upon the best interests of the district’s students.

2. At times, emergency or unanticipated expenses will lead to a school board decision to move funds among lines within the approved budget to prudently manage the affairs of the district. The school board will affect account transfers through the procedure outlined in Appendix “A”.

3. The rationale governing account transfers is that some planned expenditure will not be made or will be accomplished more cost effectively in order to allow the unanticipated or emergency expenditure to be funded.

4. By practice, the school board divides its general fund budget into discretionary and non-discretionary categories. Discretionary lines include instructional supplies, materials, and equipment, salaries, staff development, and maintenance items. Non-discretionary lines include special education services, utility and transportation expenses, and benefit items.

5. The school board will attempt to identify funds sufficient to meet unanticipated expenses within discretionary accounts before considering any transfer of non-discretionary funds.

6. If the annual district meeting votes that a specific budget expense should not be incurred, the school board will make every effort to abide by that vote.

7. If a fiscal emergency cannot be funded through the existing appropriation, the school board will seek a deficit appropriation through the M.B.C./district meeting process.

APPROVED: September 1, 1993

AMENDED: March 5, 1997; October, 2005

Appendix A

DEERFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT

BUDGET MANAGEMENT POLICY

1. Account transfers may be initiated by the school principal, central office administrators, or the school board by completing an Account Transfer Request Form. The person initiating the request must state the circumstances necessitating the transfer as well as determine which account the funds will be transferred to, which account funds will be transferred from, and that funds are available to affect the transfer.

2. The transfer request is forwarded to the central office business administrator who will verify that funds are available to process the request.

3. Once verified by the accounts supervisor, the request is forwarded for final approval.

- The business administrator may approve transfers up to $250
- The superintendent or assistant superintendent may approve transfers up to $500
- The school board must approve transfers over $500
- In practice, all transfers in excess of $50 are brought to the Deerfield School Board at a
posted meeting for confirmation or approval.

4. Funds may be moved among 1100-615-1-08 teaching supply lines without a formal transfer process. However, the central office business administrator must be consulted beforehand about any intent to adjust accounts in order to maintain accurate records and avoid errors and misunderstandings.

5. The approved transfer request form is returned to the staff accountant for processing. After entering the transfer into the budget management program, the white copy is filed by district in a binder located in the accounting department at the S.A.U. Office, the yellow copy is returned to the school for the principal’s budget records.