Moving beyond the ‘budget dance’

The annual budgeting process is a valuable opportunity for districts to systematically examine both resource use and programming. They can then use the findings to optimize resource use and improve program efficacy in ways that will lead to increased student achievement. Bo Yan and Thomas Aberli discuss three root causes for districts’ inability to accomplish the goals (reliance on problem-driven needs as the dominant factor of budgetary decisions, disconnect between financial management and performance management, as well as human nature). They propose a cycle-based approach to district budgeting that rests on differentiating investment from operation expenditures.