Effective budgeting in the education sector is not just about allocating funds; it is about prioritizing student needs and achieving better educational outcomes. In recent years, school districts have embraced priority-based budgeting (PBB) as an innovative approach to align resources with educational priorities, improve student achievement, and ensure fiscal responsibility.

The budgeting process in any school district is a critical aspect of ensuring the effective allocation of resources to support student success. It requires a delicate balance between financial responsibility and meeting the diverse needs of students and schools.

Most of us would go cross-eyed if we had to go through the reams of highly technical budget information that Christine Lee administers as the director of finance for the Lethbridge School District No. 51.

Budget planning for the 2020-2021 school year will be as unprecedented as everything else in the world today. The only thing school districts know for sure is re-entry plans won’t be finalized until the COVID-19 risk is known, likely sometime in August.

With thousands of employees and millions of dollars in infrastructure, school districts are as complex and demanding as large corporations. Add in the extra layers of scrutiny that come from governments and even parents, and it’s no surprise that district budgeting is among the most complicated of financial operations.

Everyone wants to make sure taxpayer dollars are being well spent. But how do schools determine what it means to spend money well?