Illinois Association of School Boards: Resources on School Finance

Essentials of Illinois School Finance, Fourth Edition, by James B. Fritts, published by the Illinois Association of School Boards, August 2008, 152 pages, soft cover, $35 (IASB members, $25), ISBN 978-1-880331-23-1. Available from the IASB Online Bookstore at http://www.iasb.com/shop/. The first part of the book deals with revenue - where schools get it, how they maximize it, protect it, manage it and plan for it. The second half of the book addresses expenditures - how schools budget for them, reduce them, and make plans to deal with them. Together, the two sections provide a solid base for financial management and long-range planning. The final chapter describes the essential role of school board policy in setting standards for fiscal and business affairs. Includes extensive alphabetical subject index.

Illinois School Law Survey, Tenth Edition, by Brian A. Braun, published by the Illinois Association of School Boards, April 2008, 390 pages, soft cover, $35 (IASB members, $25), ISBN: 1-880331-21-7. The Survey is a popular layman's guide to school law that uses a question-and-answer format to address issues commonly encountered by school board members and administrators. Answers are based on state and federal statutes, court decisions and government agency regulations. The 27 chapters include four dealing directly with school finance and several others that bear on business affairs. The book comes with a CD ROM version that carries the entire text and index, plus the full text of nearly all statutes, regulations and court cases cited in the book. The hypertext format is compatible with any standard Web browser, and the searchable index contains hyperlinks to the questions and answers.

FREE ONLINE RESOURCES FROM IASB

Illinois Laws Affecting the School Finance Referendum – Here's a compilation of some of the laws that school boards and administrators should be aware of as they consider putting a finance proposition to referendum. Covers pertinent election laws, limits on uses of public funds, voter registration and related issues. http://www.iasb.com/pdf/referendum.pdf

Understanding School Finance – Booklet answers 12 essential questions about the basics of school finance, from "What is a school district budget?" to "What do we get for the money we spend on education?" http://www.iasb.com/pdf/understandingsf.pdf

Playing Fair with the Children of Illinois – Booklet challenges parents and taxpayers to determine for themselves whether their schools are adequately and equitably funded and to seek solutions through more local effort or more state aid. Discusses impact of staffing and program needs, property wealth and tax rates. http://www.iasb.com/pdf/playingfair.pdf

Where Does the Lottery Money Go? – Pamphlet presents questions and answers about the Illinois lottery and its very limited impact on public school funding. Shows the decline in the state's commitment to schools since advent of the lottery. http://www.iasb.com/pdf/lottery.pdf

Position Statements of the Illinois Association of School Boards, as adopted by the IASB Delegate Assembly. Includes positions on state, local and federal funding for schools. http://www.iasb.com/govrel/positions.cfm

Finance Election Results – Data from recent elections and tables showing success rates of bond issues and tax rate propositions over time. http://www.iasb.com/elections/finance.cfm

OTHER RESOURCES available from IASB

Available upon request from IASB Publications 2921 Baker Drive, Springfield, IL 62703; 217/528-9688, ext. 1108, or email to Tammy Call at tcall@iasb.com:

Referendum Kit – This kit contains a variety of material for planning and conducting a school finance election campaign. Hard copy only; one per district, please.

Tax Cap Limitations – a video-taped presentation (VHS) of the effects on government services you can expect from the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law. You can borrow a copy of the video or buy it.

OTHER INTERNET RESOURCES

Financing for Illinois Public Schools, a variety of information from the Illinois State Board of Education at: http://www.isbe.net/finance/default.htm

Illinois Teacher Salary Schedule Study, 2006-2007, from Illinois State Board of Education at: http://www.isbe.net/research/pdfs/teacher_salary_06-07.pdf

FY 2009 Budget Information, the Illinois State Board of Education Budget for Elementary and Secondary Schools at: http://www.isbe.net/budget/FY09_budget.pdf

COST-SAVING PROGRAMS SPONSORED BY IASB

Workers' Compensation Self-Insurance Trust (WCSIT). IASB offers member school boards an effective way to contain the cost of Workers' Compensation coverage. Member districts generally receive dividends on premiums by vote of the trust's board, composed of local school board members and administrators. http://www.iasb.com/sponsored/insurance.cfm

Property-Casualty Coverage. The Illinois School District Agency (ISDA) offers a full line of property casualty coverage for interested member districts. A board of regents composed of local school board members and administrators governs the pooled risk management program. http://www.iasb.com/sponsored/insurance.cfm

Investment Pool. IASB offers the Illinois School District Liquid Asset Fund Plus, an investment pool whose objectives are safety, liquidity and competitive yields for Illinois districts with immediate access to invested funds. http://www.iasb.com/sponsored.laf.cfm

Unemployment Cost Control Program. The Illinois Association of School Boards unemployment cost control program is administered for members by TALX UC Express, a management firm. Fees are determined by the number of employees. Web site provides answers to frequently asked questions about unemployment claims management. http://www.iasb.com/sponsored/ucc.cfm

Illinois School District Drug and Alcohol Testing Consortium. This program enables school districts to economically and efficiently comply with state and federal drug testing requirements for school bus drivers. It is administered by the Midwest Truckers Association. http://www.iasb.com/sponsored/datest.cfm

Illinois Energy Consortium. The joint energy-purchasing consortium sponsored by IASB, IASA and IASBO. It is designed to lower utility costs for participating Illinois school districts and community colleges. http://www.illec.org/

IASB WORKSHOPS

The Basics of School Law and Finance – This workshop covers the basic knowledge that board members typically need for informed decision-making in the important areas of school law and finance. Among the topics covered in the segments on School Finance are: The school board's fiscal responsibilities...How schools are funded ... Budget making and accounting ... Borrowing...The treasurer and business manager...Purchasing and bid letting...and Using the audit and financial reports to monitor district financial health. This workshop is offered annually as a pre-conference event as well as in the spring and summer following the biennial school board election.

OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

The following organizations offer numerous publications that address different aspects of school finance and taxation. Visit their websites to see what is available.

Illinois Association of School Business Officials, Northern Illinois University (1A-103), 108 Carroll Avenue, DeKalb, IL 60115 at: www.iasbo.org

Illinois State Board of Education, 100 North First Street, Springfield, IL at: http://www.isbe.net/finance/default.htm

Taxpayers' Federation of Illinois, 430 East Vine Street, Suite A, Springfield, IL 62703 at: www.taxpayfedil.org

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Although the IASB Web site strives to provide accurate and authoritative information, the Illinois Association of School Boards does not guarantee or warrantee the accuracy or quality of information contained herein.