Page 5 - AASBO EDGE Fall 2021 WEB

discussion groups, like procurement, IT, Governor’s Office, the general public and
food service, transportation and payroll. organizations that help K-12 education.

Participants throw out ideas, and are able to
ask each other questions about specific issues. Other valuable offerings include Chuck
Invariably someone has an answer. Essigs’ insightful budget updates and
reports on education-related legislation,
There are some ground rules, all of which the school finance manual, past conference
are listed on the AASBO website, but it’s a and meeting presentations and webinars,
great medium to solicit the advice of your and an extensive library of articles and past
peers, benefit from their experience, and issues of The Edge. Also, keep in touch
participate in an ongoing conversation. You with AASBO’s Professional Development
should use the community to share successes, Education Training Programs available to
challenges, constructive feedback, questions, all AASBO members and non-members,
and goals, but not products or services that including One-day Training Workshops and
you provide. If, however, you have found Four-day Educational Classes offered year-
a helpful product or service, you can share around in a wide variety of areas.
your experience.
Finally, don’t forget to mark your calendars
AASBO IDEA Project for the Vendor/Buyer Conference on January
IDEA, a clever acronym for Initiative for 25, and the Winter Conference on January
Data and Educational Analytics, was started 26. And if you’re really looking ahead, the

nearly 20 years ago to provide district- Spring Conference in Laughlin, Nevada
level comparative analytics based on AFR is scheduled for April 6-8, and the annual
data. It was expanded to include webinars Summer Conference and Expo is set for July
that provide accurate information to state 20-23 in Tucson.
policymakers regarding questions related
to school district funding and expenditures
and to share information with school “Be present in all things and
districts throughout Arizona. Over the
years, this program has helped state leaders thankful for all.”

better understand the impact of changes
to the state funding formula on individual
districts, averting changes that would have That’s a lot to be thankful for.
cost schools many millions of dollars.
I wish you, your families and your organizations
The IDEA project enables AASBO to analyze a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving season.
multiple years of your district’s enrollment, Remember to count your blessings, and be
expenditures and revenues and compare that thankful for what you have. I leave you
data with those of other districts and charter with the wise words of Maya Angelou: “Be
schools. It also provides valuable school present in all things and thankful for all.”
finance information to the Legislature, the

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