Welcome to the Alaska Association of School Business Officials e-newsletter!
ALASBO's Mission: To promote the highest standards in school business practices.
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Summer Leadership 2021
ALASBO's Summer Leadership Conference will be held as a virtual event July 20-22.
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Message from
ALASBO President, Jimmy Love
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I am having a difficult time believing that another school year is coming to an end. I know most district employees are scheduling their summer activities, while others are scheduling year end audits and closing the books on another year. However, this is what we do and we do some of our best work under some difficult time constraints. This year has been unlike any other in recent years, maybe ever. We continue to struggle with state revenue, which impacts all of us. Then we had this thing called COVID-19 that, literally, turned our worlds upside down and then sideways. With that came additional funding from the federal government, not to mention, the political charades between party lines. Hang in there, I know there is light at the end of the tunnel.
I was able to participate in most of the virtual Legislative Fly-In this year. I walked away with some hope that our state legislators see and hear our concerns. The work performed by ALASBO, ACSA, and other affiliate organizations was awesome. Click to read the rest of this message.
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New SFO in Alaska!
The Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) is pleased to announce that John C. Stackhouse, SFO, Director of Administrative Services, Yupiit School District, Akiachak, AK, has earned the Certified Administrator of School Finance and Operations® (SFO®). School business professionals who earn the SFO certification have proven that they have the required knowledge, expertise, and fiscal credibility to lead their school district and effectively manage the district’s finances. Read the press release here.
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Member Spotlight:
Sandy Friendshuh
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Our member spotlight shines on Sandy Friendshuh. Sandy is the Business Manager at Copper River School District.
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Executive Director's Message - Darcy Carter
Thank You!
Yes, I am shamelessly using a picture of a cute baby to draw you to my message. This ALASBO onsie is modeled by Noah Stachow, son of Katie Stachow from Altman, Rogers & Co.
While these COVID times continue to be challenging, I hope that ALASBO has met the needs of our members. I would like to thank members, staff partner associations and sponsors who contribute so much in both COVID times and non-COVID times.
First, thank you to all of you who are working hard at your jobs in school districts, DEED and other organizations to make sure Alaska's children receive the excellent education they deserve. Alaska's future depends on this!
Thank you to those who are serving as NBMI & SFO mentors, and also as presenters at our conferences and workshops. Your willingness to share your knowledge and expertise is greatly appreciated.
ALASBO'S staff have different strengths and I believe we are maximizing our efforts by playing to those strengths. Your ALASBO staff includes: Amy Lujan, Legislative Liaison, David Means, Legislative Data Analyst, Jennifer Schmitz, Professional Development Coordinator, Melody Douglas, Associate Executive Director and me as Executive Director.
A big thank you to our sponsors for their continued support. We realize there are many asks from many organizations for sponsorships and we appreciate these partnerships.
I hope to see you at our virtual Summer Leadership Conference July 20-22 and wish you all a smooth wrap-up to the school year and a wonderful summer!
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Playground Safety & Maintenance
By Sharon Tunnell, Member Services Coordinator, AMLJIA
About 75% of nonfatal injuries related to playground equipment occur on public playgrounds, and about 45% of playground-related injuries are severe—fractures, internal injuries, concussions, dislocations, and amputations. Many of these injuries can be prevented with regular inspection and maintenance of playground equipment and surfacing.
There is no maintenance-free playground construction material on the market. Steel rusts, wood splinters, plastic cracks, and loose-fill surfacing is displaced and compacted. Equipment and surfacing must be maintained to ensure that the playground remains safe for children. Without routine inspections and care, even new playgrounds can contain safety hazards and potential liability for your district. An effective routine inspection will check for:
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New Business Manager Institute (NBMI) Completes Pilot Project
Congratulations to ALASBO’s first NBMI cohort: Mariaya Gentili, Tammy Grove, Phil Hulett, Sarah Jahn, Jenny Myhand, Ashley Scott, John Stackhouse, Amy Stevenson, and Megan Willliams for completing the NBMI program in April 2021! These individuals will be recognized at ALASBO’s next in-person conference.
The NBMI is a three-year program designed to deliver a comprehensive program through a series of in-person and virtual sessions, instructed by experienced school business practitioners. This program is adapted from a successful 12-year program Oregon ASBO provides its members. The target audience for this program includes:
New school business managers, including those new to Alaska (< 3 years)
Those aspiring to school business manager positions within 1-3 years
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Thank you to our Power Lunch presenters!
March 9: CIP presented by Lori Weed, School Finance Specialist II, DEED and the facilities team at DEED
March 23: American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, presented by Elleka Yost, Director of Advocacy, ASBO International and Noelle Ellerson Ng, ASBO's Legislative Liaison
April 13: Establishing and Maintaining Effective Safety Committees presented by Amira Goldstein, Risk Control Specialist, AMLJIA
April 20: Contracts and sub-contracts with regards to indirect rates and what is included vs excluded. Presenters: Elwin Blackwell, School Finance Manager, and Erica Cuzzort, Audit and Review Analyst II, DEED
May11: Audit Prep presented by Katie Stachow, CPA, Audit Manager, Altman, Rogers & Co
Coming Up:
June 8: HSAs and HRAs presented by American Fidelity
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Legislative Update
Amy Lujan, ALASBO Legislative Liaison
Close to the end…NOT!
As I write this, we’re just days away from the end of session…not of the 90-day session approved by voter initiative in 2006 – that end date passed a month ago. On May 19 we reach the end of the 121-day session authorized by the Alaska Constitution. But now the Governor has called for two special sessions, the first one beginning on May 20 and another one on August 2. Each special session could last up to 30 days. So no, we’re not done yet!
In the area of school finance, very little has been resolved during the session so far. Thanks to the advocacy of ALASBO members and our ACSA colleagues, a helpful version of HB76 did pass and was signed by the Governor. This package of measures related to the pandemic emergency includes a waiver of the 10% fund balance carryover limitation through June 30, 2025. Click here to read the rest of Amy's article.
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School Business Academy New Dates!Sept. 14 – 16, 2021
ALASBO has updated the School Business Academy (SBA) to include additional topics to be delivered virtually earlier in the year. There will be two sessions offered each day of the Academy: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. SBA topics include:
● State Foundation Funding Program
● Fund Accounting
● Chart of Accounts
● Budgeting
● Grants Managements
● Internal Controls
● Ethics
The SBA provides a great foundation to those new to the role of business manager and those who want to know more about school business.
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Greetings ALASBO Colleagues!
Dr. Lisa Parady, Executive Director, ACSA
As we come to the close of our second pandemic school year, I want to thank each of you as ALASBO members for both your commitment to supporting Alaska’s schools and for your commitment to supporting each other as members of our Alaska education community. Despite the challenges this past year brought for all of us, ALASBO and ACSA have been able to remain strong organizations thanks to each of you. By being a member, you have proved your dedication to our mission of collectively supporting each and every school in our state, and most importantly our students. As always, our mission statement rings true: Leadership, Unity, and Advocacy for public education - our organizations would be nothing without our unity.
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The Lowell Thomas Freeman Professional Development Grant sponsored by CORE, Inc. has been awarded to Antonia Moses of Kashunimiut School District. This grant is open to all ALASBO members interested in attending the ASBO Annual Conference. Congratulations, Antonia!
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Meet ALASBO's new Professional Development Coordinator, Jennifer Schmitz- I was born and raised in Anchorage and worked for the Anchorage School District as a teacher and principal for 29 years before retiring in 2019. I currently work part time as the Executive Director of the Alaska Association of Elementary School Principals. My husband of 26 years is also an educator and we are the proud parents of Bryson (age 24) and Hunter (age 20.) When we are not working, we are often outside enjoying Alaska or traveling to the warmer weather.
I began working with ALASBO at the end of February and have been incredibly impressed with the organization thus far. We have already hosted a very successful 3-day workshop for HR professionals around the state and are in the early stages of planning workshops for IT staff and are eventually hoping to include maintenance and food service departments as well. As the Professional Development Coordinator, I am hoping to continue to offer quality professional development for ALASBO members. I will also be directly involved with other opportunities offered to members like the School Business Academy, Summer Leadership, the NBMI Program, etc. It is a true tribute to ALASBO’s directors and board of directors that they had this vision to expand professional development and are following through with the implementation of it. I am extremely honored to be a part of it. If I have not had the opportunity to meet or work with you yet, I look forward to doing so.
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Study Group Completes SFO Exam Preparation Course
ASBO International manages the Certified Administrator of School Finance and Operations (SFO) program for members who meet the exam eligibility requirements. There are sixteen (16) ALASBO members who have passed the SFO exam.
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Thank You!
NBMI Platinum Level Sponsor
Altman, Rogers & Co.
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Altman, Rogers & Co. combines the experience of a large firm with the personal attention only a small firm can provide. We provide auditing, accounting, consulting and tax services from our offices in Anchorage, Soldotna and Juneau. We specialize in working with government entities, non-profits, and Alaska Native corporations. We proudly serve over 36 Districts across Alaska and are thankful to be celebrating 30 years in business in 2021. 907-274-2992 altrogco.com
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Thank You!
Silver Level Sponsor
Wells Fargo
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Thank You!
Gold Level Sponsor
Leonardo DRS
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Thank You!
Gold Level Sponsor
Edlio
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Online School Payments (OSP) is a cloud-based software suite for K-12 student receipting online and in-person. Accept cash, check and credit card payments for SAF.
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Thank You!
Gold Level Sponsor
GCI
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