Message from ALASBO President, Andy Ratliff

Greetings ALASBO! I can’t believe that my tenure as presidents is nearly over. It has been a wonderful experience, getting to meet new people, participate in different events, and being part of a great team of professionals that truly care about education. 

One of my favorite highlights of the year has been getting to attend the ASBO International conference in Portland. It was amazing to see how smooth the conference went with several hundred attending. The professional development was relevant and timely, and it was great to connect with old friends and meet new people from other states with similar experiences. As an added bonus there was fabulous shopping and vegan restaurants! I would encourage you all to go some time if you are able, it was a very valuable experience. 



Speaking of great conferences, here is my not so subtle, shameless plug for the ALASBO annual conference coming up December 3^rd through 7^th! We have a great slate of speakers, sectionals, roundtables, and discussion groups lined up to help us hone our technical skills and keep us entertained. I hope to see as many of you in person as possible after being virtual for the last two years. 

It has been an honor being able to serve as president and I am confident the organization is in good hands with Yodean transitioning in. I would like to thank our ALASBO staff and our board of directors for all the work you’ve put in this year to make everything run smoothly, you have made my time as president very memorable. I hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Executive Director's Message- Darcy Carter

ALASBO President Andy Ratliff’s theme for 2022 is Working for Alaska’s Students.  The ACSA theme for 2022 is Persevering Together.  Both are important themes that offer great reminders of why we are in our jobs and how we can be successful.   Mash-Up: Working and Persevering Together for Alaska’s Students.

Persevering can mean carrying on even when it feels overwhelming.  We take a first step then we put one foot in front of the other and continue forward on paths even if they have obstacles.  When we are Working for Alaska’s Students, it is easier to feel positive about tasks that can sometimes involve hardships. 

Together is what gives us the support and energy to take that first step and keep working and  persevering.  By acting together, we can often learn of and let go of boundaries we have created, and we can grow.  When faced with a daunting task, I encourage you to reach out to colleagues and other partners in education.  Together we can work to solve problems and stay positive about our common goal of providing an excellent education for Alaska’s students. 

A great way to meet and engage with those on this shared path of helping Alaska’s students is to attend and participate fully in conferences that are available to us.  Besides professional development, conferences give us a chance to network and build connections and friendships that help us persevere.  

I hope you will join us at ALASBO’s Annual Conference this December in Anchorage. 

ALASBO Education Director News- Jennifer Schmitz

I would be remiss to say there is not a lot going on in preK-12 education in Alaska right now. We continue to feel the effects of the Covid Pandemic, are beginning implementation of the Reads Act, and are at an all-time high with the number of teaching positions unfilled. I don’t believe there has even been a time that it was more important for everyone in education to work together.  

The Joint Position Statements that are collaboration between all of the organizations under ACSA are a great start and the work that ALASBO is doing is more important than ever.

Jim Anderson, CFO from the Anchorage School District, did a presentation recently at one of the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Workgroups. While his task was to explain the school funding formula in Alaska, he ended with strongly encouraging legislative advocacy.  We are not going to be able to face all the challenges in front of us without our elected officials supporting us. In order for them to do this, they have to hear from us and have to understand both our challenges and hear about our successes. I encourage you to contact your own legislators and begin a relationship with them if you haven’t already.  Read more here!

CONGRATULATIONS!

The following Alaska school districts earned recognition from ASBO International:

Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting - FY 2021

• Anchorage School District - 25 years or more
• Fairbanks North Star Borough School District - 25 years or more
• Kenai Peninsula Borough School District - 25 years or more
• Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

CONGRATULATIONS!

The following Alaska school districts earned recognition from ASBO Intl.

Meritorious Budget Award - FY2021 - 2022

• Kenai Peninsula Borough School District - 15 years or more
• Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

Thank You, Power Lunch Presenters!

September 20 - Employee Leave Types open discussion facilitated by Karen Morrison, SFO, Finance Director, Petersburg School District

October 11 - Indirect Cost Rate Calculations presented by Meredith Jones, School Finance, Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

November 7 - Joint Position Statement Review facilitated by Dr. Lisa Parady, Executive Director, ACSA

November 8 - State Tribal Education Compacting presented by Joel Isaak, Director of Tribal Affairs , Alaska Department of Education & Early Development

National School Lunch Program & Contracting Out Your District's Meal Program by Megan Williams, NWABSD Director of Administrative Services

School District Business Managers in Alaska wear many hats and don't always have the expertise or the staff with training available to assist in managing key areas of the District's operations. In smaller or rural School Districts, a Business Manager can oversee purchasing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, grants, payroll, human resources, food service, transportation, janitorial services, etc. Who has the time to be an expert in all those areas? Not I! Just having the option to contract out one or more of those services relieves pressure on a Business Manager, and if it will save your district time and money, you should seriously look into contracting out a service. Regularly, I silently thank my District for contracting out their food service program.

During the 2011-2012 school year, the District I work for weighed the pros and cons of contracting out their food service program. They decided to go out to RFP because, at that time, the program costs were increasing exponentially, the NSLP guidelines were becoming much stricter with Michelle Obama's initiative to fight child obesity, and the District knew that utilizing a professional food service management company would allow them to be able to sustain the meal program for at least a few more years. 

Read the rest of Megan's article here.

Join ACSA today and be a part of statewide leadership, unity and ADVOCACY

Dr. Lisa Parady, Executive Director, ACSA

As the results of the election are becoming clear, ACSA wants to remind our ALASBO colleagues of the advocacy benefits offered by our umbrella organization. ACSA is comprised of superintendents, elementary and secondary principals, and school business officials, with a mission of Leadership, Unity, and Advocacy for Public Education in Alaska. 

ALASBO members who join ACSA receive additional benefits, such as advocacy. With education issues used as campaign talking points for many legislators, it is important for education leaders to have a voice in advocating for our students. ACSA keeps its members updated on the happenings at the Capitol. All ACSA members are invited to our live weekly legislative update meetings. ACSA helps coordinate constituent meetings with members and their legislators. And every year, ACSA hosts a legislative Fly-In for members to visit Juneau to receive professional development around advocacy and the opportunity to advocate for education in person.  Read the rest of Lisa's article here.

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