ALASBO February 2024 Newsletter

February 2024

ALASBO

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Welcome to the Alaska Association of School Business Officials e-newsletter!

ALASBO's Mission: To promote the highest standards in school business practices.

2024 President's Theme: Do what is right, not what is easy.

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ALASBO at ACSA Legislative Fly-In

Thank you to all the ALASBO members who attended the 2024 ACSA Legislative Fly-In held February 3-7 in Juneau.

Pictured here: ALASBO members Phil Hulett, Liz Hayes, Mark Vink and Heather Heineken present the Public Education Finance Model Review and Considerations ALASBO Panel.

Heather Heineken also represented ALASBO on the ASCA State of Education from the Field presentation to the Joint Senate and House Education Commtittee Meeting.

ALASBO President Message- Heather Heineken

I hope this message finds you well. As we continue to navigate through the 33rd Legislative Session and preparing for the FY25 school year, I wanted to take a moment to provide you with an update on recent events that are pertinent to our association and the education landscape in Alaska.

Firstly, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to all of you who participated in the recent Alaska Council of School Administrators (ACSA) Fly-In. Your advocacy efforts are invaluable in ensuring that the voices of our schools and communities are heard in the corridors of power. The ACSA Fly-In provided an excellent opportunity for us to engage directly with policymakers and advocate for the needs of our students, educators, and school districts. I look forward to continuing to partner with ACSA members, Superintendents, Principals and the many other advocates supporting Alaskan students. Read the rest of Heather's message here.

Executive Director Message- Darcy Carter

It is a new year and with that comes a new ALASBO theme. Our president, Heather Heineken, has announced her theme: DO WHAT IS RIGHT, NOT WHAT IS EASY. This can be applied to all parts of our lives including professional and personal.

When faced with a decision, it can take courage, integrity, character, patience and the abilty to listen to one's own intuition to do what is right. In the school district workplace there are also policies, laws and regulations that determine what is right.

Do what is right, not what is easy, and remember your ALASBO colleagues are always here to help!

ALASBO Education Director- Cindy Reilly

I recently engaged with exceptional school business officials and leaders, including ASBO state affiliate leaders from the Western US and participants of the ASBO Leadership Forum. These encounters underscored the paramount importance of the principle: "First seek to understand, then to be understood," as advocated by Stephen R. Covey in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

Understanding starts with acknowledging and overcoming our biases, shaped by our backgrounds and experiences. It necessitates actively listening to others, empathizing with their perspectives, and adapting our communication styles to ensure effective engagement. Read the rest of Cindy's article here.

Rethinking Work-Life Balance an article from Lead Star newsletter

In our fast-paced, hyperconnected world, we often hear about the importance of achieving a healthy work-life balance. Traditionally, that meant turning off work at home and focusing on work at work. Today, attempting to compartmentalize them may not be as practical or beneficial as we think.

The Switch Fallacy

The idea that we can flip a switch and enter life mode when we leave the office is becoming increasingly unrealistic. The idea that we can leave our personal lives while working is just as idealistic. Thoughts about projects, deadlines, parenting, family illness, and finances come to mind at all times of the day and week. We don't have a work-life toggle switch. Rather than chasing an elusive separation, consider these tips.

Read the rest of this article here.

The K-12 Fiscal Cliff: Who is responsible? Everyone! an op-ed by Melody Douglas and Amy Lujan

Infrastructure takes many forms, from roads and buildings to the human infrastructure that enables our systems

to function. Recently, neglect of funding for Alaskan K-12 school districts has dealt a blow to the human infrastructure of public education from which it is increasingly difficult to recover.

Between the two of us, we have more than 70 years of experience working for Alaska K-12 school districts, advocating for programs and supporting school business officials statewide. We’ve seen some tough times, but due to the lack of an adequate increase to the base student allocation (BSA) since 2017, it has become nearly impossible for school administrators to do their jobs successfully.Read the rest of the op-ed here.

SFO? Ask me! Cindy Reilly, SFO, ALASBO Education Director

Are you considering advancing in your career? Explore the SFO, ASBO International’s esteemed designation for Certified Administrators of School Finance and Operations.

Why opt for the SFO?

Emphasizing top-notch skills to the public is essential, particularly in showcasing the dimensions of school management and operations, where fund allocation often grabs attention. Whether you work in the business office, Human Resources, Operations and Maintenance, IT, or any other field represented by ALASBO, possessing a nationally recognized level of expertise enhances your school district's confidence in your capabilities. Personally, upon relocating from Alaska to Wisconsin, my SFO certification played a significant role in obtaining an Administrator’s license. ASBO aspires for the SFO to gain widespread recognition as the definitive measure of a potential employee's competencies and skills.

To attain SFO status, you must fulfill one of these criteria: Read the rest of Cindy's article here.

IT IS OUR TIME- Dr. Lisa Parady, Executive Director, ACSA

As you know, the House passed SB 140 this past week, and the Senate concurred. The bill increased bandwidth for rural/remote schools and included a $680 increase to the BSA, a $7.3 million increase to transportation funding, and $500 per student to implement the Alaska Reads Act. The passage of this legislation was due to you and your ACSA Colleagues' efforts at the ACSA Fly-In and the ongoing communication of the serious needs of public education to your legislators. THANK YOU!

Though the bill has passed the House and the Senate, we need to continue our efforts by contacting Governor Dunleavy and asking him to sign SB 140 into law or to let it transition to law after 15 days. You are the school finance experts; your expertise on the budget cuts and deficits facing your district tells the true story of the need for funding increases in Alaska's schools.

Read the rest of Lisa's article here.

Thank You, Power Lunch Presenters!

December 19: Indirect Cost Recovery Report presented by Meredith Jones, DEED

January 22: 2nd Fund Balance Report presented by Karen Morrison, Lori Weed, Alenita Danner, DEED and David Means ALASBO

February 29: PERS and TRS presented by Natasha Golovatiuk, AK DRB

Tips by Yodean Armour, Business Manager, Klawock City SD

It’s hard to believe we are already nearing the end of February! As we prepare FY24 budget revisions and FY25 budgets, I’d like to highlight upcoming ALASBO and other events so hopefully they can be considered:

ALASBO Summer Leadership & NBMI July 12-14, 2024 – Fairbanks, AK
ASBO International: September 18-20, 2024 – Nashville, TN
AASB/ALASBO Maintenance Conf.: October 2-4, 2024 – Anchorage, AK
ALASBO Annual Conference: December 9-11, 2024 – Anchorage, AK

The events hosted by ALASBO and ASBO are incredible opportunities to meet colleagues from across the State, participate in relevant professional development and I hope everyone considers attending an ALASBO event in the future. Read the rest of Yodean's article here.

Thank You!

Summer Leadership,

Conference Gold Level

and

SBO of the Year