Equips leaders to advocate for public education by influencing policy, funding, and referenda. Covers engagement with legislators and clarifies legal limits to ensure advocacy that is effective, appropriate, and aligned with guidelines.
Builds communication skills in writing, speaking, and listening for school business leaders. Focuses on translating technical data into clear messages, fostering transparency, and using tools like AI to enhance stakeholder engagement.
Learn K-12 employee compensation and benefits: salaried vs. hourly, exempt vs. non-exempt, and best practices for health insurance, WRS, and 403(b). Gain understanding of leave types including sick leave, vacation, PTO, and FMLA.
Prepares leaders for adaptive change through decision-making, frameworks, and people-focused leadership. Emphasizes student-centered solutions, delegation to build capacity, and navigating legal and ethical responsibilities.
Focus on accuracy, accountability, and funding integrity while managing data for audits, budgets, and reporting. Learn DPI systems and WISE tools, interpret mandates, align practices to timelines, and avoid compliance errors.
Builds leadership in systems thinking, planning, and staff supervision. Covers ethical and distributed leadership, accountability, and strategies to foster professional growth and continuous improvement aligned with district priorities.
Explore Wisconsin and federal laws guiding school finance. Learn compliance in budgeting, reporting, and fund stewardship. Key topics: open records, public meetings, procurement, audits, residency, and contract management with vendors and agencies.
Support informed decisions by collaborating with tech leaders to build safe, efficient digital environments. Explore device programs, secure systems and disaster recovery while understanding key responsibilities in district technology infrastructure.
Navigate special education accounting with funding sources, coding, and reporting. Learn Transfer of Service, Medicaid billing, High Cost Aid, Act 220, IDEA, WUFAR codes, CCIS, licensure, and strategies for tracking substitute costs and staffing.
Learn payroll essentials for K-12: calendars, cycles, summer pay, tax withholding, and benefit deductions. Cover FLSA, reporting timelines, and employer duties. Explore W-2s, common errors, and best practices for compliance, controls, and efficiency.
Manage district food service by comparing in-house and contracted programs. Learn operational, financial, and compliance impacts, with tools to evaluate models and meet National School Lunch Program and federal nutrition requirements.
Learn strategic planning for school business leaders: align financial, operational, and educational goals. Explore SWOT, mission and vision, stakeholder engagement, leadership best practices, and collaboration to build shared ownership and clarity.
Learn to implement and monitor strategic plans in tough financial times. Define KPIs, build aligned action steps, and use tools like dashboards, check-ins, and updates to track progress, adjust with data, and keep your district moving forward.
Learn key school transportation requirements: McKinney-Vento, special ed, and private/charter. Explore in-house vs. contracted services, routing, costs, video use, extracurricular needs, board policies, daycare stops, UHT, and drug/alcohol compliance
Examine legal and financial issues of exceeding revenue limits. Learn referendum history, recurring vs. non-recurring types, planning timelines, board actions, forecasting, ballot questions, campaigns, and insights from legal and district experts.
Explore WUFAR, the language of Wisconsin school district accounting. Learn chart of accounts design, fund purposes, and applications through real-world district examples, gaining a clear, practical understanding of financial reporting requirements.
Explore how tech and AI transform school business and facility operations. Learn applications in finance, HR, procurement, maintenance, and energy. Topics include automation, data analytics, AI for reporting, and strategies for adopting new tools.
Explore sustainable facility operations that cut costs and support long-term goals. Learn energy efficiency, green construction, solar, recycling, and salt reduction. Build a culture of sustainability and leverage funding like Focus on Energy.
Understand how Wisconsin public schools are funded by examining local, state, and federal revenue sources and their interaction through the Revenue Limit Worksheet, shared costs, and aid formulas at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.
Learn school expenditure budgeting: set calendars, roles, and board input. Gain skills in forecasting, salary and benefits modeling, staffing alignment, documenting assumptions, managing timelines, and incorporating the tax levy.
Manage budgets year-round: give monthly updates, conduct quarterly reviews, and use tools like WASB resources. Track spending, spot variances, and support leaders to keep finances transparent, accountable, and aligned with priorities.
Learn to forecast and manage cash flow, assess financial risk, and make informed short-term borrowing decisions. This course covers the role of fund balance in liquidity, the use of letters of credit, and strategies for identifying red flags early.
This course empowers education leaders to foster a culture of ethics, integrity, and transparency across their districts. Participants will explore real-world ethical dilemmas and develop the skills to navigate complex decisions with confidence.
Learn the first step in risk management: identifying exposures, hazards, and losses in property, people, liability, and finances. Explore tools like checklists, data, and reviews, and see how risk identification drives insurance and more.
Learn to build long-term capital plans that support facilities and district goals. Cover Fund 46, budgeting, lifecycle planning, referenda prep, RFPs, project oversight, and community engagement with strategies for budgets, vendors, and transparency.
Examines Wisconsin public schools from constitutional roots to today’s voucher era. Reviews key historical milestones, district roles, funding, budgets, and referenda to build understanding of governance and operations.
Learn procurement strategies balancing fiscal responsibility and education. Cover bidding rules, vendor management, RFP use, P-cards, online purchasing, and cooperative options through State, CESAs, and UW System agreements.
Gain a practical grasp of district budgets: enrollment counts, revenue limits, and funding streams like property taxes, categorical and equalization aids. Learn to plan for personnel, wages, benefits, non-personnel costs, and understand fund balance.
Learn internal controls for school business offices: what they are, why they matter, and how to keep them effective. Protect against theft, fraud, or misuse, ensure reliable financials, and build taxpayer trust in district resources.