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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Covers school security essentials: DOJ safety plan compliance, law enforcement partnerships, access control, cameras, visitor management, and reunification. Equips leaders to build layered systems that protect students, staff, and facilities.
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.
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.
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.
Covers school security essentials: DOJ safety plan compliance, law enforcement partnerships, access control, cameras, visitor management, and reunification. Equips leaders to build layered systems that protect students, staff, and facilities.
Learn to prepare, interpret, and manage balance sheets in school finance. Cover debits, credits, assets, liabilities, revenues, expenditures, and fund balance. Explore deposits, interfund activities, and controls for accurate year-end statements.
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.
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.
Covers school security essentials: DOJ safety plan compliance, law enforcement partnerships, access control, cameras, visitor management, and reunification. Equips leaders to build layered systems that protect students, staff, and facilities.
Courses in Module 8 include: Hire, Retire & Everything In Between | Real World Business Ethics for Facilities Directors | Good Business Leadership | Crucial Conversations & Strong Leadership
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.
Courses in Module 7 include: Introduction to Emergency Planning | Security Assessment & Threat Preparedness | After Hours Emergencies: How to Plan | Active Threat Training - Live Action
Explore emerging trends shaping school operations. Learn how teaching and learning changes impact facilities, and balance innovation with cost, quality, and sustainability.
Explore reconciling school district bank accounts with the general ledger. Learn best practices to spot discrepancies, stay audit-ready, and strengthen internal controls for effective cash management and accurate financial reporting.
Stay audit-ready by mastering fiscal year tasks: booking receivables/payables, managing taxes, handling contracts, and preparing letters. Learn to align activities, address findings, prep for audits, and apply GASB standards for accurate reporting.
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.
Master school AP/AR: from requisitions and POs to invoices, payments, receivables, and 1099s. Learn fraud prevention, strong controls, compliance, and reporting practices to ensure accurate, transparent, and efficient financial operations.
Build skills to manage K-12 grants. Learn to write, administer, and report on federal and state funds like Title and IDEA. Explore compliance, allowable costs, reporting, accountability, and documentation systems to ensure audit readiness.
Learn the basics of school district budgeting: developing, presenting, publishing, and adopting budgets and tax levies. Explore methods to monitor and report throughout the year. Designed for those seeking a general overview of budget development.
Master school payroll: tax withholding, wage classification, FLSA, W-2s, unemployment, WRS, FMLA, leave, garnishments, LTD, vacation payouts, and key differences between budgeting and payroll posting dates.
Advance payroll skills: set calendars, manage taxes, and handle multiple employee groups. Learn to determine taxable income, apply deductions, and ensure compliance with 941 filings, unemployment reports, and Medicaid wage reporting.
Align payroll with academic calendars while managing contracts, stipends, workers' comp, and summer pay. Learn benefits reconciliation, risk mitigation, and strategies to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processes.
Explore payment tools and timing strategies for efficient, accountable purchasing. Learn secure use of P-cards, checks, EFT, ACH, year-end cutoffs, e-commerce, and safe, compliant cash handling procedures.
Examine why, how, and when districts borrow through notes or bonds. Learn when referendums are required, legal steps, roles of advisors, underwriters, and counsel, plus the full cost and components of issuing school debt.
Examine rules for investing debt proceeds, arbitrage, and managing annual debt service. Learn reporting requirements, refinancing strategies, and how debt obligations affect shared costs in school district finance.
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.
Courses in Module 6 include: Interaction with the Public: How to Sell Your Program | How to Identify & Communicate Success | Excelling as a Leader
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.
Courses in Module 5: Managing Sports Fields - Grass, Turf & Synthetic Surfaces | Budgeting for School Facilities Departments | Capital Planning: A Guide to Future Success | The Realities of Referendum Projects
Courses in Module 4 include: Exterior Building Envelope Maintenance | Roof Maintenance | Effective Preventative Maintenance Program | Building Automation Management Systems
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.
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.
Courses in Module 3 include: 20 Areas of Safety Concern & Responsibilities | Indoor Environmental Quality | Asbestos Designated Person Training | Employee Health & Safety
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
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.
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.
Collaborate with tech leaders to ensure safe, efficient, and sustainable digital environments. Learn responsibilities for district technology infrastructure, including device programs, secure systems, and disaster recovery strategies.
Examine Wisconsin-specific policies that affect staffing and teacher evaluations. Learn how to align local practices with state requirements, including licensing, certification, and supervision systems.
Build tools to support employee growth, engagement, and retention while managing relations in Wisconsin schools. Learn feedback strategies, performance management, culture building, legal basics, handbooks, and collaboration with employee groups.
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.
Explore risk analysis in schools by assessing financial and non-financial impacts of incidents and hazards. Learn forecasting, root cause analysis, and key indicators to guide treatments, refine insurance, and communicate risks with data and reports.
Courses in Module 2 include:
Energy Accounting & Education | Understanding HVAC | Electrical Systems: Lighting | Life Safety & Building Codes
Focus on risk financing: learn to fund and manage losses with retention, transfer, and insurance. Explore TCOR, deductibles, contracts, budgeting, claims reserves, and working with brokers, insurers, and vendors to align coverage with district needs.
Courses in Module 1 include: Hire, Retire & Everything In Between, Real World Business Ethics for Facilities Directors, Good Business Leadership, Crucial Conversations & Strong Leadership.
Learn risk control strategies to reduce losses in schools: avoidance, prevention, reduction, segregation, and transfer. Topics include safety, cyber risks, liability, crisis planning, investigations, and compliance.
Guides leaders through school construction from planning to closeout. Covers budgeting, procurement, contractor collaboration, site management, change orders, mitigation, and post-construction steps like warranties and follow-up.
Learn the final step of risk management—risk administration. Explore building teams, coordinating stakeholders, managing contracts, and aligning with goals. Emphasis on proactive management, compliance, data use, and continuous improvement.
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.