File: DBD - Determination of Budget Priorities File: DBD - Determination of Budget PrioritiesAll resources of the district shall be directed toward ensuring that all students reach their learning potential. A minimum of 70% of district resources shall be allocated to instruction.
In order to fulfill its trustee obligation with regard to district resources, the Board must know how resources are currently allocated, whether such allocation is effective and what changes should be made to achieve the greatest educational returns. The superintendent shall develop a comprehensive and ongoing system to collect and analyze resource allocation information. The analysis of this information shall form the basis for the budget prepared by the superintendent for presentation to the Board. The system shall:
1. determine how resources are currently allocated by school, grade and program
2. link specific inputs with results for students and determine whether the current allocation of resources is effective in raising student achievement
3. identify ways to better use resources to achieve the district´s educational objectives and improve teaching and learning
As part of the budget preparation process, the district/school accountability committee shall make recommendations to the administration and to the Board relative to priorities for expenditures of district funds. The administration and the Board shall consider these recommendations when preparing the budget
Accordingly, the budget prepared and presented by the superintendent shall:
1. be derived from a five-year plan
2. include contingency plans in the event budget assumptions prove erroneous
3. be in a summary format understandable by a lay person
4. itemize district expenditures by fund
5. include information regarding school-level expenditures
6. adequately describe proposed expenditures
7. show the amount budgeted for the current fiscal year and the amount budgeted for the ensuing fiscal year
8. comply with spending limitations in the state constitution [not applicable after voters approve a revenue change measure often referred to as "de-Brucing"]
9. consider recommendations made by each school-level accountability committee relative to priorities for expenditures of district funds
10. contain enough information to enable credible projection of revenue and expenses
11. disclose budget planning assumptions
12. not excessively rely on nonrecurring revenues
13. not provide for expenditures, interfund transfers or reserves in excess of available revenues and beginning fund balances
14. not include the use of beginning fund balance unless the Board has adopted a resolution as described in state law specifically authorizing such use
15. not reduce without approval of the Board, the current cash reserves at any time to less than the minimum amount required by the spending limitations set forth in the state constitution
16. provide adequate and reasonable budget support for Board development and other governance priorities, including the costs of fiscal audits, Board and committee meetings, Board memberships and district legal fees
17. take into consideration fiscal soundness in future years and plans for the building of organizational capabilities sufficient to achieve the Board´s goals in future years
18. reflect anticipated changes in employee compensation including inflationary adjustments, step increases, performance increases and benefits
19. achieve a 15% operating reserve in the unallocated general fund
20. comply with state and federal law
21. provide sufficient resources to address the district´s facility needs.
Adopted: June 23, 1998
Revised: July 23, 2015
LEGAL REFS.: C.R.S. 22-11-302 (1)(a) (district accountability committee budget recommendations)
C.R.S. 22-11-402 (1)(a) (school-level accountability committee budget recommendations)
C.R.S. 22-44-105 (1.5) (budget parameters regarding expenses not exceeding revenue and use of beginning fund balance)
CROSS REF.: AE, Accountability/Commitment to Accomplishment