School Money Matters: A Handbook for Principals

About this book

Most school leaders are selected for their creative instructional skills and ability to motivate others. However even the best educational leaders can be unprepared for the responsibility of spending and accounting for the thousands of dollars that pass through a schools books each year. Without solid understanding of school financial management administrators may find these reponsibilities a serious distraction from their primary pedagogical mission. They may also risk damage to their careers and to the reputations of their schools. School Money Matters is a concise practical desk reference based on sound accounting principles and written specifically for professionals at the school level. It includes understandable guidance on twenty critical topics such as Activity Fund Safeguards Admission Tickets Audits School Credit/Purchasing Cards Employee Embezzlement Fund-Raising Events Gifts to Students or Staff Parent Organizations Vending Services and the School Budget. Featuring a comprehensive glossary of school financial terms graphic organizers to clarify accounting concepts and a checklist for monitoring financial activities throughout the school year this book provides the information principals need to safeguard and protect themselves - and their staffs - from the suspicion of theft or laxness so that maximum time can be devoted to placing instructional resources in the hands of students and staff.