Essentials of Illinois School Finance is an effective reference for current and future school administrators, business managers, budget makers, and anyone who needs to understand school finance. Details help school board members understand what is involved in the financial management work of administrative staff and their responsibility as a member of the governing board.

 

From property taxes and state funding to the formulas for projecting enrollments, and staffing budgets, this book is considered a “primer” for students of educational administration. New updates to the book discuss the effects of the pandemic on revenue sources and managing costs as well as costs associated with security upgrades and offers some cost-saving measures to help districts budget.

 

This Tenth Edition retains and updates information on the basic principles and operations of Illinois school financial management. It describes the rationale for and the workings of the state’s Evidence-Based Funding formula and the prospects it brings for improvement in the equity and adequacy of Illinois school funding. Part One presents key information about Illinois school finance, emphasizing budgeting and management of revenues. Part Two addresses the budgeting and management of expenditures and describes ways to assess a district’s overall financial health. Part Three describes the schoolboard’s financial responsibilities and how the board can fulfill its leadership responsibilities for the school district’s financial health. An appendix identifies resources that enable the reader to locate additional information.

 

Author James B. Fritts has 35 years’ experience in public schools as a teacher and administrator and taught graduate courses in educational administration. He is a frequent presenter at conferences and workshops of the Illinois Association of School Business Officials and the Illinois Association of School Boards. This work has been updated with assistance by school business official Ann Williams, Ed.D. As a leader in the school business profession, she serves on the Illinois State Board of Education’s Professional Review Panel which oversees the Evidence-Based Funding model for Illinois public schools.