June 2009 - Texas Association of School Business Officials

TASBO 

Official Magazine of the Texas Association of School Business Officials Vol. 34 Issue 3 | June 2009 

LAYERS 

Shoestring Budgets, 

Tightening Belts 

and Empty Pockets 

How Texas School Districts 

Can Manage Their Current 

Economic Realities 

Investments: What Do We Do Now? 

Performance-Based Budgeting 

Shared Services Arrangements 

ASBO’s Economic Blog 

of 

LIFE 

SPRING 2009 | INAUGURAL ISSUE

www.tasbo.org 3

TASBO 

Volume 34, Issue 3 June 2009 

LAYERS 

of 

Published for the: 

Texas Association of 

School Business Officials 

2538 S. Congress Avenue 

Austin, TX 78704 

Ph. (512) 462-1711 

Fax (512) 462-7274 

www.tasbo.org 

Ex e c u t i v e Sta f f 

Executive Director 

Gwen Santiago – gwen@tasbo.org 

Associate Executive Director 

Dee Kile – dkile@tasbo.org 

Chief Financial Officer 

Becky Bunter – bbunte@tasbo.org 

Director of Research & Technology 

Tom Canby – tcanby@tasbo.org 

Director of Communications 

Tom Greer – tgreer@tasbo.org 

LIFE 

TASBO Bo a r d o f Di r e c to r s 

President 

Pattie Griffin, RTSBA. San Angelo ISD 

President-Elect 

Rebecca Garcia, RTSBA. Lackland ISD 

Vice-President 

Frankie Jackson, CTSBS. Goose Creek CISD 

Immediate Past President 

Art Martin, RTSBA. Lubbock ISD 

Directors 

Lindy Finley, RTSBA. Jacksonville ISD 

David Garcia, RTSBA. Midland ISD 

Charlotte Holden, RTSBA. Houston ISD 

Gary Kerbow, RTSBA. Dallas ISD 

Alan King, RTSBA. Lewisville ISD 

Joe Merrell, RTSBA. Andrews ISD 

Deborah Ottmers, RTSBA, CPA. 

Fredericksburg ISD 

Susan Pulis, RTSBA. Life Member 

Karen Wiesman, RTSBA, CPA. Region 2 ESC 

Pu b l i s h e d By 

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Art Director 

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© 2009 Apogee Publications. All rights reserved. The 

contents of this publication may not be reproduced by 

any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written 

consent of the publisher. 

PUBLISHED June 2009 

Inside This Issue 

Features 

ASBO’s Economic Recovery Blog................................................... 7 

Shared Services Arrangements: The Bridge to More 

Affordable and Higher Quality Services............................................ 8 

Performance-Based Budgeting: Making 

Your School System More Efficient................................................ 13 

Investments: What Do We Do Now?............................................... 16 

Special Interest 

PEIMS: The Foundation for Accountability.................................... 20 

Upcoming SEC Requirements....................................................... 24 

Departments 

From the Director............................................................................ 5 

President’s Perspective...................................................................... 6 

TASBO Notes............................................................................... 22 

March New Members.................................................................... 26 

March Certifications...................................................................... 27 

TASBO Training Calendar............................................................. 28 

Index to Advertisers........................................................................ 30 

DISCLAIMER: The author(s) listed for each article is solely responsible for the content of items submitted. The information and opinions do 

not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the directors, officers, editors or staff members of TASBO. Further, the directors, officers, 

editors or staff members of TASBO assume no responsibility nor accept liability for the content of any article printed in the TASBO Report 

magazine or in the TASBO Reports posted on TASBO website (except for those they author) nor any errors or omissions in submitted materials 

that may apply. 

8 

13 

4 TASBO Report • June 2009

From the Director 

Welcome to The 

Inaugural Issue of 

The TASBO Report 

By Gwen Santiago, CAE, CTSBA Executive Director 

If you attended the recent conference 

in San Antonio, you may be aware that 

we have recently added our 5,000 th 

member – Pam Biering from Medina 

Valley ISD. A growing membership is a 

good problem to have, so we continually 

look for ways to enhance service to our 

members. Accordingly, last year we identified 

that we had outgrown our newsletter 

format (which sometimes exceeded 32 

pages). You are holding in your hands our 

new quarterly magazine of the same name. 

This inaugural issue of the TASBO Report 

uses a different format and will allow us to 

offer more “in depth” articles from leaders 

in our field. Due to the diverse nature 

of our membership, we will try to offer 

something for all our members, whether it 

deals with financial management, PEIMS, 

distribution/inventory, purchasing, risk 

management, security, textbooks, transportation, 

facilities management, school 

nutrition, human resources, IT or any one 

of the many issues facing school business 

officials today. 

This inaugural issue of The TASBO 

Report uses a different format and 

will allow us to offer more “in depth” 

articles from leaders in our field. 

We are working with Apogee Publications 

as the official publisher of the TASBO 

Report magazine. We selected Apogee for 

their outstanding professionalism and their 

extensive expertise and experience in 

association publishing. We are confident 

that the professionals at Apogee will help 

us deliver a top-quality publication. 

We recognize that there is a need for regular 

communications in lieu of a monthly 

newsletter. Please look for monthly e-newsletters 

and a continuation of regular on-line 

communications, such as our Business News 

RSS feed and TASBO Updates. 

Please feel free to share your thoughts 

about the TASBO Report by e-mailing 

Director of Communications Tom Greer 

at tgreer@tasbo.org. We are also open to 

publishing regular “letters to the editor” 

and hope that you will use the TASBO 

Report as a forum for spreading ideas about 

school business and operations. We look 

forward to hearing from you. 

www.tasbo.org 5

President’s Persepective 

‘Change’ is All in 

Your Perspective 

By Pattie Griffin, President, TASBO 

I’ve reflected and thought a lot recently 

about change. I’ve heard it said many 

times, “Change is good,” but do I always 

believe it? Well, it depends - on what is 

changing, if it was my idea, my perception 

of how it will affect me and my attitude 

at the time. Dee Kile, TASBO Associate 

Executive Director, shared a better quote 

with me, “Change is good. You go first!” 

In my reflection and search within myself, 

I did what all good introspective individuals 

do – I Googled it! When searching on 

the word change I found some interesting 

material and said to myself, “This is exactly 

what I was thinking, but stated in a much 

better way. This is so true! I couldn’t have 

said it better!” As a disclaimer: the statements 

you are about to read are a combination 

of my thoughts and those I accessed 

on the world-wide web. I certainly want 

to give credit where it is due but I haven’t 

included a bibliography page, so you’ll just 

have to trust me. 

How about this one – “change is inevitable?” 

So can we blame change for broken 

homes, dysfunctional relationships, or 

the loss of a loved one? Now that’s deep. 

While it is important to welcome change 

that leads to progress, it is equally important 

to fight change that retards growth and 

development. 

Some changes are deliberate, while others 

are a result of the natural progression of 

life. The first time we notice the natural 

ageing process (the gray hair, lines around 

the eyes, and body parts that have met 

the force of gravity), our first reaction is 

to deny, then defy, and then take action 

to correct the change. But isn’t change the 

6 TASBO Report • June 2009 

order of nature? The sooner we (I) come 

to terms with change, the easier it will be 

to become comfortable with it. I’m not 

sure I’ll ever come to terms with gray 

hair or embrace the lines around my eyes; 

I wouldn’t want to put my hairdresser or 

Estee Lauder out of business. 

We all agree that change is an important part 

of life; however, very often we fail to accept 

it. Our perspective gets clouded by emotions. 

Beliefs get overshadowed with doubts. 

However, as it is often quoted “Change is the 

only thing that remains constant.” 

In my reflection and search within 

myself, I did what all good introspective 

individuals do – I Googled it! 

If need is the stimulus to change, the typical 

response is to reject that need. Most of us 

prefer to reject change rather than embrace 

it. Why? Because inertia makes us feel 

comfortable. Change forces us to explore 

new turf. When there is no change, things 

are familiar, and there is a feeling of security. 

Or maybe we should look at it this 

way; change can add an exciting twist to a 

mundane life. If you like a fast-paced life, 

full of twists and turns then you probably 

welcome and enjoy change. 

Here are a few quotes. You may have 

heard them, but do you know who said 

them first? 

“Only I can change my life, no one 

can do it for me.” ~ Carol Burnett 

“Things do not change; we do.” 

~ Henry David Thoreau 

“There is nothing wrong with change, 

if it is in the right direction.” 

~ Winston Churchill 

“If you don’t like something, change it; 

if you can’t change it, change the way you 

think about it.” ~ Mary Engelbreit 

And my favorite… “If nothing ever 

changed, there’d be no butterflies.” 

~Author Unknown 

I’ve experienced or anticipated many 

changes in my life recently. It’s May. The 

weather changes daily in West Texas. Last 

night it was 26 degrees, today it’s 91. I’ll 

have a new boss in June and expect changes 

to come with him, some that will pull me 

out of my comfort zone and others that I 

will welcome with open arms. 

Griff (my husband) and I have been in a 

constant mind and heart changing mode 

this year as our daughter, Sarah, celebrated 

her 18 th birthday and is graduating from 

high school this month. Although she is very 

mature and intelligent, her life is changing 

daily as she enters the doorway to college 

life and the reality of being an adult. 

Our nation’s leadership has changed and we 

experienced months of campaign advertisement 

focused on change. 

It’s the season for school board elections 

and many districts will see changes. 

Superintendents, key administrators, 

terrific teachers and valued employees will 

move to other districts, change professions 

or retire. 

Continued on next page

In a legislative year, we know there are changes on the horizon. 

Our classrooms and school operations are constantly in a state 

of change as a result of financial issues, efficiency requirements, 

accountability, and compliance with laws and regulations. 

TASBO is also experiencing changes. As our membership grows 

and as school business officials seek more guidance and training 

as a result of all these other changes and more, TASBO must make 

adjustments to remain efficient and offer services at an affordable 

cost to you. This inaugural quarterly publication is one progressive 

change that we hope you will embrace and enjoy. The TASBO 

staff will continue to send you frequent up-to-the minute email 

notifications. The new quarterly TASBO Report is a wiser use of 

our dollars and will give you a first-class publication. 

TASBO is here to help you through the changes. We offer many 

services to assist you in interpreting and understanding the changes 

enacted by federal and state lawmakers, communications to keep 

you informed, and training to help you perform your daily duties. 

We haven’t come up with a solution for the lines around my eyes, 

the gray hair or the gravity issue – but we’re working on it. 

In one purpose & service, 

Pattie 

ASBO’s Economic 

Recovery Blog 

ASBO International has started a blog to share the 

latest information and thoughts on how to cope during 

these tough economic times. Visit www.asbointl.org/ 

EconomicRecoveryBlog to get the latest information 

and interact with school business professionals from 

around the country. Topics include: Ideas for Spending 

Stimulus Funds, Salaries and much more. The blog allows 

users to simply review the information, post new topics 

or comment on existing topics. 

Other resources found on www.tasbo.org 

under ‘Federal Stimulus’ link: 

U. S. Department of Education 

http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/ 

index/html 

Slideshow Presentation on the American Recovery 

and Reinvestment Act (March 24, 2009) 

http://www.ed/gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/ 

presentation/ 

Legislative Budget Board 

http://www.lbb.state.tx.us/Federal_Funds/ 

Federal_Funds.htm 

Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts 

http://window.state.tx.us/recovery/ 

Texas Department of Agriculture 

National School Lunch Program Equipment 

Assistance Grants 

http://www/squaremeals.org/fn/render/channel/item 

s/0,1249,2348_28788_28789_0,00.html#28789 

Texas Education Agency 

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4aspx?id=3873 

Texas House of Representatives 

Select Committee on Federal Economic Stabilization Funding 

http://txstimulusfund.com/ 

www.tasbo.org 7

Feature Article 

Shared Services Arrangements – 

The Bridge to More Affordable 

and Higher Quality Services 

By Thomas D. Canby, Jr., CPA 

School districts’ and charter schools’ 

participation in shared services 

arrangements (SSAs) is on the rise. 

SSAs provide a means to offer or 

expand core programs and services to public 

school students. Participation in SSAs is a 

best practice of public school management 

and administration. For this reason, it is 

notable that the majority of public school 

systems in Texas participate as members 

of one or more SSAs. The 79 th Legislature 

added statutory provisions calling upon 

regional education service centers and the 

Texas Education Agency to promote SSAs, 

and a review of expenditures reported by 

SSA fiscal agents indicates that the legislative 

goals are being accomplished. 

The factors that contribute to a school 

district’s interest in participating in an SSA 

are primarily the lack of sufficient available 

economic and staff resources to offer 

certain programs or services as a stand alone 

entity, particularly in the area of services to 

students with disabilities. These factors are 

directly related to enrollment size and/or 

geographic location. Over 40 percent of 

the 1,031 school districts in Texas are classified 

as rural by the Texas Education Agency. 

The rural isolation of many of these school 

districts results in the necessity to recruit 

many employees from outside of the school 

districts’ geographic area. 

Several years ago, the Texas Education 

Agency received a phone call from a rural 

area of Texas. The call was from a regional 

education service center (Center) that 

served school districts with an average 


of only 3.7 students per square mile, in 

an aggregate landmass of 10.6 thousand 

square miles. The caller complained that 

many of the school districts were not able 

to contract for (or afford) delivery of dairy 

products for use in the Child Nutrition 

Program. We discussed the possibility of 

forming a shared services arrangement (also 

commonly referred to as a cooperative) 

through the Center, which could serve as 

fiscal agent. The Center became the shared 

services arrangement fiscal agent and issued 

requests for competitive bids. A couple of 

months later, the person called again and 

was very excited about the contract to be 

awarded. School districts that were previously 

not able to attract vendor contracts 

Figure 1 

would soon have delivery of dairy products. 

For other school districts, the new contract 

would provide higher quality dairy products 

and lower prices. 

Au t h o r i t y t o Establish 

Sh a r e d Se rv i c e s Ar r a n g e m e n t s 

According to Chapter 791 of the 

Government Code, also referred to as 

the “Interlocal Cooperation Act,” school 

districts and other local political subdivisions 

are authorized to form and participate 

in shared services arrangements (Subchapter 

B specifically grants this authority). The 

purpose for establishing shared services 

arrangements is explained in Section


Figure 2 

791.001, which states, “The purpose of 

this chapter is to increase the efficiency 

and effectiveness of local governments by 

authorizing them to contract, to the greatest 

possible extent, with one another and 

with agencies of the state.” School districts 

are readily able to fulfill these objectives 

through participation in shared services 

arrangements. 

Participation in Sh a r e d 

Se rv i c e s Ar r a n g e m e n t s 

b y Co m m u n i t y Sc h o o l s 

A majority of the community school 

districts (school districts that have no more 

than one regular high school campus. 

According to the Texas Association of 

Community Schools, these numbered 986 

of the 1031 school districts, as of March 

2009) participated in one or more shared 

services arrangement(s) in school year 

2007-2008, according to data reported 

through the Public Education Information 

Management System. Participating 

member entities totaled 1,079, that were 

comprised of 969 school districts, 91 charter 

schools, and 19 of the 20 Centers. These 

statistics illustrate that participation in one 

or more shared services arrangement(s) 

has become an operational characteristic, 

if not a necessity, for a majority of 

community school districts. 

Tr e n d s Data f o r Pa rt i c- 

ipation in Sh a r e d Se rv i c e s 

Ar r a n g e m e n t s 

Fiscal agents of SSAs reported increasing 

expenditures on-behalf of members in 

fiscal years 2005-2008 as shown in 

Figure 1. The increases in fiscal years 

2007 and 2008 followed a relatively 

flat expenditure pattern in prior 

fiscal years. The increases in recent 

fiscal years in SSA spending levels 

provide evidence of efforts of the 

Texas Education Agency and regional 

education service centers to promote 

SSA participation, in accordance with 

directives in the Section 11.003, Texas 

Education Code, added by the 79 th 

Legislature. 

Subsection 11.003(b)-(c), Texas Education 

Code states: 

(b) Each regional education 

service center shall: 

(1) notify each school district served 

by the center regarding the 

opportunities available through 

the center for cooperative shared 

services arrangements within 

the center’s service area; and 

(2) evaluate the need for cooperative 

shared services arrangements 

within the center’s service 

area and consider expanding 

center-sponsored cooperative 

shared services 

arrangements. 

(c) Each regional education 

service center 

shall assist a school 

district board of 

trustees in entering 

into an agreement 

with another district 

or political subdivision, 

a regional education 

service center, or an 

institution of higher 

education as defined 

by Section 61.003, for 

a cooperative shared 

services arrangement 

regarding administrative 

services, including 

transportation, food 

service, purchasing, 

and payroll functions.” 

Figure 2 above shows the 

percent of expenditures by 

object class according to actual expenditures 

for shared services arrangement fund 

codes reported by fiscal agents of shared 

services arrangements. The primary cost 

category reported was payroll-related costs 

followed by professional and contracted 

services. 

Sc a l e o f V a r i o u s Ty p e s o f 

Sh a r e d Se rv i c e s Ar r a n g e m e n t s 

Fiscal agents of shared services arrangements 

reported total expenditures of 

approximately $261.5 million that were 

made on-behalf of member school 

districts, of which approximately $223 

million in expenditures were reported by 

school district fiscal agents (the balance 

was reported by Center fiscal agents). 

The predominant type of shared services 

arrangement reported by school district 

fiscal agents was “Special Education (other 

than Regional Day School for the Deaf or 

Visually Impaired)” in the amount of $176 

million. Many small community school 

districts are only able to access needed staff 

(also due to teacher and other certified 

staff shortages) through participation in a 

SHARED SERVICES ARRANGEMENT TYPE 

Table 1 

Continued on page 10 

Fiscal 2008 AMOUNT 

SPECIAL ED - O/T RGNL DAY SCHL $176,236,043 

OTHER $25,349,870 

DISCIPLINARY ALTERNATIVE ED PG $11,915,420 

INSTRUCTIONAL OR SUPPORT SERV $10,000,305 

DATA PROCESSING $9,947,110 

COMPENSATORY OR REMEDIAL EDUC $4,682,351 

ALTERNATIVE ED (NON-DISCIPLIN $4,555,780 

BILINGUAL/ENGLISH AS 2ND LANG $4,471,564 

CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION $3,662,605 

MIGRANT EDUCATION $2,818,553 

VISUALLY IMPAIRED $2,195,333 

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT $1,691,007 

DRUG FREE SCHOOLS $1,614,980 

REG DAY SCHL PGM F/DEAF(RDSPD) $992,710 

COMMUNITY EDUCATION $684,393 

PURCHASING $325,726 

ADULT BASIC EDUCATION $259,933 

PREG EDUC AND PARENT PGM (PEP) $132,812 

TOTAL $261,536,495 

www.tasbo.org 9


Continued from page 9 

special education-related shared services 

arrangement, which is also a legal necessity 

to ensure compliance with federal 

mandates applicable to required services 

to students with disabilities. 

Figure 3 shows for fiscal year 2008 

the distribution of special educationrelated 

expenditures (does not including 

regional day school for the deaf) totaling 

$176,217,235 on-behalf of member school 

districts and charter schools according to 

regional education service center locale. 

The member school districts and charter 

schools in Region 7 Education Service 

Center, based in Kilgore, show a relatively 

high participation in the SSA service 

delivery mode in relation to the student 

population in this region. 

Figure 4 below shows for fiscal year 

2008 the distribution of NON-special 

education-related expenditures totaling 

$75,822,900.00 on-behalf of member 

school districts and charter schools according 

to regional education service center 

locale. The member school districts and 

charter schools in Region 12 Education 

Service Center, based in Waco, show a 

relatively high participation in the SSA 

service delivery mode in relation to the 

student population in this region. 

De m o g r a p h i c s o f Me m b e r 

Sc h o o l Di s t r i c t s 

In school year 2007-08, approximately 50 

percent of school districts that participated 

in shared services arrangements had an 

enrollment of less than 850 students. The 

expenditures reported by the fiscal agents 

on-behalf of member school districts 

would have financed the General Fund 

operating costs of a 35,000 plus enrollment 

school district. The number of 

students actually benefiting from shared 

services arrangements far exceeds this 

enrollment measure, because most participating 

students receive services for only a 

portion of the instructional day. 

Wh e r e t o Be g i n 

At the time that a group of school districts 

and/or other governmental entities decide 

to create a shared services arrangement, it 

will be necessary for the participants to 

discuss and agree upon certain basic organizational 

issues, including: 

• Forming a supervisory entity, 

such as a board of managers 

• Determining composition 

and responsibilities of 

the board of managers 

• Appointing the fiscal agent 

for the arrangement 

Figure 3 – Distribution of Special Education-Related Expenditures On-behalf of 

SSA Member School Districts and Charter Schools by Regional Education 

Service Center Locale - Fiscal Year 2008 

Figure 4 – Distribution of NON-Special Education-Related Expenditures On-behalf 

of SSA Member School Districts and Charter Schools by Regional Education 

Service Center Locale - Fiscal Year 2008 



• Electing a chairman of the 

board of managers 

• Deciding the frequency of meetings 

• Appointing either a board 

member (secretary) or another 

person who would be responsible 

for recording the minutes 

of each meeting and retaining 

relevant records in a safe place 

Other details to be agree-upon by the fiscal 

agent and the member districts include: 

• Ownership of assets 

• Responsibility for legal liabilities 

• Basis for allocation of costs 

to member districts 

• Uncontrollable costs incurred 

by the fiscal agent 

• Responsibilities of the fiscal agent 

• Responsibilities of the 

member districts 

Section 1.3.1.4 Administrative Guidelines 

and Considerations, of the Financial 

Accountability System Resource Guide 

(Resource Guide), provides general guidance 

in these areas. It will also be important 

to consult with an attorney, as is the case 

when entering into any legal contract. 

Be s t Pr ac t i c e s 

Many years ago, shared services arrangements, 

in many instances, were created 

on a handshake. It is a best practice to 

establish a written agreement for a shared 

services arrangement. In the instance of 

a special education-related arrangement, 

a written agreement is a mandatory 

requirement. Best practices for writing an 

agreement for a shared services arrangement 

are provided by the Texas Education 

Agency in the Resource Guide, in Section 

1.3.1.7, Required Components of Special 

Education Shared Services Arrangements. 

A well-structured shared services arrangement 

will help ensure that the expectations 

of the member districts are met. 

Ac c o u n t i n g f o r Fi n a n c i a l 

Tr a n s ac t i o n s 

Accounting procedures for shared 

services arrangement-related transactions 

are explained in the Resource 

Guide in Section 1.3.1.6 Accounting 

and Reporting Treatment Guidance. The 

accounting rules ensure that data analysts 

will not double count the revenues and 

expenditures reported by fiscal agents and 

the respective member districts. 

A block of state/local fund codes (431- 

459) and federal fund codes (fund codes 

291-379) in the Special Revenue Fund are 

specified in the Resource Guide for use 

by the fiscal agent to record transactions 

made on-behalf of the member districts. 

Separate accountability by separate fund 

code for each state/local and federal grant 

or project is required, consistent with the 

standards for separate accountability under 

unique Special Revenue Funds for projects 

and grants in a stand-alone school district. 

Additionally, the Resource Guide delineates 

unique revenue (5722, 5723, 5841, 

5842, 5951 and 5952) and expenditure 

object codes (6492 and 6493) that are 

used to account for the flow of resources 

between the fiscal agent and member 

districts, and local, state and federal funding 

entities. 

Furthermore, the Resource Guide delineates 

a unique function code (93) for 

recording expenditures to flow funds 

between a fiscal agent and member school 

districts. 

In school year 2007-08, approximately 

50 percent of school districts that 

participated in shared services 

arrangements had an enrollment 

of less than 850 students. 

Co n c l u s i o n 

For many school officials, it will be challenging 

to develop a balanced budget for 

fiscal year 2010 that funds overall increases 

in operating costs, and instructional 

services needed to significantly increase 

student achievement and to decrease the 

dropout rate. The expected future resurgence 

in energy and commodity prices will 

most certainly result in inflationary costs 

increases for many categories of goods and 

services. The Legislature will need to ensure 

adequate funding for these cost components 

plus the yearly total enrollment growth 

of about 75 thousand students. In most 

situations, cooperatives offer an enhanced 

economy of scale in smaller enrollment 

school districts. Participation in shared 

services arrangements will continue to be 

the bridge that spans limitations involving 

the availability of resources, and the ability 

to deliver required or needed educationrelated 

services. 

Thomas Canby was the Managing Director of 

the Division of School Financial Audits at TEA 

from 1991 to 2005. He is now the Director of 

Research & Technology for TASBO. 

www.tasbo.org 11



Performance-Based Budgeting: 

Making Your School System 

More Efficient 

By Greg Gibson 

Several years ago, I received a phone 

call from a board member of a 

large, urban Texas school district. 

His concern was simple yet direct: “I just 

voted for a $500 million budget and I 

have no idea what I just passed. There was 

way too much data and too little relevant 

information about why we are spending 

this much.” 

All across the country, state legislatures are 

slashing budgets for public education. In 

Texas, the picture is not quite as bleak as in 

California or Florida – at least not yet – but 

the need to be efficient in how we provide 

education has never been more urgent. 

Most school systems respond to anticipated 

deficits by implementing percentage 

cuts across the board, citing equity as a 

way to make sure everyone 

shares the burden. But this 

approach can be counterproductive 

by penalizing 

all areas regardless of their 

efficiency levels. 

Performance-Based Budgeting 

is a way to optimally 

to identify savings opportunities 

- by linking expenditures 

to efficiency levels and 

performance outcomes. 

To date, the focus of state 

accountability has been on 

student performance, and 

rightfully so. Texas has the 

FIRST (Financial Integrity 

Rating System for Texas) 

rating that focuses on financial stability, 

but there are very limited measures for 

reporting efficiency at the state level. Why 

is this? There are several possible reasons: 

• The State of Texas does not require 

sufficient efficiency/performance 

data to be submitted through 

Public Education Information 

Management System (PEIMS). More 

than 80 percent of public education 

expenditures relate to staffing in 

Texas; however, the state’s Academic 

Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) 

reports only one staffing ratio – the 

pupil-teacher ratio. Because information 

on auxiliary staff is not collected 

at lower levels, from a data perspective, 

it is not possible to distinguish 

between a custodian and a maintenance 

worker – they are combined 

into a single “auxiliary” staffing 

category. This does not provide the 

level of detail necessary to determine 

the efficiency of departmental staffing. 

• Accounting systems used by most 

districts are transaction-focused 

and do not adequately address 

performance management. School 

systems that are moving toward 

tracking performance management 

rely on spreadsheets, report 

writers, and perhaps a data 

warehouse system. However, even 

with these tools, performance 

data is often left untracked. 

• Staff costs are often perceived as 

“fixed” costs. Many board members, 

superintendents, and even Chief 

Financial Officers believe that staff 

costs are fixed, and that the only 

room for improved efficiency is in 

non-payroll areas. Payroll is a fixed 

“type” of cost for public schools, 

but not fixed in its nature. Staff 

levels can be adjusted through 

streamlining of processes, increased 

use of automation, changes in 

work schedules, and simplification 

of complex board policies. Even 

teacher efficiency can be evaluated 

through assessment of student loads, 

low enrollment courses, and number 

of teacher planning periods. 

Each year, public school districts are 

required to create a budget for a successful 


www.tasbo.org 13



operation. Generally, school systems budget 

based on a last year – this year – next year 

model, meaning that they look at the prior 

years’ expenditures as a base and increase 

the budget for the next year focusing more 

on incremental changes from year to year. 

Those creating budgets tend to look at 

dollar amounts, some per student amounts, 

and some charted data. The format of a 

traditional budget is generally dictated by 

regulatory requirements. 

This traditional approach is insufficient in 

several respects: 

• Three years is not long enough to 

establish a trend. A meaningful trend 

requires at least five years of data. 

• Viewing dollar amounts is not 

particularly informative as there is 

no context for reference such as 

measures of efficiency or effectiveness. 

• It is often difficult to show the 

relationship between the budget and 

district priorities or plans when utilizing 

a traditional budgeting approach. 

• A traditional budget assumes 

that the prior year budget was 

reasonable and then focuses 

only on incremental changes. 

• While meeting regulatory requirements, 

the complex format of the 


budget generally does not meet 

the information requirements of 

board members, superintendents 

or members of the community. 

Performance-based budgeting 

has rarely been used in public 

school systems, but its application 

works well, as school systems are 

moving toward increased transparency 

and fiscal accountability. 

Wh at is Pe r f o r m a n c e- 

Ba s e d Bu d g e t i n g? 

The concept of performance-based 

budgeting has been around since the 

1970s but has been more popular in the 

private sector, only recently becoming 

more frequently used in state and local 

government. In perhaps an oversimplification, 

performance-based budgeting 

justifies spending levels by measuring the 

efficiency of resources. 

Performance-based budgeting has rarely 

been used in public school systems, but its 

application works well, as school systems 

are moving toward increased transparency 

and fiscal accountability. For school 

systems, a focus on the efficiency of inputs 

and the effectiveness of outputs will result 

in a more meaningful district budget and 

improved accountability for efficiency. 

Efficiency measures may include inputs 

such as staff counts and operating statistics 

(e.g., computers, kilowatt hours of electricity) 

while effectiveness of outputs may 

include response times, customer satisfaction, 

and meeting or exceeding established 

standards. 

There are eight major steps involved in implementing 

performance-based budgeting: 

1. Define Measures 

This type of budgeting requires the definition 

of performance measures at the beginning 

of the process, as linking these performance 

measures to district resources is the 

key of this approach. Both efficiency and 

effectiveness measures should be defined 

at this point. When creating efficiency 

measures you should ask yourself “What 

are the cost drivers?” such as the number 

of meals served at a campus or the number 

of square feet each custodian cleans in a day. 

With effectiveness measures there may be 

data limitations, but analyzing the costs and 

benefits of tracking the information will 

help you decide what measures you should 

use. It is important not to choose too many 

measures at the beginning – this may be 

too overwhelming for your organization 

to absorb at one time. It is best to phase 

more performance measures in over time. 

Examples of performance measures include 

pupil-staff ratios, gross square feet of space 

cleaned per FTE custodian, meals served per 

labor hour, kilowatt hour usage by square 

foot, number of workstations per help desk 

FTE, and transportation cost per mile. 

2. Define Data Elements 

Each measure should have a specific definition 

(note there will likely not be a state 

standard for many of the underlying data 

elements). Examples include gross square 

feet of space and the number of computers 

at the district. It is crucial to collect 

your data at the same time every year and 

to base the data upon the same definition/ 

source as the prior year in order to achieve 

consistent results. Be sure to document 

the source of your data to aid in consistent 

collection in future years. A good practice


is to time the collection of your data based 

upon other data collection dates. For 

example, you can collect much of your 

data when you are gathering data for the 

PEIMS fall snapshot submission. 

3. Collect and Validate Data 

Data is generally stored in two places: (1) 

information systems, and (2) manually 

on paper, in spreadsheets, or in database 

files. Once data has been collected, a 

central data repository is highly desirable 

to maximize data quality. This allows for 

control, efficiency and data integrity. All 

data collected should be independently 

validated by another party in the district. 

Data can be validated by internal audit, 

the finance/business office, or by the 

district PEIMS coordinator. Independent 

validation of data is crucial as you do not 

want to build an accountability system 

based on inaccurate data. 

4. Calculate Measures 

There are three methods that school 

systems can generally use to calculate 

measures: (1) spreadsheets, (2) databases, 

and (3) data visualization tools. Utilizing 

spreadsheets is the easiest method for 

calculating measures as most users are 

familiar with inserting various formulas. 

Databases are more time consuming but 

more effective for analysis than spreadsheets. 

Data visualization tools are a relatively 

new way school systems are calculating 

measures and are far more powerful 

than conventional tools. Data visualization 

tools have measures built into the background 

of the system so users are able to 

dynamically view different data scenarios, 

stratifications, and levels. 

5. Conduct Reasonableness Tests 

This is perhaps the most important 

step when defining new performance 

measures. The first question to ask yourself 

in this stage is, “Do the measures make 

sense?” In the initial year, there will likely 

be data problems that need to be resolved. 

There may be multiple sources of the 

same data that are not consistent. In other 

cases certain types of data could have been 

erroneously omitted or added. You will still 

need to conduct reasonable tests annually 

to ensure that they are still applicable and 

reasonable for your district. 

6. Conduct Variance Analysis 

Tracking performance becomes more 

meaningful when you dig deeper into the 

data to understand what it is telling you. 

You should ask yourself questions such as, 

“What are the performance trends? How 

does my district compare to industry 

standards or other districts? What is causing 

the variance I see in my data?” If you 

encounter variances, it is important to 

research the causes instead of relying on 

apparent explanations. This may require 

the analysis of additional data at a more 

granular level. 

7. Report Results 

In order to garner maximum buy-in for 

performance-based budgeting, it is important 

to report the results of your analysis. 

School boards will typically be more 

receptive to budget increases or changes if 

you are able to present them with information 

that is backed up by data analysis 

in a meaningful way. Spreadsheet graphics 

with explanations may be the easiest way 

to do this, but some of the more advanced 

reporting and analysis tools are affordable 

and much more powerful. 

8. Integrate with the Budget 

You are now ready to integrate your 

performance measurement system into the 

budgeting process. It is important to show 

at least a five-year performance trend in 

your budget for budget decision makers to 

be most informed. Remember, any time 

frame less than five years can result in data 

outliers that can be attributed to an extenuating 

circumstance and is not indicative 

of a trend. When showing your budget 

dollars, show underlying staffing levels and 

performance trends as well. Be sure to note 

productivity changes and other highlights 

of your variance analysis. At this point, set 

out-year performance targets and plan for 

how you will meet them. 

Go ahead – be a superstar in your organization 

and implement performancebased 

budgeting. Your superintendent and 

board will appreciate the more relevant 

information to support their budget decisions. 

Department leaders will appreciate 

the fact that you are considering a more 

effective approach to resource allocations 

and savings. And when a taxpayer asks you 

to prove how efficient you are – you will 

have the evidence to do so. It will take 

some time and effort to get the process 

started, but the benefits of performancebased 

budgeting far outweigh the costs. 

Greg Gibson, President of Gibson Consulting 

Group, has over 25 years of experience in 

financial analysis, performance measurement, 

process re-engineering, and business and organizational 

planning. 

www.tasbo.org 15


Investments: 

What Do We Do Now? 

By James Terry, Ph.D., CPA and Thomas Ramos, CPA 

Wall Street has led this nation into 

one of the worst economic times 

perhaps in the nation’s history. 

As school business officials, we are responsible 

for the safety of the cash flowing 

through the district. We also have the 

opportunity to generate interest revenue 

as the funds become available to invest in 

the district. 

The Public Funds Investment Act (PFIA) 

allows the District to make investments 

that are not as risky as equities, but can 

have a degree of risk. If we purchase 

Collateralized Mortgage Obligations 

(CMO) or other derivates we add risks. 

To avoid this risk the more conservative 

fund managers may invest in fixed income 

securities, i.e. perhaps commercial paper 

(CP), and/or Treasuries. But how safe 

are agencies, i.e. Fannie Mae (FNMA), 

Freddie Mac (FHLMC)? 

Business managers that are even more 

conservative and do not have the time 

to research investments may place their 

money in dollar pools, i.e. TexPool, 

TexPrime, etc. 


Perhaps the Federal 

Open Market Committee 

(FOMC) is about to 

lower the Federal Funds 

rate to .50% just about 

the cost to run these fund 

pools. What happens if 

Federal Funds drop to 

0%? Even though the 

funds may guarantee a 

dollar probably through 

an insurance company, 

does the name AIG, an 

insurance company, resonate? 

Remember the last one in a dollar pool 

will be left holding the empty bag. Then 

again, a Business Manager decides to 

keep all his money safely in a bank and 

not take any risks. But how many banks 

have gone under? Remember Texas in 

the late 80’s to early 90’s? The joke was 

if you did not like the bank’s name, wait 

a day and it will change. 

Ok, that is the bad news. The good news 

is there are still opportunities. Remember 

diversification and size are important in 

investing funds. 

For North East ISD due diligence is critical 

in managing its portfolio. Knowing 

the underlying securities and their ratings 

is vital. 

Using our approach, North East ISD has 

performed well even against professionally 

managed funds. 

This is accomplished through our constant 

research and efforts to understand the 

future economic movement within the 

investment opportunities, in addition to 

due diligence in what we invest. 

Before North East ISD purchases an issue 

or places monies into a pool or money 

market fund, the District performs a 

significant amount of due diligence to 

make certain funds in an investment will 

be secure, liquid, and provide a competitive 

return to the District. 

The analysis the District performs consists 

of a three step process. We first determine 

eligibility of an investment by focusing on 

its credit ratings. A credit rating is supposed 

to be an indication of default risk assigned 

Continued on page 19

Feature Theme: FF&E Trends in Textiles & Design 

www.tasbo.org 17




to a specific debt obligation by a credit 

rating service. The three major rating 

agencies are: Moodys, S&P, and Fitch. Per 

PFIA requirements, the District only buys 

top tier rated obligations – that is, debt 

that has the highest short-term ratings. We 

monitor these ratings continually through 

the life of our investment ensuring the 

obligation we own remains highly rated. 

In addition, the District monitors whether 

an obligation has any changes in its rating 

watch or rating outlook, both of which are 

indicators of whether a rating agency will 

change the rating of a particular issue. 

The second step of our investment process 

is our credit analysis. In this phase we 

perform traditional analysis which considers 

the four C’s of credit: capacity, collateral, 

covenants, and character. Capacity is 

the ability of an issuer to pay its obligation. 

Here we focus on an entity’s balance sheet, 

income and cash flow statements. Collateral 

looks at unpledged assets that can supply 

aid and generate cash flow in the future. 

Covenants are the terms and conditions of 

the lending agreement. Covenants spell 

out the pecking order of the debt the 

District is buying. Finally, character is a 

qualitative measure. Character is reflected 

by management’s willingness to meet its 

obligations through different phases of a 

credit cycle. 

In performing our internal due diligence 

we perform an analysis of an issuer’s financials 

and related documentation. Once 

we purchase an issue we monitor the 

financial health of an entity through the 

holding period of our investment. Most 

importantly, for funds we place in state 

pools or eligible money market funds, we 

review the portfolio holdings which are 

usually available on a monthly basis. This 

review includes a monthly conference call 

where we contact the portfolio manager 

and credit analyst of each fund where the 

District has significant investments. 

The final piece of our internal due diligence 

pertains to our macro view of the 

credit environment. For example, in the 

current credit cycle our investment focus 

is on the strongest of credits, making sure 

these credits have sufficient liquidity to 

weather the current storm. Additionally, 

when it is perceived that rates will trend 

down we purchase these credits and trying 

to lock in competitive rates over a long 

holding period. North East ISD believes 

internal due diligence is critical during all 

phases of a credit cycle. This is paramount 

during these tumultuous times we are 

experiencing. 

James Terry is the Executive Director of 

Finance for North East ISD. Thomas Ramos 

is Treasurer for North East ISD. 

www.tasbo.org 19


PEIMS: The Foundation for Accountability 

By Donna Newman 

Although the topic of accountability 

has been previously discussed in the 

TASBO Report, educators still have 

not lost their appetite for the subject. This 

was recently in evidence when a new 

course, developed by the PEIMS Research 

Committee and offered at the last conference, 

was filled in record time. TASBO 

Research Committees are constantly 

seeking to provide significant and timely 

courses that will continue to be relevant 

in years to come. There is no doubt that 

the course “PEIMS: The Foundations 

for Accountability” will continue to be a 

course that is in demand. 

The demand for the course will be 

supported by the ever constant need to 

clarify the subject of “accountability”. The 

new course aims to simplify and summarize 

this amorphous and overwhelming 

subject. During the first presentation of 

this course the study of accountability 

was compared to trying to grasp a square 

of cafeteria jello. As your hand tries to 

hold the jello, portions invariably run 

through your fingers. The topic is huge 

and the primary constant is change. The 

requirements are continuously revised to 

meet new standards required by either the 

Federal or State government. 

The new course is not about accountability 

details or the nuances of accountability 

ratings. It is about PEIMS as the direct 

or indirect source of the data used to 

determine accountability ratings. PEIMS 

provides a common, standardized collection 

point for most of the student and 

financial data gathered by the state and as 

such PEIMS provides the foundation for 

the new course. One of the most difficult 

decisions made in developing the course 

was to determine what specific areas of 

accountability would be covered. When 

PBMAS-BE/ESL INDICATORS 

Description Sources/Issues/Calculations Edit+Reports 

(7) LEP Annual Dropout Rate 

Percent of limited English proficient 

(LEP) students (Grades 7-12) who 

dropped out in 2006-2007. 

(8) LEP RHSP/DAP 

Diploma Rate 

Percent of limited English proficient 

(LEP) students graduating with 

a Recommended High School 

Program (RHSP) or Distinguished 

Achievement Program (DAP) 

diploma (2006-2007) 

Sample Partial Table for PBMAS BE/ESL 

you discuss accountability with a business 

manager the immediate conclusion 

is that you will discuss School FIRST or 

the complexity of maintenance of effort 

(MOE). If you speak to a high school 

principal the immediate conclusion is that 

you will be discussing dropout rates and 

completion rates. An elementary principal 

may expect details on TAKS testing and 

attendance rates. A PEIMS coordinator 

will be seeking help regarding data 

integrity and sources of the data used 

in each indicator. The expectations are 

diverse depending upon the focus of the 

attendee. 

As an introduction to the course, the role 

of the Academic Excellence Indicator 

System (AEIS) is explained. This includes a 

review of how to read the AEIS report and 

PEIMS: 

• 400 Record (Summer 2006-2007) (EO790-CO61) 

• 110 Record LEP Indicator (EO790-CO61) if no 400 exists 

• 203 Leaver Record in the Fall 2007 as a dropout 

(E1001-C162) Leaver reason code 98 

PEIMS Issues: 

Same as 1-6 above with the addition of: 

• Accurate Leaver coding 

• Under reported students 

Size: 

• 30 LEP students in attendance 

• 5 LEP dropouts 

Calculation: 

The # of LEP students who dropped out DIVIDED BY 

the # of LEP students in attendance in 2006-2007 

PEIMS: 

• 400 Record (Summer 2006-2007) (EO790-CO61) 

• 110 Record LEP Indicator (EO790-CO61) if no 400 exists 

• 203 Leaver Record in the Fall 2007 as a graduate 

(E1001-C162) Leaver reason code 01 

• 203 Leaver Record Garduation type code (EO806-CO62) 

• Recommended type codes: 10, 14, 15, 19, 22, 25 

• Distinguished type codes: 09, 16, 17, 20, 23, 26 

PEIMS Issues: 

Same as 1-7 above with the addition of: 

• Accurate graduation type codes 

Size: 

• At least 30 LEP students 

Calculation: 

District number of LEP students who graduated with 

a RHSP or DAP diploma in 2006-2007 DIVIDED 

BY the # of LEP students who graduated 

Fall Standard Report 

• PRF6D002 Dropout Roster 

Summer Standard Report 

• PRF7D005 Superintendent’s 

Report of LEP Students 

(counts by grade) 

Table Downloads 

• 2006-2007 ATTEND 

• 2007-2008 LEAVER 

Fall Standard Report 

• PRF8D008 Graduate Roster 

by Graduation Type 

• PRF8D001 Graduates 

by Gender, Ethnicity 

& Garduation Type 

Table Downloads 

• 2006-2007 ATTEND 

• 2007-2008 LEAVER 

how to use the AEIS glossary to find the 

definitions for each section of the report. 

The course concentrates on the areas of 

accountability that result in some type of 

rating being assigned to a school district or 

campus. The topics discussed are: 

• State Accountability 

• Adequate Yearly Progress 

• Performance Based Monitoring 

Analysis System (including 

PBM Data Validation) 

• School FIRST (Financial Integrity 

Rating System of Texas) 

Each topic in the course follows this 

general format: 

• Introduction, history & ratings 

Continued on next page 



‘PEIMS,’ Continued from previous page 

• Manuals, applicable dates, 

and resources 

• Standards, indicators, populations, & 

details regarding the PEIMS link 

• How to read the different 

accountability reports 

• How to read and use Edit + 

Reports to review the data 

The information discussed in the course 

is supported by a series of tables. Each 

type of accountability has a separate table. 

The tables contain the explanation of the 

indicator, the primary source of data and 

applicable Edit + reports. Below is a partial 

sample of one of the tables: 

Each table provides an invaluable tool for 

evaluating current data. The tables identify 

the PEIMS data elements and code tables 

used to support each indicator. The tables 

also assist a district in determining which 

years are used for data analysis. This aspect 

of accountability can be one of the most 

confusing to districts especially when data 

crosses school years. Combine this tool 

with the knowledge of the requirements 

of accountability and districts will be able 

to focus on problem areas. The more a 

district grasps the sources of data and the 

tools for evaluating the data, the better 

prepared the district will be to meet the 

accountability requirements of the future. 

In summary, this course, “PEIMS: The 

Foundation for Accountability” puts into 

perspective the various aspects of accountability. 

In one place a district will find the 

most pertinent facts and resources that will 

help to bring clarity to this subject. 

Donna Newman is a PEIMS Consultant for 

Region XX ESC, and composed this article 

on behalf of TASBO’s PEIMS Research 

Committee. 

www.tasbo.org 21

TASBO Notes 

TASBO Board Liaisons 

March 2009 - February 2010 

Name Committee Assignment Affiliate Assignment 

Pattie Griffin Governmental Relations Region XV TASBO, Big Country TASBO (Region 14) 

Becky Garcia Professional Certification South Texas Association of School Maintenance & 

Operations (STASMO) 

Frankie Jackson Governmental Relations Crossroads Area TASBO (Region 3) 

Art Martin Professional Certification South Plains Area TASBO (Region 17) 

Risk Management 

Panhandle TASBO 

Susan Pulis Accounting & Finance Capital Area Maintenance & Operations (Region 13), 

Capital Area TASBO (Region 13), Central Texas TASBO 

Charlie Holden Distribution & Inventory Gulf Coast Maintenance & Operations (Region 4) 

Textbooks Southeast TASBO (Region 5) 

David Garcia Internal Audit El Paso Area TASBO, Alamo Area Maintenance Operations Construction Association (Region 20) 

TASBO 

notes 

Deborah Ottmers PEIMS Alamo Area ASBO (Region 20) 

Personnel 

Hill Country Maintenance & Operations 

Joe Merrell Safe Schools Permian Basin TASBO 

Transportation Red River TASBO (Region 9) 

Gary Kerbow Maintenance & Operations North Texas Maintenance & Operations (Region 10, 11), Region VI TASBO, 

Region VI Maintenance & Operations TASBO 

Lindy Finley Purchasing East Texas TASBO (Region 7), North Texas Purchasing & Supply Mgmt (Regions 10, 11), 

Northeast Texas TASBO (Region 8) 

Alan King Information Technology DFW Metroplex TASBO, Gulf Coast TASBO (Region 4) 

Karen Wiesman Payroll Coastal Bend TASBO (Region 2) 

School Nutrition Coastal Bend Maintenance & Operations (Region 2), Valley Association ASBO (Region 1) 

Note: President and Vice President are liaisons to Governmental Relations Standing Committee 

President-Elect and Past President are liaisons to Professional Certification Standing Committee 

TASBO Committee Chairs 

March 25, 2009 

Committee Chair District Email Board Liaison 

Accounting & Finance Keith Clark Aldine ISD kclark@aldine.k12.tx.us Susan Pulis 

Distribution & Inventory Uriel Gonzalez McAllen ISD uriel.gonzalez@mcallenisd.net Charlie Holden 

Governmental Relations Michael Ball College Station ISD mball@csisd.org Pattie Griffin and Frankie Jackson 

Internal Audit Dan Clark Plano ISD dan.clark@pisd.edu David Garcia 

Maintenance & Operations Regi Brackin Stephenville ISD regi.brackin@sville.us Gary Kerbow 

Information Technology Glenn Reed Houston ISD breed@houstonisd.org Alan King 

Payroll Debra Phillips Dayton ISD dphillip@daytonisd.net Karen Wiesman 

PEIMS Dee Martin Burleson ISD dee@burlesonisd.net Deborah Ottmers 

Personnel Rhonda Wood Crandall ISD rhonda_wood@crandall-isd.net Deborah Ottmers 

Professional Certification Deborah Johnson Granbury ISD deborah.johnson@granburyisd.org Becky Garcia and Art Martin 

Purchasing Kimi Tate Dallas ISD ktate@dallasisd.org Lindy Finley 

Risk Management Bill Tarro Lubbock ISD btarro@lubbockisd.org Art Martin 

Safe Schools Laura Santos-Farry Eanes ISD lfarry@eanes.k12.tx.us Joe Merrell 

School Nutrition Cynthia Lee Plano ISD cynthia.lee@pisd.edu Karen Wiesman 

Textbooks Susan Lenox Plano ISD susan.lenox@pisd.edu Charlie Holden 

Transportation Joe Alvarez Denton ISD jalvarez@dentonisd.org Joe Merrell 


TASBO Notes 

TASBO Committee Meeting Schedule, Fall 2009 

Committee Date Time Location Chair Board Liaison 

Accounting & Finance Sept. 18, 2009 10:00 am - 2:00 pm TASBO Keith Clark Susan Pulis 

Distribution & Inventory Sept. 24, 2009 10:00 am - 2:00 pm TASBO Uriel Gonzalez Charlie Holden 

Governmental Relations Oct. 5, 2009 10:00 am - 2:00 pm TASBO Mike Ball Pattie Griffin Frankie Jackson 

Information Technology Sept. 30, 2009 10:00 am - 2:00 pm TASBO Glenn Reed Alan King 

Internal Audit Sept. 14, 2009 12 00 noon Marriott South Dan Clark David Garcia 

Maintenance & Operations Sept. 4, 2009 10:00 am - 2:00 pm TASBO Regi Brackin Gary Kerbow 

Payroll Sept. 28, 2009 10:00 am - 2:00 pm TASBO Debra Phillips Karen Wiesman 

PEIMS Sept. 22, 2009 10:00 am - 2:00 pm TASBO Dee Martin Deborah Ottmers 

Personnel Sept. 28, 2009 10:00 am - 2:00 pm TASBO Rhonda Wood Deborah Ottmers 

Professional Certification Oct. 9, 2009 10:00 am - 2:00 pm TASBO Debbie Johnson Becky Garcia Art Martin 

Purchasing Sept. 11, 2009 10:00 am - 2:00 pm TASBO Kimi Tate Lindy Finley 

Risk Management October 6, 2009 TBD TBD* Bill Tarro Art Martin 

Safe Schools Sept. 21, 2009 10:00 am - 2:00 pm TASBO Laura Santos-Farry Joe Merrell 

School Nutrition Sept. 29, 2009 10:00 am - 2:00 pm TASBO Cynthia Lee Karen Wiesman 

Textbooks Sept. 25, 2009 10:00 am - 2:00 pm TASBO Susan Lenox Charlie Holden 

Transportation Sept. 10, 2009 10:00 am - 2:00 pm TASBO Joe Alvarez Joe Merrell 

* Risk Mgmt Committee will meet in conjunction with their Academy. Location to be determined. 


www.tasbo.org 23

Special Feature 

Upcoming SEC Requirements for 

Municipal Bond Continuing Disclosure 

Obligations Beginning July 1, 2009 

By MSRB 

SEC Simplifies Co n t i n u i n g 

Di s c l o s u r e Ru l e 

What Did the SEC Change In Rule 15c2-12? 

In December 2008, the SEC voted to 

simplify continuing disclosure filing 

requirements for municipal securities 

issuers. Beginning July 1, 2009, issuers 

or obligated parties will no longer need 

to file documents at multiple Nationally 

Recognized Municipal Securities Information 

Repositories (NRMSIRs) but 

instead will file at a single designated location. 

The SEC decision also will provide 

free public access to continuing disclosure 

documents filed by issuers. 

What Does the Rule Change Mean for Issuers? 

Starting July 1, 2009, continuing disclosures, 

such as annual financial information 

and material event notices, are to be 

electronically filed at a single location, 

the Electronic Municipal Market Access 

(EMMA) system. 

The rule change does not place additional 

disclosure obligations on issuers, agents or 

obligated persons; it merely changes the 

submission process. 

There are no costs associated with 

EMMA filings. 

Issuers/obligors also will be able to submit 

past annual financial filings and material 

event notices to EMMA. 

Submissions to EMMA will satisfy submission 

obligations to multiple NRMSIRs 

under existing continuing disclosure 

agreements (CDAs) and it will no longer 

be necessary to file with the NRMSIRs. 

Issuers/obligors should check with their 

disclosure or bond counsel if they have 

questions about existing CDAs. All new 

CDAs should state that submissions will 

be filed with EMMA. 

For issuers/obligors with less than $10 

million in municipal securities outstanding, 

annual financial and operating information 

that previously would have been 

provided to investors upon request will, 

for new issues on or after July 1, 2009, 

now be submitted to EMMA. 

Th e MSRB’S El e c t r o n i c 

Mu n i c i pa l Ma r k e t Ac c e s s 

(EMMA) Sy s t e m 

What Is EMMA? 

EMMA, the Electronic Municipal Market 

Access system, is a website that provides free 

information about individual municipal 

securities, including disclosure documents 

and trade price data. EMMA was created 

by the Municipal Securities Rulemaking 

Board, and approved by the Securities and 

Exchange Commission, to provide a central 

and accessible location where investors can 

obtain municipal bond information. 

EMMA currently houses electronic 

versions of official statements submitted 

by underwriters since 1990 and realtime 

and historic municipal bond trade 

data since January 2005. Beginning July 

1, 2009, EMMA will accept, and post 

for free to the public, ongoing disclosure 

information for municipal bond issues. 

These documents will be matched to 

existing documents and trade data on each 

security, providing investors with a single 

source of consolidated disclosure and trade 

price information. 


Special Feature 

Fr e q u e n t ly As k e d Qu e s t i o n s Ab o u t 

Su b m i t t i n g Do c u m e n t s t o EMMA 

When do I need to begin submitting 

documents to EMMA? 

Beginning July 1, 2009, all continuing disclosure documents obligated 

under continuing disclosure agreements (CDAs) are to be 

submitted to EMMA, rather than to existing NRMSIRs, at such 

times as set forth in each CDA. 

What documents do I submit? 

CDAs outline what information is to be submitted, including 

annual financial statements, material event notices and other 

disclosure items described in each CDA. MSRB also expects to 

accept other voluntary filings. 

EMMA currently houses electronic versions of official statements 

submitted by underwriters since 1990 and real-time 

and historic municipal bond trade data since January 2005. 

What format must I use to submit documents? 

Continuing disclosure documents are to be submitted electronically 

to EMMA as portable document format (PDF) files. 

Where do I submit the documents? 

Issuers and their agents simply should go to the EMMA Dataport 

at www.emma.msrb.org. 

What happens to my submission? 

EMMA will make all documents submitted available to the public 

within 15 minutes of submission. Neither the EMMA system nor 

the MSRB will change or adjust submissions. They will be posted 

on EMMA exactly as sent by the issuer/obligor. Users of EMMA 

can search, view and download all documents related to a particular 

issue or security. All information submitted by issuers will be 

displayed chronologically on EMMA for each security. 

What if I make an incorrect filing? 

EMMA will allow issuers/obligors making submissions to review 

submitted documents and resubmit documents to correct any errors. 

This information is courtesy of EMMA. Additional information 

about EMMA is available at www.emma.msrb.org. 

EMMA is supported by municipal securities industry groups representing 

issuers, underwriters, bond counsel, financial advisors trustees, investors and 

the SEC. This pamphlet is provided courtesy of the Municipal Securities 

Rulemaking Board and the Government Finance Officers Association 

www.tasbo.org 25

New Members 

New Members | March 

David L. Atkeisson Superintendent Trinidad ISD 

Michael R. Atteberry President National Lighting and Energy Svcs. 

Dani Johnson Office Manager R & M Retro Services 

Eric D. Bankhead District Manager Chartwells 

Bonnie L. Barnhill Business Office Associte Midland Academy 

Linda Beaty Payroll Friendswood ISD 

Elton R. Blake Dir. Facilities Planning & Const. Aldine ISD 

Sabrina A. Bobino Principal’s Secretary High Island ISD 

Michael L. Bogue Territory Manager Lees Carpets 

Marilyn Bradshaw Instructional Services Asst Mineral Wells ISD 

Lisa Cartier Asst Dir Electronic Payments Northside ISD 

DeeAnna R. Chesson PEIMS Coordinator West Orange-Cove CISD 

Dee Day Budget Analyst Plano ISD 

Sherie Dean PEIMS Intern DeSoto ISD 

Laura DeAnda Payroll Clerk Abernathy ISD 

Bryan C. Dodd Budge/Financial Reporting Mgr. Richardson ISD 

John Dodd President Honors Academy 

Paul W. Duerre Environmental Specialist Killeen ISD 

Dianne J. Eckert PEIMS Coordinator Fredericksburg ISD 

Dina Edgar Exec Dir of Finance Leander ISD 

Daniel Escorcia Business Manager San Antonio Preparatory Academy 

Ruben J. Flores Interim Network Administrator Anthony ISD 

Kristian B. Foster Data Analyst Wichita Falls ISD 

Robert V. Fryar High School Principal Early ISD 

April Garcia Admin Assistant Springlake-Earth ISD 

Sheri D. Gist Payroll Clarksville ISD 

Victoria F. Gowdy Payroll Mgr Frisco ISD 

Mike Hagan Transportation Director Brady ISD 

William Harman Supervisor of Operations Keller ISD 

Randy Hector Operations Director Comfort ISD 

Danny R. Hemphill Management & Operations Evant ISD 

Mary L. Hernandez Human Resource Specialist Academy of Careers & Technologies 

Sherley Hill Business Manager Academy of Careers & Technologies 

Tammy Hinkle Chief Accounting Officer Kipp Academy 

Stephanie R. Hood Senior Accountant Montgomery ISD 

John P. Jackson, Jr. Administrator Dallas ISD 

Jimi Jones Payroll Clerk Union Grove ISD 

Kirk Kistner VP Marketing & Business Dev. Bartlett-Cocke, L.P. 

Johnnie Sue Lancaster Director Heartland Coop 

Barbara Lane Superintendent Mount Calm ISD 

Dean Lewis Director of Transportation Clear Creek ISD 

Julie A. Maddux Admin Asst Chico ISD 

Guillermo Manch, Jr. Superintendent Culberson County-Allamoore ISD 

Patricia L. McIntyre Finance Manager University Charter School 

Jennifer L. Michalec Benefits Administrator Needville ISD 

David Mullinax Director of Operations Lytle ISD 

Angelique K. Murphy PEIMS Coordinator Academy of Careers & Technologies 

Rosalind C. Perez Superintendent Bay Area Charter School, Inc. 

Dr. Robert A. Rich Dir Administrative Services Melissa ISD 

Valerie Richter Secretary Operations/Trans Bridge City ISD 

Linda Salas Business Office Secretary Somerset ISD 

Veronica Sanchez Personnel Asst Sinton ISD 

John R. Scott Staff Accountant Pine Tree ISD 

Crystal Sinkule Director’s Assistant West ISD 

Marie Smith Payroll Clerk Union Grove ISD 

Brenda Sparks Administrative Secretary Heartland Coop 

Tracy Stewart Business Manager Harrison Roofing Co., Inc. 

Ava E. Stockwell Attendance Clerk Deer Park ISD 

Linda Sweeny Supt’s Sec/PEIMS Coordinator Needville ISD 

Shirley Warncke Accounts Payable Clerk Needville ISD 

Brent A. West Direcor of Accounting Arlington ISD 

Connie M. Williams Payroll Needville ISD 

Scott Williams Director of Maintenance Columbia-Brazoria ISD 

Terri Woodfin Superintendent Secretary Union Grove ISD 

Amy L. Young Business Mgr Cotton Center ISD 

C 

M 

Y 

CM 

Practicing the art of “value-added” services 

Financial Planning | Creative Tax Strategies | Wealth Management 

Retirement Planning | Estate Planning | Business Consulting 

Profitability Enhancement | Business Valuation | Cost Segregation 

Budgets & Forecasts | Risk Management | Mergers & Acquisitions 

Assurance & Advisory Services | Internal Control & Systems Review 

Exit Strategies | Family Planning | Succession Planning | Litigation Support 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

K 

While we proudly offer traditional services to our clients, we prefer to provide value-added services that maximize 

benefits and exceed expectations. We approach our clients’ needs in a way that enhances the total value they receive. 

Houston | Sugar Land | Galveston | Texas City 

713.621.1515 | www.null-lairson.com 

Clients, People, Knowledge 

Over 30 years of valued relationships 


Certifications 

Certifications for March 

Name Cert Area(s) of Specialization Title District 

Naomi Best RTSBA Accounts Payable Manager El Paso ISD 

Pamela T. Brown RTSBA Budget Specialist Dallas ISD 

Anna Jolea Coleman RTSBA Payroll/Accounts Manager Detroit ISD 

Jose G. Franco RTSBA Superintendent Fort Hancock ISD 

Vickie L. Cheyne RTSBA PEIMS Coordinator Big Spring ISD 

Shannon Lynn 

Metting Franke RTSBA Business Manager Yorktown ISD 

Penny L. Morphew RTSBA Business Manager Hooks ISD 

Guadalupe G. Reyes RTSBA Director of Accounting Shadyland ISD 

Ricardo R. Vela RTSBA Assistant Superintendent Southside ISD 

Dr. Joe Wardell RTSBA Superintendent Jacksonville ISD 

L. Heather Wilson RTSBA Director of Finance & Acctg. Canyon ISD 

Donna Adams Zemanek RTSBA Internal Auditor Waco ISD 

Tricia Wardell RTSBA Business Manager Grayson County Special Ed Co-op 

Michael E. Phillips CTSBO 

Distrib. & Inventory, Maintenance & 

Operations, Purchasing & Supply Mgt. Maintenance Director Marble Falls ISD 

Dianne Zachary 

Brown 

Pamela L. Shaffer 

Patricia M. Gonzales 

CTSBO 

CTSBO 

CTSBO 

Distribution & Inventory, Safe 

Schools, Transportation Warehouse Supervisor Port Arthur ISD 

Accounting, Payroll, Purchasing & 

Supply Management Business Manager Memphis ISD 

Purchasing & Supply Management, 

Payroll, Accounting Administrative Assistant Highland Park ISD 

Purchasing & Supply Mgt., 

Risk Mgt., Information Technology Senior Buyer Allen ISD 

Toni J. Murray 

CTSBO 

Monica Miller CTSBO Accounting, Payroll, Risk Management Business Manager S&S CISD 

Stacey L. Rhodes CTSBO Accounting, Payroll, Risk Management Tax Assessor-Collector Sheldon ISD 

Barbara Landry CTSBO Accounting, Personnel, Transportation Business Manager Brady ISD 

Diedra L. Parchman 

Brandi Mead 

Elizabeth Guerrero- 

Miller 

CTSBO 

CTSBO 

CTSBO 

School Nutrition, Distribution & 

Inventory, Accounting 

Comptroller for Instruction 

& Campus Support 

North East ISD 

Maintenance & Operations, 

Purchasing, Payroll Secretary to M&O Director Clear Creek ISD 

Accounting, Payroll, Purchasing & 

Supply Management Senior Accountant Friendswood ISD 

Payroll, Purchasing & Supply 

Management, Accounting Accounts Payable Taft ISD 

Ivonne Banda 

CTSBO 

Jo Wilson CTSBO Accounting, PEIMS, Personnel PIEMS Manager Stephenville ISD 

Brenda L. Allen CTSBO Accounting, Payroll, Personnel Bookkeeper Region 5 ESC 

Alfred Alexander 

Rodriguez 

Debra J. Ming 

Lynda J. Jackson 

CTSBO 

CTSBO 

CTSBO 

Personnel, Risk Management, Safe 

Schools Human Resource Director Elgin ISD 

Accounting, Information Technology, 

Payroll Business Manager Bridgeport ISD 

Accounting, Payroll, Purchasing 

& Supply Management Secretary Marble Falls ISD 


www.tasbo.org 27

Training Calendar 

Training Calendar 

JUNE 

6/16 - 6/17/09 

2009 Maintenance and 

Operations Academy 

Location: Keller 

Start: 7:30 AM 6/16 

End: 12:00 PM 6/17 

6/18 - 6/19/09 

2009 Summer Conference 

Location: Grapevine 

Start: 8:00 AM 6/18 

End: 12:00 PM 6/19 

6/23/09 

New Accounting 

Requirements for this Year 

Location: Webinar 

When: 10:00 - 11:00 AM 

6/25/09 • PEI301 

Administrator Overview of PEIMS 

Location: Pittsburg 

When: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM 

JULY 

7/15/09 

Purchasing Update: 

Legislative Updates 

Location: Webinar 

When: 10:00 - 11:00 AM 

7/15/09 • ACT203A 

The Basics of Investing 

School Funds 

Location: El Paso 

When: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM 

7/16/09 • ACT203B 

Investing School Funds 

Location: El Paso 

When: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM 

AUGUST 

8/10 - 8/11/09 

Focus on Leadership Institute 

Location: Austin 

Start: 8:00 AM 8/10 

End: 12:00 PM 8/11 


Certifications 


Peggy Powell CTSBS Accounting Accounting Clerk II Sheldon ISD 

Raymond Elmore CTSBS Maintenance & Operations Coordinator Port Arthur ISD 

Kati Burke CTSBS Accounting Accounting Assistant Brownwood ISD 

Sherva Alexander CTSBS Information Technology Management Oracle Function Analyst Garland ISD 

Francis Martinez CTSBS Payroll Payroll Specialist Belton ISD 

Imelda Garza CTSBS PEIMS PEIMS/Food Service Director St. Mary’s Academy Charter 

Susan Felts CTSBS Payroll Payroll Supervisor Pearland ISD 

Jenny G. Davis CTSBS Accounting Senior Administrative Associate University Charter School 

Sherri Lynn Carlton CTSBS Payroll Payroll Specialist Bowie County Schools 

Sarah B. Bitting CTSBS Accounting Accountant Allen ISD 

Maxson Barnett CTSBS Maintenance & Operations Area Supervisor Fort Bend Isd 

Matthew J. Flood CTSBS Information Technology Management Assistant WAN Manager Goose Creek CISD 

Cindy Willis CTSBS Purchasing & Supply Management Senior Buyer Keller ISD 

Tanya M. Stuckey CTSBS Personnel Administrative Assistant S&S CISD 

Susie Ann Owens CTSBS PEIMS PEIMS Coordinator Laneville ISD 

Stephen R. Meyer CTSBS Maintenance & Operations Director of Maintenance Rio Brazos Education Cooperative 

Jeananne Madden CTSBS Accounting Payroll Supervisor/Acctg. Clerk Teague ISD 

www.tasbo.org 29

Index to Advertisers 

A. Bargas & Associates. ................................... 5 

Armko Industries ...................................... 21 

Association Member Benefits Advisors. ...................... 12 

Bard Manufacturing ...................................IFC 

Basic IDIQ. .......................................... 17 

Choice Facility Partners ................................. 28 

Combined Benefits Group ............................... 14 

Combs Consulting Group ................................ 19 

Edwards Risk Managment. ............................... 15 

Gibson Consulting Group, Inc. ............................ 11 

Harris County Dept. of Education. .......................... 7 

Jaco Construction. ..................................... 29 

Linc Services .......................................OBC 

MBIA .............................................IBC 

The National Alliance ................................... 25 

Null-Lairsons, PC ...................................... 26 

Ramtech Building Systems ............................... 21 

Region 4-TCPN .................................Opp. IFC 

Prism Marketing. ....................................OBC 

Safeguard, Inc. by IMMI ................................. 23 

Schooldude.com. ...................................... 18 

Silent Knight by Honeywell .............................. 18 

Skywards, Inc.. ........................................ 30 

SSC Service Solutions. .................................. 28 

Texas Energy Aggregations .............................OBC 

Walsh, Anderson, Aldridge & Gallegos ....................... 24 


www.tasbo.org 31

June 2009 - Texas Association of School Business Officials

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