Bonus: Everything You Need to Know About Budget Deferrals (And Don’t Want To Postpone Asking)

In this bonus “Explainer” episode, guest Matt Phillips, director of management consulting services at School Services of California, is back to describe everything you need to know about the highly significant but seldom understood fiscal mechanism that will surely be part of the final state budget agreement: Deferrals. What exactly does it mean when the State defers potentially billions of dollars in funding to schools, and what are the implications for local school districts?

Matt provides clear examples that will help finance-minded and non-finance-minded folks alike gain a solid grasp of the ins and outs of deferrals, including how they differ from budget cuts. Deferrals, he says, are the "lesser of two evils," but pose their own significant complications for school districts.

Given the pending adoption of a new California State Budget, this is an episode you won’t want to postpone listening to.


About Our Guest

Matt Phillips, CPA, serves as Director of Management Consulting Services at School Services. In this role, he provides support to school districts for fiscal-related matters including budget reviews, salary schedule analyses, organizational reviews, and negotiations. He also presents workshops across the state on a variety of topics including the Local Control and Accountability Plan, collective bargaining, district budgeting, and auditing. His background as a Certified Public Accountant, experience working in a school district, and completion of the Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team Chief Business Official (CBO) Mentor Program that resulted in the CASBO CBO certificate provide the foundation for these areas. Matt graduated from California State University, Chico, with a degree in business administration with emphasis in accounting.

About CASBO

The California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO) is the premier resource for professional development and business best practices for California's school business leaders. Follow at @CASBO and @CASBOGR

About your series guide
Paul Richman is a public education advocate and consultant. Contact him at [email protected]. We value your feedback! Follow him at @pjr100