CASBO Connect

A Conversation with Mike Fine, CEO of FCMAT

Mike Fine, CEO of the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team’s (FCMAT), joins CASBO President Tina Douglas and President Elect Eric Dill for an informative discussion on fiscal responsibility in school business. Fine joined FCMAT in 2015 as the agency’s chief administrative officer and became  chief executive officer in, 2017. Previously, he served as interim superintendent and deputy superintendent of business services and governmental relations at the Riverside Unified School Distri...

2023-24 May Revise

CASBO's Legislative Committee Chair and Governmental Relations team discuss CASBO's analysis and response to the Governor's May Revision in this episode. Listen to our budget priorities and advocacy efforts as we make sure our voices are heard when the Legislature and Administration work toward the final state budget act. Guests: Darrin Watters, Deputy Superintendent/Business Services, Hemet Unified, CASBO Legislative Committee Chair Elizabeth Esquivel, Assistant Executive Director, Governm...

CASBO's Legislative Advocacy

Now that the Governor's 2023-24 budget proposal has been released and is in the hands of the legislature, CASBO members and advocates are hard at work analyzing bills and making our voices heard. Learn about our budget priorities, how we shape legislation, and how you can get involved with legislative advocacy on behalf of your school district. Guests: Elizabeth Esquivel, Assistant Executive Director, Governmental Relations, CASBO Mishaal Gil, Director, Policy & Advocacy, CASBO Gary Stine, ...

Fiscal Outlook for Schools

What is on the horizon for next year's budget, and what options does the state have to address a drop in revenue? The Legislative Analyst for K-12 Education discusses the recent report on the fiscal outlook for schools and its recommendations to the Legislature for school funding.  Guest Edgar Cabral, Deputy Legislative Analyst, K-12 Education, California Legislative Analyst's Office:

Preparing for the Next Job

With so much turnover in school business in the last two years, there have never been more opportunities to promote into a new position. Our guests give their advice on fine-tuning your resume, preparing for interviews, and taking advantage of CASBO training so you will be ready for that next job and stand out in the hiring process. Guests: Aaron Heinz, Deputy Superintendent of Administrative Services, Colusa County Office of Education Matt Phillips, CPA, Director of Management Consulting ...

2022-23 May Revise

When Governor Newsom released his proposed budget in January, many K-12 funding issues were pushed off, including the final Local Control Funding Formula cost-of-living adjustment, addressing the Gann Limit, and dealing with a staggering drop in average daily attendance. In this episode, we'll discuss the newly released May revise with members of CASBO's Governmental Relations team and compare the Governor's new proposals against the Legislature's priorities as we outline the road to state b...

2022-23 Governor's January Budget Proposal

The Governor has released his initial budget proposal for 2022-23. We discuss his key proposals, the historic levels of funding, other pending legislation, and how this may impact school district budgets. Guests: Tatia Davenport, Chief Executive Officer, CASBO Sara Bachez, Chief Governmental Relations Officer, CASBO Additional Resources CASBO NewsBreak 2022-04 –  Governor Newsom Releases the 2022-23 State Budget Proposal

Declining Enrollment: Brace for Impact

Statewide declining enrollment became worse during the pandemic, and districts have not yet rebounded to their pre-COVID levels. Districts will return to funding based on actual attendance next school year if Gov. Newsom and the Legislature do not act to prevent a fiscal cliff. In this episode, our guests will provide advice on planning for different funding scenarios and offer suggestions on how the state can solve this problem. Guests: Candi Clark, Ed.D., Associate Superintendent of Busi...

Be Prepared

If we've learned anything in the last two years, it's that the unexpected will happen. While our attention has been devoted to dealing with the crisis caused by the pandemic, other emergencies continue to affect our schools. In this episode, our guests will talk about handling multiple emergencies, lessons learned from recent disasters, and how planning can help with your local education agency's financial recovery. Guests: Joe Anderson, Emergency Services Manager, California Department of...

Purchasing Power

Purchasing departments across the state are dealing with supply shortages, price increases, and contracting new services to deal with the pandemic in addition to meeting the usual needs of schools in a year that was supposed to open more normally--but didn't. We talk to three experts on how they are addressing these problems and what advice they have for districts to overcome these challenges. Guests: Leeann Errotabere, Former CASBO President, Director of Purchasing - Clovis Unified School ...

New Podcast Series: Budgeting for Educational Equity

How can dedicated teams of leaders, school business officials, educators, and entire school communities allocate resources to better meet the needs of all students? That’s the story we’re sharing in this new limited series presented by CASBO and WestEd. In each episode, our host Jason Willis welcomes education leaders and practitioners to discuss funding, educational improvements, and advancing resource equity across all levels of California’s public education system. We’ll explore their mo...

Rethinking Special Education Funding

The way California provides funding for students with disabilities has not changed in decades and is the largest remaining categorical program in the state.  WestEd has been researching alternatives that could provide more efficiency in how existing resources are distributed to school districts along with better accountability to enhance services and improve outcomes for students.  The WestEd study on special education finance has been released.  We talk to one of the study authors on their ...

Food for Thought

While most of California has moved "Beyond the Blueprint," it is anything but business as usual for schools.  This summer, we will highlight the challenges in different areas of school business as we prepare for full reopening this fall.  In Nutrition Services, in-person service will continue under the current USDA waivers.  We talk to three CASBO members about what this will mean for their programs, what logistics issues they are dealing with, and the big news from Sacramento this week on t...

May Revise

Following a week of good news for education, the governor released the May Revision to his 2021-22 budget proposal. CASBO's advocates, Sara Bachez and Elizabeth Esquivel discuss the highlights in the budget and the outlook for increased funding and programs. Guests: Sara Bachez, CASBO Chief Governmental Relations Officer Elizabeth Esquivel,  CASBO Senior Director of Policy & Governance

Unemployment Blues

This is a Call to Action!  Unemployment Insurance rates charged to school districts in 2021-22 will increase by 2,400% and divert over $550 million dollars meant for students to the Economic Development Department of California.  Learn how the new rates will siphon off school funding in this episode.  Follow the links below to see the potential impact on your school district and contact your legislator to take action to preserve school funding. Find your Legislator - Enter your Zip Code in ...

Negotiations 2021

In a normal year, and even with good relations, negotiating sessions with our labor partners can be challenging. Then the pandemic came along and we've been negotiating ever since. In this episode, we talk with two seasoned negotiators about their experience in the last year, what issues are on the horizon as we reopen schools, and how to make the best use of state and federal funding over the next school year. Guests: Matt Phillips, Director, Management Consulting Services, School Services...

Bills! Bills! Bills!

In this episode, we'll go behind the scenes to talk about the school reopening bill and run through the highlights of this year's proposed legislation with three leading education advocates who work directly for school districts and county offices of education. Join Santa Clara COE Director of Government Relations Amanda Dickey, San Diego USD Director of Government Relations Enrique Ruacho, and Riverside COE Chief Governmental Relations Officer Jeffrey Vaca as they discuss strategies for wor...

Cyber Attacks! Protect - Detect - Respond

School district networks are critical systems that support student and financial information, human resources and instructional media. They’re also under constant attack by insiders and outsiders hoping to gain access to sensitive information, deny service or extort for ransom. In this episode, San Diego County Office of Education Assistant Superintendent & CTO Terry Loftus and Santa Clara Unified School District Director of Information Technology Joe Ayala talk to two experts on steps distr...

Special Education Funding: How Did It Get Here and Where Is It Going?

The cost to deliver a high quality education for students with disabilities is far higher than the funding provided by the state and federal government. School districts must navigate a complex funding system that is inadequate and inequitable and cover the shortfall. In this episode, we'll talk about how the funding system was designed, what the cost pressures are, and where the funding model is headed. Guests: Brianna Garcia, Vice President, School Services of California Michelle McKay Un...

Governor's Budget - Deeper Dive

The Governor's Budget proposal for 2021-22 was released two weeks ago. LEAs have been busy reviewing the proposal in preparation for budget development. CASBO's President Jaime Dial and the Chair of CASBO's Legislative Committee, Grant Schimelpfening will share CASBO's reaction to the proposal. Guests: Jaime Dial, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, Kings County Office of Education Grant Schimelpfening, Chief Business Official, Lindsay Unified School District

Governor's Budget - Instant Reaction

The Governor has released his initial budget proposal for 2021-22.  We discuss the key funding proposals and how they will support schools as they prepare for reopening with CASBO advocates Sara Bachez and Elizabeth Esquivel in less time than it will take you to read the 380 page proposal or listen to the three-hour press conference.  Guests: Sara Bachez, CASBO Chief Governmental Relations Officer Elizabeth Esquivel,  CASBO Senior Director of Policy & Governance CASBO Newsbreak 1/8/2020 -...

The Cliff

State funds provided to serve low income students are at risk for districts throughout California. The pandemic has made it more difficult for districts to gather information from low income families which is used to generate Supplemental and Concentration Grant Funds even while the needs for these students are even greater. The unexpected drop in these counts will impact districts for several years if the state does not take action to hold districts harmless from this unexpected consequence...

The Budget and New Board Members

New board members will be sworn in this December and shortly after, those new elected officials must consider and approve the district's interim budget report.  What does a new board member need to know about the budget and how does a superintendent work with new and experienced board members on budget issues. Guests: John Garcia, Ph.D., Superintendent, Downey Unified School District Dawn Perfect, Board Member, Ramona Unified School District

Election Recap

This episode will cover the election recap, including Prop 15, Local bond and parcel tax elections, and the National election. With special guests: John Fensterwald, Editor-At-Large at EdSource Timothy McLarney, Ph.D., President at True North Research, Inc. Bonnie Moss, Principal at CliffordMoss

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