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Seven proven ways to save on school budgets
Leaders reveal their secrets for balancing school budgets—without dropping what’s important
As with personal shopping, it might be best to hold off on purchases until either a sale comes along, or some extra cash is freed.
Despite some small signs of an economic recovery, states continue to struggle with their budgets—and districts are still finding it necessary to cut costs wherever possible. But such drastic measures as laying off staff and cutting valuable programs are not always needed, especially if you’re savvy enough to know of some often-overlooked ways to save.
In this article, you’ll find seven helpful suggestions from superintendents, technology directors, and teachers, explaining how their schools have managed to save money—because if there’s one thing this tough economy has shown, it’s that money matters.
1. Become more energy-efficient.
According to Kathleen M. Airhart, director of schools for Putnam County, Tenn., the last two fiscal years have been difficult for her school system. Month after month, state and local revenues have declined as a result of lower-than-anticipated sales tax growth.
“The school board and administration have been forced to make extremely difficult decisions in reducing expenditures and operations for our system, [cutting programs] that had been standard practice for many years. With an anticipated sales tax loss of near a million dollars for 2008-09, I … was constantly seeking solutions that would not directly impact teaching and the classroom,” Airhart explained.
She decided to look at how the school system could save money by reducing its energy consumption, but added: “The energy savings … would have to be found by reducing energy consumption with what equipment we currently had available, and not by spending thousands of dollars to change out operational systems. I have always considered myself to be somewhat of an environmentalist … but how could I convince my system of 19 schools, 1,100 employees, and 10,000 students to do the same?”
Airhart decided the best way to get buy-in among stakeholders was to conduct a contest among the county’s schools to see which school could save the most energy.
3 Responses to Seven proven ways to save on school budgets
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k12tco
July 28, 2010 at 5:03 pm
See more on these great tips plus other suggested tactics and strategies for surviving the economic crisis at CoSN’s Mastering the Moment website: http://www.cosn.org.mtm
k12tco
July 28, 2010 at 5:03 pm
See more on these great tips plus other suggested tactics and strategies for surviving the economic crisis at CoSN’s Mastering the Moment website: http://www.cosn.org.mtm
k12tco
July 28, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Correction on the CoSN Mastering the Moment website: http://www.cosn.org/mtm
k12tco
July 28, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Correction on the CoSN Mastering the Moment website: http://www.cosn.org/mtm
dale.hoskisson
August 20, 2010 at 3:28 pm
I am surprised that there is not mention made of shifting to open source software.
dale.hoskisson
August 20, 2010 at 3:28 pm
I am surprised that there is not mention made of shifting to open source software.