Budget Badge #09 - Presenting the Budget to the Board and Community-Budget Badge #9

Video Transcription

Video Summary

This video explains how to present a school district budget clearly to the board and community. It emphasizes that districts must hold a formal budget hearing (by Aug. 1 for districts under 2,000 students; by Aug. 31 for 2,000+). Because many board and community members are not fluent in school finance, presenters should connect budget decisions to the district’s strategic plan and goals, showing how spending priorities support student learning, well-being, engagement, staffing, and resource stewardship.<br /><br />Key considerations to include are the district’s “why,” resource use, relevant data, board goals, new or ongoing investments, legislative impacts, collective bargaining commitments, fund balance projections, and multi-year sustainability (e.g., the four-year forecast). The hearing should not be the first time the board sees major issues—communicate early and often throughout the year with budget-to-actual updates, timelines, enrollment trends, staffing changes, and financial risks.<br /><br />The presenter should tell a “district story” using relatable narratives (not just numbers), avoid jargon, use charts/graphs, highlight key takeaways, disclose forecasting assumptions, and end with a forward-looking message. Examples show how districts summarize priorities and visualize trends like enrollment decline, revenue vs. expenditures, and fund balance.

Keywords

school district budget presentation

formal budget hearing deadlines

board and community communication

strategic plan alignment

budget-to-actual financial updates

fund balance projections

multi-year financial sustainability forecast

data visualization and storytelling