AP 500: Budget Development Process
Business & Finance
Background
The Superintendent, through the Associate Superintendent, Corporate Supports and Services, responsibly promotes a budget development process that reflects distributed decision making, adheres to statutory timelines and that is both participatory and cyclical.
Procedures
1. Budget planning and process shall be a responsibility of the Associate Superintendent, Corporate Supports and Services and respective designates.
2. The budget shall be prepared in accordance with provincial requirements as stated in legislation and regulations as well as the budget assumptions established annually by the Board of Trustees.
3. The budget shall identify new or discontinued programs and/or initiatives.
4. Targeted grants shall be expended in accordance with the associated grant rules.
5. The annual budget shall be presented for Board approval on or before May 31 unless the submission deadline is amended by Alberta Education.
6. Under the general direction of the Superintendent, the Associate Superintendent, Corporate Supports and Services shall administer the budget of the Division.
7. The Associate Superintendent, Corporate Supports and Services is accountable to the Superintendent for the effective control of expenditures within the budgetary limits established for the departments and schools.
8. A revised budget which reflects September 30 enrolment figures shall be presented to the Board for approval in November unless the submission deadline is amended by Alberta Education.
With respect to budget management:
9. All site budgets shall be managed by the Site Administrators and Principals through the Division’s accounting system.
9.1. The Site Administrators and Principals are responsible for developing their respective budgets within the timelines identified by the Associate Superintendent of Corporate Supports and Services.
9.2. The Site Administrators and Principals are responsible and accountable for financial decisions under their delegated authority.
10. Any site surplus that occurs shall be reallocated in the next budget year as per Administrative Procedure 524 – School Carryovers and Reserves and any deficit shall be charged to the next budget year.
10.1. Any revisions to staffing past September 30 shall be charged to the respective sites at actual cost rather than the average cost provision which will only apply to staffing in place prior to September 30.
11. All estimated revenues and expenses shall be recorded and shown in the school budget plans.
With respect to the purchase of services:
12. Servicespurchasedfromanotherschoolaredefinedasthoseservicesinwhichstaffingcosts are incurred as a result of one site providing a service to another site within their site.
12. Staffing that is shared or split between two(2) or more sites shall be allocated appropriately through the payroll system and shown as a part of the full time equivalency (FTE) budget for the school in which the service is provided.
14. Notifications of services purchased are to be reflected on the site’s budget as a predetermined expenditure allocation.
14.1. Any changes during the year will require notification by both sites to the Financial Services department.
With respect to school generated funds (SGF):
15. School generated funds shall be separately accounted for from the school’s Instructional Budget and shall be reviewed annually by Principals.
