SBO Perspectives

If you’re considering reducing your carbon footprint and lowering your utility bill, there hasn’t been a better time to get started! The introduction of the Inflation Reduction Act in August of 2022 opens a new revenue stream for school districts looking to install green energy solutions in their buildings. Doreen Hamilton and Michael Ryan of Energy Systems Group (ESG) give use a glimpse at the po...

Ever wonder what it’s like to pass the baton to the incoming president of ASBO International? We sit down with Bill Sutter, CFO at Boulder Valley School District and Immediate Past President of ASBO International to talk about the journey to his presidency, how he became a School Business Official and reflect on his leadership in 2022.

When the New York State Comptroller’s Office comes knocking, it’s usually an uneasy feeling for most School Business Officials. Who knows what the focus is going to be? How much time is this going to take? These are all questions we’ve asked, but there is good news! The Comptroller is here to help us and Ira McCracken, Chief of Municipal Audits, breaks down how we as SBO’s should be leveraging the...

Not all of our topics are easy to discuss, but we know it’s important to address everything a School Business Official might face. Today, we tackle the political side of the job with Dr. Sam Gergis, Assistant Superintendent for Business at Sayville Public Schools. Dr. Gergis has a wealth of knowledge and experience, taking us from athletic facilities use to approaching longstanding problems that h...

When’s the last time you had to fly into a school district because of its remote location? Did you remember your toothbrush? Melody Douglas, Associate Executive Director of Alaska ASBO, has some great stories to tell throughout her 32 years of experience!

Sit down with your favorite hosts as they reflect on 2022 and look ahead to what’s to come in 2023!

There are big things on the horizon for ASBO International! Today we speak with incoming president, John Hutchison, on his vision and where he sees the organization moving in 2023!

Just when you thought it was over, the GASB fun continues! GASB 96 is right around the corner so don’t be caught waiting until the last minute! Get a head start on what to expect with our guests, Brian Petersen and Melissa Szot from PKF O’Connor Davies and Kasey Harris from DebtBook as they walk us through the similarities and differences to GASB 87 and how to best prepare for another round of GAS...

Professional development is an incredibly important aspect of the SBO. Our learning does not stop once we completed our course work but rather, it continues on as we grow in the profession. Dr. Lynn Allen, Assistant Superintendent at PNW BOCES and Brian Fried, Assistant Superintendent for Business and the Public Schools of Tarrytown, both join us as experts in PD and speak to how they’re curating...

It takes a lot of work to keep and association of SBO’s on track and to tell us all about it we have Brian Chechnicki, Executive Director of ASBO New York, Sharon Bruce, Executive Director Connecticut ASBO and Sandy Halliwell, Executive Director Southeastern ASBO. From professional development to assembling conferences we hear it all from this talented group of execs!

It's out second annual Friends of the Pod episode! Tune in to see who's giving their love and feedback to your humbled hosts!

We love it when there’s an opportunity to speak to an up and coming SBO! Bo Charlton, Business Manager at Lake Chelan School District in Washington joins us 4 months on the job. From internship to the hot seat, Bo gives us a glimpse into what it’s like start out in your first SBO job!

In New York, School Business Officials are all too familiar with the Foundation Aid Formula and how it hasn’t functioned as it was intended when it was introduced back in 2007. Now that districts are almost “fully funded”, it’s unclear how the formula will run as we enter uncharted territory. Dr. Rick Timbs joins us today to give us his take on what to expect moving forward and a history lesson on...

We always love having new SBO’s on the podcast and today we’re excited to bring you Dr. Michael Lewis, Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services at the Lewiston-Porter School District in New York. Michael as been on the job for a whopping four months and gives us his take on how his unique background has prepared him for the many challenges faced by the modern SBO.

No matter where you are in the world, the job of an SBO has many of the same challenges. Stephen Morales, CEO of the Institute of School Business Leadership in the United Kingdom, highlights those challenges faced by SBOs in the UK, ongoing funding equity issues for students and why the current political turmoil has made it so challenging for meaning progress in public education.

How familiar are you with your budget? What about your district and building leaders? Howie Barber, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations at Old Rochester Regional School District in Massachusetts takes us on his journey of becoming and SBO and why he’s implemented Zero Based Budgeting at his District. His take on diving into each budget line every year demonstrates the importance of...

We’ve had our fair share of SBO's on the podcast who are passionate about the work they do but few come close to Cindy Reilmann, Director of Finance at Francis Howell R-III SD. A major proponent of ASBO International and one of 2022’s Eagle Award winners, Cindy shares her SBO experiences and why she loves the work so much.

Today we sit down with the head honcho of ASBO International, Executive Director David Lewis. Find out all about what the organization does for its members and what is on the horizon for membership growth and professional development opportunities!

It’s not every day we speak to someone who was instrumental in contributing to a state’s education funding formula but we lucked out! Ryan Pendleton, Executive Director at North Coast Shared Services Alliance joins us to speak about how his contributions influenced Ohio’s state funding mechanism and how to best communicate to your BOE and community.

Would you be willing to take over the top position of your school district if the occasion presented itself? What if you still had to be the SBO and Human Resources Director? That’s exactly what Dr. Jeremy Lonneville, Interim Superintendent at Livonia Central School District is juggling with right now! He’s had a tremendous experience so far and has some interesting insights on the Superintendency...

Today we’re taught that it’s always important to keep our purpose and the “why” of what we do in the forefront of our minds. Aubrey Kirkpatrick, Director of Finance and Administration at Anglophone East School District is incredibly passionate about his work and clues us into why it’s so important.

History does tend to repeat itself and the same applies to public education and school business. Dr. David Bein, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services/CSBO at Barrington 220 Community Unit School District in Barrington, IL peels pack the pages of history and sheds some light on the challenges we’ve faced in the past. Check out the two articles Dr. Bein refers to (The Fundamentals of Inter...

We always love it when we have the opportunity to record live, but this one in particular was very special to SBO Perspectives. To kick off our partnership with ASBO International, we spoke to SBOs from across the country to get their feedback on this year’s conference. Hunker down and tune in to hear from your peers, nationwide!

Many of us were not prepared for the GASB 87 reporting requirements for the fiscal year end of 2022. However, we have experts in the field of auditing with PKF, O’Connor Davies, LLP to break down GASB 87 and provide tips to get ready for GASB 94 and 96 for the end of this year!

Being a new SBO has it challenges! Where do you start? Who do you call? Fortunately, we have a great “first-timer” that describes his experience and how being an SBO is 80% non-finance related work. Chris Carballo, Assistant Superintendent for Business at Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery CSD is 2 months on the job and gives some great insight on what it’s like to just start out as an SBO!