School Money Matters: A Handbook for Principals

Even the best educational leaders can be unprepared for the responsibility of spending and accounting for the thousands of dollars that pass through a school's books each year. Without a solid understanding of school financial management, administrators may find it a serious distraction from their primary pedagogical mission. They also risk damage to their careers and to the reputations of their schools.

School Money Matters is a concise, practical desk reference, based on sound accounting principles and written specifically for professionals at the school level. It includes understandable guidance on the following critical topics:
* Admission Tickets
* Audits
* Bank Reconciliation
* Bookkeeping Basics
* School Credit/Purchasing Cards
* Employee Embezzlement
* Encumbrance of Funds
* Field Trips
* Fund-Raising Events
* Gifts to Students or Staff
* Online Purchasing and Electronic Banking Transfers
* Parent Organizations
* Petty Cash
* Raffles
* Staff Reimbursement
* The School Budget
* The School Store
* Transfers and Adjustments
* Vending Services

Featuring a comprehensive glossary of school financial management terms, graphic organizers to clarify complex accounting concepts, and a checklist for monitoring financial activities throughout the year, this book provides the information principals need to safeguard school funds and protect themselves--and their staffs--from the suspicion of theft or laxness. It also comes with a CD-ROM of downloadable financial forms that principals can use and disseminate in their own schools.

Davida W. Mutter is a consultant and the former Assistant Superintendent for Budget and Finance for Chesapeake (Va.) Public Schools. Pam J. Parker is a certified public accountant, a certified internal auditor, and the former Chief Internal Auditor for Chesapeake Public Schools.

Davida W. Mutter spent thirty years in public education, 19 of them with Chesapeake Public Schools in Virginia serving as Assistant Superintendent for Budget and Finance, and Director of the departments of Budget, Accounting, Internal Audit, and Staff Development. Pam Parker is a certified public accountant, a certified internal auditor, and the former Chief Internal Auditor of Chesapeake Public Schools.