Trend reports

Trend reports confirm and improve the validity of budget assumptions. The budget development process leans heavily on assumptions about a district's students, revenues, and expenses. Examining trend report can help improve the validity of these assumptions. By looking over a budget for several years, it is possible to identify patterns and past errors in the predictions.

A sense of a district's financial history- combined with an informed look at the future- can also help make the opportunities for flexibility and new programs clearer. Collecting data and developing assumptions are both important steps in being able to make financial projections.

From Understanding School District Budgets January 2005