Your Academy. Your Resources. All in One Place.

Explore presentations, resources, and tools designed to equip Oklahoma's school business professionals. 

The School Business Academy engages and equips school business professionals with the knowledge, skills, and resources, grounded in integrated, real-world expertise, so they can excel as strategic leaders who ensure effective, ethical, and long-term sustainable school business and operational management across every dimension of the organization. Upon graduation from the School Business Academy, participants are eligible for our professional certifications. 

Upcoming Dates: Fall Session - September 1 - 2, 2026 and Spring Session - February 16 - 17, 2026

Location: Putnam City Schools Centennial Center

Registration Fee: Member $250 and Non-Member $350

Foundations of School Business - Level I

Course Descriptions & Key Concepts

This is the first of four level courses within OKASBO's School Business Academy. It is a foundational course designed to provide the participant with an overview of Oklahoma public schools' history, constitution, and relevant statutory references that guide public schools. The course will also include instruction on the powers of duties of the local school board and the many various funding sources. Upon successful completion, the participant will receive the OKASBO Certificate in the Foundations of School Business.

Oklahoma Constitution and History of Public Schools in Oklahoma

• History and development of public schools in Oklahoma

• Oklahoma Constitution and its relevance to public school formation, guidance, and funding

Oklahoma Laws Governing Schools & Public Entities

• Oklahoma Statutes that govern public schools and public finance, e.g., Title 61, Title 62, Title 70, etc.

• Practical approaches to researching and referencing Oklahoma Statutes (OSCN, School Law Book)

The Local School Board: Elections, Role, Powers & Duties

• Local school board structure and elections

• Understand the specific powers & duties of the school board (Title 70)

• Statutory conflicts of interest for school board members

Public School Funding

• Sources of public school revenue

• Federal funds - Titles, grants, restrictions, reporting

• State funding - A review of state sources, restrictions and reporting

• Local funding - A review of local sources, restrictions and reporting

• History and Terminology of State Aid

• Understanding & calculating state aid

• Chargeables & impact on state aid

• Revenue reporting requirements (SDE analysis and integration of reports)

Principles of School Finance & Business - Level II

Course Descriptions & Key Concepts

This is the second of four level courses within OKASBO's School Business Academy. This course is designed to provide the participant with a comprehensive overview of the principles of school finance, accounting, budgeting, treasury, encumbrances, procurement, federal programs, inventory and fixed assets and PTA and booster clubs.

Preparing the Annual School Budget

• Identifying sources of revenue

• Oklahoma (New) Budget Act

• Preparing the Estimate of Needs

• Budget planning, timing, approval, reporting

• Calculating expenditures

The System of Accounting

• Oklahoma Cost Accounting System: History & Purpose

• Oklahoma Cost Accounting System: Structure and use (practical)

• Administrative costs requirements, restrictions, and proper coding

• Reporting OCAS to SDE

• Importance of consistent reporting across multiple reports

Collecting and Recording Revenue

• Review of revenue sources

• Investments and cash flow

• Role, duties & responsibilities of the school district treasurer

• Segregation of duties

• Reporting (Board & SDE)

Expenditures

• Understanding encumbrances

• Role, duties & responsibilities of the encumbrance clerk

• Approval of encumbrances by school board

• Procurement methods: purchase orders and p-cards

• Encumbrance approval: policy, process & practice

• Accounts payable: 3-way & 4-way matching, payment of claims

Procurement and Contracting: Statutes, Policies & Practices

• Protecting the public interest, building trust, providing transparency

• Federal procurement (2 CFR 200)

• Oklahoma procurement: (Competitive Bidding Act of 1970)

• Child Nutrition procurement

• Local procurement policies & best practices

• Cooperatives, state contracts, state-use contracts

Activity Funds

• Activity funds defined

• Managing activity funds: budgets, expenditures, tracking, approval process

• Purchasing with activity funds, p-cards, encumbrance process

Federal Programs

• Review of Titles & Grants: An explanation of each Title and its purpose

• Federal procurement review

• Supplanting

• Maintenance of effort & comparability

• Tracking and maintaining assets purchased with federal funds

Annual Audit

• General statutory requirements

• Selecting & contracting with auditors

• Audit planning, communication, and reporting

• Single audits

Payroll

• Segregation of duties between payroll and human resources

• Understanding Salary Schedules: Teachers, Support, Administrative

• State & federal taxes & withholdings

• Wage & hour: salary vs. hourly, overtime and compensitory time

• Teachers retirement: Employee & district portions

Maintaining Assets & Inventory

• Fixed assets as defined by OCAS

• Tracking non-fixed assets

• Methods and systems for tracking

Sanctioning & Foundations (PTA/O's, Boosters, & School Foundations)

• Sanctioning requirements

• Board sanctioning policy

• Foundations: Do's & Don'ts

Human Resources & Payroll - Level III

Course Descriptions & Key Concepts

This is the third of four level courses within OKASBO's School Business Academy. The course focuses on the statutory requirements, management and best practices associated with recruiting, hiring, evaluating and retaining employees. Participants must have successfully completed Level I & II courses.

Employee Nomenclature

• Understanding the nomieclature: classified, non-classified, certified, non-certified, support staff

Recruiting, Hiring & Contracting of Certified Staff

• Recruiting & hiring certified staff

• Certified staff contracts & deadlines

• Teacher requirements & certification

• Temporary contracts

• Recruiting methods & strategies

Recruiting, Hiring & Contracting of Non-certified Staff

• Recruiting & hiring non-certified (support) staff

• Non-certified (support) staff contracts & deadlines

• Required certfications/education

• Recruiting methods & strategies

Labor Laws, Policies & Best Practices

• Federal labor laws (FMLA, ADA, FLSA, EEO, etc.)

• Oklahoma state labor laws & benefits

• Workers compensation

• Must have policies & best practices

The Superintendent's Contract

• Understanding the superintendent's contract & reporting

• Split-coding Superintendent's contract

SDE Personnel Report

• Preparing the personnel report

• OCAS & the personnel report

• Reporting schedule/timeline

• Best practices for trouble-free reporting

Employee Evaluations

• Certified staff evaluation requirements & best practices

• Non-certified staff evaluations and best practices

Discipline, Due Process, and Reductions in Force

• Policies, practices & processes for effective behavior management

• Statutory due process for certified & non-certified employees

• Considerations for handling a reduction in force (RIF)

Collective Bargaining

• Statutory provisions for allowable collective bargaining units

• Planning for effective negotiations

• Stategies for meeting & conferring with bargaining units

Employee Benefits

• Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System (OTRS)

• Employee heathcare & flexible benefit allowances

• 403B & 457 requirements & administration

• District-offered fringe benefits

• Marketing benefits for maximum recruitment

Interviewing

• Interviewing do's & don’ts

• Effective interviewing methods and best practices

Payroll

• Segregation of duties between payroll and human resources

• Understanding Salary Schedules: Teachers, Support, Administrative

• State & federal taxes & withholdings

• Wage & hour: salary vs. hourly, overtime and compensatory time

• Teachers retirement: Employee & district portions

Onboarding & Employee Education Programs

• Organizational culture

• Onboarding best practices

• Oklahoma statutory training requirements (OSHA/PEOSH, etc.)

School Operations - Level IV

Course Descriptions & Key Concepts

This is the fourth and final class within OKASBO's School Business Academy. This course is designed to provide the participant with an overview of construction, the operation of school district facilities, transportation, child nutrition, safety, security, warehousing and disposal, and the importance of assessing and managing risks.

Public Improvements: Construction & Remodeling

• Hiring Architects and consultants (Title 61)

• Construction Management (Title 61)

• Project planning, development, and management

• Competitive Bidding Act of 1970

• SDE site plans and reports

Facility & Plant Management & Maintenance

• Physical plant defined

• Replacement schedule/plans (proactive vs. reactive)

• Maintaining grounds and turfs (staffing, equipment, services)

• Custodial services (staffing, equipment, services, cost)

Transportation & Fleet Management

• Purchasing & leasing buses (statutory requirements)

• Bus fleet maintenance

• Understanding state funding for bus services

• Bus routes, programs, and collecting and reporting student rider data

• Special education transportation and the IEP

• Purchasing & maintaining school vehicles (non-bus)

• Bus driver qualifications and requirements

•Strategies & best practices for recruiting, hiring and retaining bus drivers

Child Nutrition

• USDA National School Lunch program requirements

• Collecting & reporting student data for maximum funding

• Self-operation or outsourced program management

• Snack & vending compliance requirements

Strategies & best practices for recruiting, hiring and retaining child nutrition employees

• Federal procurement requirements for CN Programs

Outsourcing School Operations Services

• Outsourcing services

• Sourcing methods for outsourcing

• Contract administration

• Firing your service provider (strategies, planning, etc.)

Risk Assessment & Management

• Assessing risk & liability in the contract's T's & C's

• Understanding the Oklahoma Governmental Tort Claims Act

• Acquiring property, causuality, liability, workers Compensation insurance, directors & officiers and cyber insurance

• Oklahoma PEOSH requirements & safety programs

• Mandated School Safety & Security Committees

• School security plans, services, equipment, and personnel

Energy Management

• Equipment planning and specifications (total cost of ownership)

• Energy audits

• Energy savings plans & best practices

• Alternative energy sources for schools

• 3rd party natural gas

Warehousing & Disposal

• Managing surplus and disposal

• Statutory green procurement requirements (Federal & State)

• E-waste disposal

• Disposing of used textbooks and FF&E

• Disposing of equipment & goods procured with federal funds

• Accounting for depreciation & salvage value