The board of education selected the school system’s first superintendent in June 2018 and, over the next year, worked tirelessly with the superintendent to develop core values, a purpose statement, and board policies.
The purpose statement is simple and straightforward: “The purpose of Gulf Shores City Schools is to provide engaging learning environments, rigorous academics, and to incorporate the unique resources of our community to empower all students to achieve success.”
The system’s core values are:
- Promoting rigorous, comprehensive, and relevant curriculum that prepares students to become productive citizens and lifelong learners.
- Developing self-reliance by incorporating the student’s physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being into the teaching/learning environment.
- Fostering inclusive, engaging members of society, and encouraging critical and creative thinking.
- Recruiting and emboldening the best and the brightest faculty and staff and rewarding innovation and collaboration.
- Instilling a sense of pride in our schools by engaging the Gulf Shores community in the educational experience.
The board and superintendent recognized the importance of defining where we wanted to go and the culture we wanted to create. The five values established early on drove every decision moving forward, from policies to programs to hiring and beyond.
The Alabama Department of Education officially approved this independent school system, and the board began hiring central office staff with the goal of opening the district’s doors in August 2019. In April 2019, I was hired as the first chief school financial officer (CSFO).
Coming into the system, I had two years of experience as a CSFO at another school system and several years in public accounting, but still, I wondered, “What did I get myself into?” I knew that the first year would be stressful with its demands for careful planning, coordinating, and communicating to ensure the financial success of Gulf Shores City Schools, but the opportunity to establish financial goals and build a district from nothing would be rewarding.
Gulf Shores City Schools is now a top 10 system in Alabama.
The Planning Process
During the first two weeks of the initial planning stage, the superintendent and I met many times to discuss such basics as policies, procedures, manuals, software implementations, and initial budgets. Working with the superintendent and the board of education to establish financial policies, write the financial manual, and establish procedures and internal control forms was an invaluable experience.
I launched an electronic onboarding platform that allowed each new employee to complete their onboarding packet online. This cut down on employee file processing time and allowed me to set up time management and payroll software to meet the deadline for the first payroll. I also established the first budget and collaborated with the superintendent, principals, and directors to determine requirements and limits for staffing, school software, school supplies, food costs, professional services, and utilities. I also worked closely with the county revenue commissioner to establish local revenue projections.
Careful planning was critical for the entire central office staff and school administrators to ensure a smooth transition to Gulf Shores City Schools.
Coordination Across Stakeholders
As part of the transition to a city school system, I worked with the county school system, the county revenue commissioner, the City of Gulf Shores Finance Committee, and internally with the local schools.
The staff spent many weeks coordinating with the county school system’s human resource department to determine which employees would remain with the county schools and which would be employed by Gulf Shores City Schools. We also worked with the county revenue commissioner to determine local revenue funds and funding calculations. We communicated continually with the revenue commissioner to calculate funding percentages based on the state-calculated average daily membership (ADM).
One of the most important areas of coordination was with the City of Gulf Shores Finance Committee. Because we did not receive state, local, or federal funding until October 1, we relied on the city finance committee to fund our cash flow from June 1 until September 30. Prior to October 1, I worked with the committee monthly to prevent cash flow shortages and keep the school board informed of all activities. During that time, I developed monthly budgets and coordinated with the finance committee to request appropriations. The finance committee presented the appropriation request to the city council for approval.
I also worked regularly with the local schools during the transition, including establishing a training schedule for bookkeepers to learn the new financial and HR software. We also spent a great deal of time coordinating the transition of accounts, activity balance transfers, and internal control forms.
Clear Communication
Clear, open communication during this transition gave employees and the community a sense of comfort moving forward. It was important that we remained transparent with employees as we determined staffing and funding needs. Through one-on-one meetings with employees and at board meetings, we continually communicated timelines and updated available information.
Once we determined our staffing needs, I presented our funding requirements to the City of Gulf Shores Finance Committee; I also proposed additional resources which we believed would result in the best possible school system.
The communication has since evolved to encompass more specific requests with the city finance committee and continual transparent communication of financial information through board meetings and our website.
Where We Are Today
To say the first year was a challenge would be an understatement. Fast forward four years and all the planning, coordinating, and communicating resulted in Gulf Shores City Schools making strides that even we did not envision in such a short amount of time.
The City of Gulf Shores saw a need to control how tax revenues were being spent. That community vision allows us to offer our students a rigorous and engaging curriculum that was not possible when we were part of the county system. We offer programs such as oyster harvesting, scuba classes, aeronautics, wellness programs, state-of-the art music labs, engineering labs, ecotourism partnerships, biking field trips to state parks, and so much more. We have worked on solar and energy projects and provide employee benefits that are not offered anywhere else in the state. Last year we were awarded the Green Ribbon School District Award by the U.S. Department of Education, the only district in the Southeast to garner the recognition. The district also ranked in the top 10 on the state report card.
Why are we so proud of these programs and rewards? We would not have been seen as a top 10 school system prior to forming an independent school system. This goes back to the city’s vision, the board’s core values, and the commitment to making decisions based on those values. We must be succeeding; we have outgrown our current buildings and will begin building a new high school in 2024.
As the first chief school financial officer, I could not be prouder of what we have been able to accomplish for the students and the community. Would I go through it all again? That’s up for debate.