Editor's Note: When asked whether Mr. Musso had anything to add when STN presented him with questions for this month's Q&A, the ASBO executive director went on to write a well-written and thought-provoking response. Due to space restrictions we were unable to print it in the magazine and have included it below.

More and more, the current trend in school systems is becoming one of inclusion rather than exclusion of the school business official. School systems on the cutting edge of educational reform have found that success of any kind is highly dependent upon the partnership of the instructional departments with the operational and support departments. In these times of competing resources, any part of educational reform involves maximizing resources and resource allocation. Comprehensive school reform and resource allocation requires even more innovative approaches to maximizing resources and increased awareness and participation of Support Service Divisions with the Instructional Programs. In order for school reform to be successful, districts need to maximize the instructional resources through innovative practices as well as utilizing alternative sources of revenue and other resources. These resources would include time, people and money. School business officials are certainly an integral part of that process and possess the skills necessary to be a productive member of the instructional team, contributing in ways more meaningful than ever before.

The partnership/cooperation between the SBO and the superintendent, school board and the instructional program staff then becomes what I refer to as a systemic cooperative model. Cooperative for all of the right reasons, and systemic because it is a model that must be replicated system-wide across the wide range of operational and support areas of the school system. There are those various fiscal skills that the SBO brings to the table, but how does this become a systemic model?

As we take that 25,000-foot-level view of the operations and support side, we see a host of other support areas: technology, purchasing, nutrition services, transportation, facilities and plant maintenance, grounds, custodial, accounting and budget, payroll, accounts payable and receivable, warehousing and risk management. Everyone knows that these areas help the school system run effectively and efficiently, especially when the heat goes out, the bathrooms back up, needing a rush order on textbooks, needing that extra touch on cafeteria operations, having a special trip for an activity and needing bus service, or maybe the football field needs to be lined two days ahead of time for a pre-function. Whatever the situation, at one time or another, the operations and support divisions are called upon. These are the typical “special requests” or “emergencies” that we deal with on a daily basis, and are still able to carry out the day-to-day functions that sometimes get lost amidst the larger instructional picture. (It’s) very easy for a payroll tech or accounting clerk to have a difficult time determining what their direct impact on the classroom is. Now let’s take a look at this picture from ground level, or, as sometimes my staff refers to it as “how the sausage is made.”

Transporting students to and from school, as well as the various extracurricular and activity events, quickly becomes a key component in our school systems. Many of our rural systems would present huge challenges to children and parents without the daily transportation services. Sure, we have very committed parents who would and could drive their children to school. But, what about our parents who face daily challenges themselves? Probably not too far off to say that some of these students would become early dropouts, falling through the cracks at a very early age. Let’s think about it. Every day, millions of children board buses and the first and last face they see in their educational career is the bus driver. What an impact that individual can make in the life of a child.

Nutrition services, as everyone knows, play a key role in student learning. Learning cannot and will not take place if a child is hungry. Without the proper nutrition, the brain’s synapse would stop firing, or at least slow down to a very dim glow. The nutrition services people got this operations/instructional partnership a long time ago. Years ago they were on Capitol Hill lobbying for breakfast and snack programs. And, how successful they have been. Today, the nutrition group is one of the most strongest and powerful lobbying group in our Nation’s Capitol.

In today’s age of recognizing that children learn in different modalities and with different tools and teaching techniques, our technology experts are heroes at best. Walking around a classroom of today, one will see various forms of technology used to help deliver the curriculum that has been developed. A large part of our instructional reform utilizes technology in many forms. Technology staff not only needs to know the ins and outs of hardware, software, networks, and the like, but they must also have extensive skills relative to student learning, curriculum and student achievement. Partnerships have developed with the instructional staff early on in order to help with instructional reform.

Our plant and maintenance, building and grounds, and custodial staff is so very unique in nature and so unlike other corporate models because of our customers. In the private sector, keeping the buildings clean, warm or cool, aesthetically pleasing and making sure the grounds are meticulously manicured are these employees common goal. In the public sector, the school system staffs in these areas have a much different focus. Yes, it is necessary to keep the buildings warm or cool, clean, and the what not, and we do focus on those areas as our primary responsibilities, but we come at those goals and responsibilities in a much different way. Research has found that the students’ environment is critical to the learning process. Competing and or declining resources dictate that these individuals find unique ways to manage the general operations and plant areas. Many of these employees are so talented that for years we have gotten by on repairing our facilities with bubble gum and shoe strings. Not the best scenario, but it has worked. Clearly, a talented and dedicated group of staff. Oh, did I mention IAQ, Indoor Air Quality, or I should say Indoor Environmental Quality. That’s a whole other topic in itself.

The purchasing, warehouse and related areas seem to escape everyone’s eye until something goes wrong. They are then called upon to perform tasks that in many cases, are this side of a miracle. I have seen purchasing and warehouse operations get textbooks delivered in warp speed that would make the USS Enterprise on Star Trek seem as slow as a snail. Daily they negotiate prices so that resources can be maximized and more opportunities provided to our children. I have seen committed staff get in trucks and drive hundreds of miles to pick up computers that couldn’t be delivered by the company for two weeks in order to help the instructional team implement a program.

OK, but where do the payroll and the financial and accounting areas fit in? A question I have heard more often than not in my 30 years in education. Close your eyes for a few seconds and envision a school system that isn’t able to pay its employees accurately or on time, or on a consistent basis. Envision a school system that may or may not pay its bills on time. Envision a school system that may or may not keep accurate general ledger entries or balancing bank statements. OK, got the picture? Now open your eyes and what do you see? You see employees that are more concerned about how they are going to meet their individual financial obligations. Textbook, supply and other suppliers who demand cash payment before delivery, loss of credit and ability to procure goods and services at a competitive rate. You also see a school system that has no idea what its financial picture looks like. Just exactly what is our fund balance and what does our financial statement really reflect. You see a community that has lost confidence in its school system and one that has a very difficult time supporting any of its initiatives.

If I turn to my risk management staff, I will find that they have their hands full trying to keep all of the children and staff safe while at school, as well as managing the risk for every other employee and department. Saving dollars is a risk manager’s middle name and eats, thinks, and sleeps risk management. All for the benefit of the classroom. We know where the children would be without our risk managers, but where would we be? Probably out doing something we shouldn’t that is totally unsafe, harmful and a definite liability for the school system.

I could go on and on, but I think you’ve got the idea. Without these operational and support areas little would get done. But without their cooperation and partnerships with the instructional areas, instruction at its most basic level would be difficult if not impossible. Let alone attempting to implement any reforms without this partnership or “Systemic Cooperative Model.”

There is a definite void in the educational process if the SBO isn’t represented around the table. Conversely, the SBO must be willing to be at the table and understand the impact of the instructional programs and the methodology behind their implementation. There must be a willingness at both ends to participate in the “Systemic Cooperative Model.” Several years ago, if you asked a school business official what they do, you could get a litany of daily tasks and responsibilities dealing with maintenance, transportation, nutrition service, purchasing, warehousing, risk management, legal issues, budget, accounting, payroll, technology, auditing, buildings, grounds, on call for building break-ins, roof leaks, heating or air conditioning out, selling bonds, buying bonds, construction, bond elections, community meetings, and budget hearings. Some of us “old timers” have even shoveled coal into and the clinkers out of boilers because our custodian was sick on a below-zero day. But if you pose that same question today, more than likely, you will hear one more duty, task, responsibility tacked on to the list — Educator.

If you think about it, being a school business official is probably the best job in the world. Where else could be involved in EVERY aspect of a child’s learning process. SBOs making the difference in the life of a child. You bet! Every day, of every week, of every year.

Printed as a supplement from the April 2008 issue of School Transportation News magazine. All rights reserved.