AASBO
Professional Certification
Program
(Revised 10/31/2007, 6/3/2011, 6/18/2012)
Arkansas Association of School Business Officials
219 South Victory
Little Rock, AR 72201
Fax 501-372-2807
AASBO Certification Program
The Arkansas Association of School Business Officials (AASBO) Certification Program, administered through a Certification Committee of AASBO members, provides voluntary as well as state department mandated professional in-service training for persons engaged in school business administration.
School business officials who have appropriate experience, who receive satisfactory recommendations, and who complete the required course work are eligible for certification. Participating individuals will receive, as a Certified Arkansas School Business Official (CASBO), a final official certificate upon completion of the program.
It is hoped that such documented participation in this program will be recognized throughout the state by superintendents and boards as important factors in assessing the professional growth and worthiness of individuals in key business positions in Arkansas schools.
Certification is provided for a period of three years. Once initial certification is granted, three (3) upper level courses (those numbered 200 and above) must be completed during that three year period in order for the certificate to be renewed.
For current information on the CASBO program, call Mike Mertens or Karen Dean at the AAEA office, phone number 501-372-1691 or e-mail m.mertens@theaaea.org or k.dean@theaaea.org.
Certification Requirements
Candidates for certification as a Certified Arkansas School Business Official (CASBO) must meet the following:
(1) Be responsible for one or more areas of school business administration.
(2) Have at least three (3) years experience as a school business official.
(3) Submit a letter of recommendation from the local school superintendent or school board president that addresses six specific areas concerning the candidate: integrity, character, ethical behavior, ability to supervise others, follow-through on assigned responsibilities, and competence on the job.
(4) Complete the required coursework.
(5) Submit an application to AAEA.
(6) Be a member of the Arkansas Association of School Business Officials.
(7) Course work for certification must be taken within a five-year (5) period.
Course Requirements
Initial Certification. In order to meet the course requirements for a Certified Arkansas School Business Official (CASBO), fifteen (15) courses must be successfully completed. Ten (10) of the following courses are required as follows:
- School Finance 101A
- School Finance 101B
- School Finance 102
- Human Resources 101
- Human Resources 102
- Purchasing and Supply Management 101
- Maintenance and Operations 101
- Maintenance and Operations 102
- Food Services 101
- Transportation 101
- Information Management 101
- Risk Management 101
- School Management 101
- School Management 102
Required courses are denoted with an “*” in the curriculum section.
Five additional courses, as electives, must be taken as elected. At least three (3) of these must be numbered 200 and above.
Affiliate Course Work. Up to three credits of course work obtained from SASBO (Southeastern Association of School Business Officials) or ASBOI (Association of School Business Officials International) offerings may be counted as electives for initial CASBO certification.
Certification Renewal. In order to renew the CASBO Certification, a candidate for renewal must file an application with AAEA, and three (3) upper level courses (those numbered 200 and above) must be completed within a three year period, excluding affiliate courses. These may be duplicates of upper level courses taken during the initial certification period or previous renewal certification periods.
Re-Certification. In order to recertify after an initial or renewal certificate has expired, the candidate for recertification must file an application for recertification with AAEA, and have completed two (2) of the required three (3) upper level courses (those numbered 200 and above) within a three year period from the date of initial or renewal certification, and must complete the third of the three upper level courses within a calendar year of the expiration date of the prior certificate. Failure to re-certify in a timely manner will require repeating the initial certification process.
Participation and Fees
Registration for each course is generally $30.00 for AASBO members and $45.00 for non-members.
There must be a minimum of ten participants if a course is taught. This minimum may be waived if special circumstances dictate.
AASBO will attempt to offer courses at various locations throughout the state as the demand warrants. Fees for regional classes will be set on a case by case basis.
Course Number Structure
Prefixes (such as “SF” and “MO”) denote the category of the course.
The first digit denotes the “level” of the course:
1 – basic courses
2 – intermediate courses
3 – advanced courses
4 – supplemental courses (including affiliate courses)
The second digit denotes the “type” of course:
0 – general courses
1 – application specific courses
The third digit (if not “0”) denotes courses that are usually taken in sequence.
An alpha character suffix denotes related courses:
(A, B, C, D, etc.).
School Finance Curriculum
Course content is listed below for regularly scheduled courses. Any courses approved by the Arkansas Department of Education for Act 61 and/or Act 730 (ASAP) requirements will have more specific content as approved by the ADE. Electives include, but are not limited to, the classes listed.
*SF 101A – School Revenue (content approved by the ADE for initial Act 730 training)
- Legal basis
- Local sources of revenue
- State sources of revenue
- Federal sources of revenue
- Review of budget/annual financial report
*SF 101B – School Expenditures (content approved by the ADE for initial Act 730 training)
- Legal basis
- Expenditure by fund
- Expenditure by function
- Expenditure by object
- Review of budget/annual financial report
*SF 102 – School Account Coding (may substitute SM101 for CASBO)
- Legal basis
- Provisions of Handbook 2R2
-including AFRB specifications
- Fund specific code restrictions and requirements
- Coding structure
- Other elements
SF 103 – Annual Financial Report/Budget
- Legal basis
- AFR/Budget preparation and compilation
- Budgeting as a tool
- Other budget considerations
SF 104 – Basic Accounting Procedures
- Analysis of double entry accounting
- Analysis of transactions
- Preparing and recording transactions
SF 105 – Understanding Your State Funding Printout
- State Categorical (Special News) and Foundation Funds
- ADM Calculations
- Student Growth/Declining Enrollment Funding
- Property Assessments
- Education Excellence Trust Fund Requirements
- Proper APSCN Coding for all Funds
SF 113 – Applications – Annual Financial Report/Budget
SF 114 – Applications – Basic Accounting
SF 201 – Activity Funds
- Legal basis
- Principles of activity funds
- Management of funds
- Accounting provisions
SF 202 – Auditing
- Legal basis
- Developing internal controls
- Maintaining documentation
- Post audit procedures
SF 203 – Investing School Funds and Borrowing
- Legal basis
- Investment instruments
- Borrowing options
- Collateralization and record keeping
SF 211 – Applications – Activity Fund Methods & Practice
SF222 – Federal Funds Finance
- Federal fund revenues
- Federal fund expenditures
- Federal fund accounting & reporting
SF 301 – Budget Analysis
- Revenue analysis
- Expenditure analysis
- Resource analysis
SF 401 – Current Trends/Updates in School Finance
SF 402 – Affiliate Course Credit
Human Resources
*HR 101 – Introduction to Human Resources
- Legal issues
- Recruitment, selection, and placement
- Job description and training
- Evaluation
- Personnel records
*HR 102 – Employee Compensation
- Legal basis
- Salary and wages
- Benefits and deductions
- Payroll records
HR 112A – Applications – Payroll
HR 112B – Applications – Benefits
HR 113 – Applications – Attendance and Leave
HR 201 – Compliance Issues
- Labor issues
- Discrimination issues
- Compensation issues
- Workplace safety issues
HR 202 – Benefit Issues
- Selection
- Implementation
- HIPPA
- Education and awareness
- Limitations
HR 401 – Current Trends/Updates in Human Resources
HR 402 – Affiliate Course Credit
Purchasing and Supply Management Curriculum
*PS 101 – Introduction to Purchasing and Supply Management (content approved by the ADE for initial Act 730 training)
- Legal basis
- Purchasing policy
- Purchasing procedures
- Purchase orders and requisitions
- Other purchasing considerations
- Purchasing ethics
PS 111 – Applications – Purchasing Methods & Practice
PS 202 – Inventory and Fixed Asset Control
- Legal basis
- Fixed assets
- Supplies and materials
- GASB 34 fixed assets considerations
PS 212 – Applications – Fixed Assets
PS 213 – Applications – Inventory and Warehousing
PS 401 – Current Trends & Updates in Purchasing
PS 402 – Affiliate Course Credit
Maintenance and Operations Curriculum
*MO 101 – Introduction to Plant Operations
- Staff and scheduling considerations
- Custodial standards
- Facility inspection and supply management
- Community use of facilities
*MO 102 – Introduction to Plant Maintenance
- Policies and standards for maintenance
- Scheduling of funds, staff and contracted services
- Preventive, recurring, and emergency maintenance
- Maintenance records
MO 201 – School Plant Planning and Construction
- Legal basis
- Educational standards for sites, buildings, and equipment
- Facility needs and usage
- Design, construction, and renovation
MO 202 – Energy Management
- Legal basis
- Energy surveys and cost analysis
- Management plans
- Performance contracts
MO 203 – Environmental Management
- Air quality
- Asbestos
- Lead
- MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets)
MO 401 – Current Trends and Updates in Maintenance and Operations
MO 402 – Affiliate Course Credit
Food Services Curriculum
*FS 101 – Introduction to Food Services
- General regulations covering food service programs
- District-operated programs vs. contracted programs
- Food service accounting
- Staffing, supervising and in-service
FS 102 – Food Sources and Purchasing
- Commodities
- Market sources
- Bidding
FS 202 – Kitchen Maintenance and Operations
- Health codes
- Fire codes
- Equipment
- Layout and design
FS 401 – Current Trends and Updates in Food Service
Transportation Curriculum
*TR 101 – Introduction to Transportation
- Legal basis
- Policy and regulations
- Fleet
- Routes and scheduling
- Personnel
TR 201 – Transportation Personnel
- Staff selection
- Training and licensure
- Supervision
- Evaluation
TR 301 – Transportation Management
- Student behavior management
- Public relations
- Activity trips
- School relations
TR 302 – Fleet Maintenance and Management
- Purchasing
- Supplies
- Safety and Inspection
- Bus Maintenance
- Records
TR 401 – Current Trends and Updates in Transportation
TR 402 – Affiliate Course Credit
Information Management Curriculum
*IM 101 – Introduction to Information Management
- Planning, scheduling and control
- Information system staff and functions
- Processing modes
- Current technologies
IM 201 – Software Concepts
- Word processing
- Spreadsheets
- Databases
- Integrated systems
IM 211 – Applications – Reports and Queries
IM 212 – Applications – IQ Overview and Reporting
IM 213 – Applications – Data Import/Export and Management
IM 301 – Information Integrity
- Annual School Report Card
- Statewide Information System
- Cycle Data Verification
- District Web-Site Reporting
IM 401 – Current Trends and Updates in Information Management
IM 402 – Affiliate Course Credit
Risk Management Curriculum
*RM 101 – Introduction to Risk Management
- Legal basis
- Determining risk exposures
- Types of insurance
- Claims and reporting records
- Insurance alternatives
RM 201 – Review and Selection of Insurance Programs
- Legal basis
- Determination of needs
- Developing bid specifications
- Bid tabulations and analysis
RM 202 – Health and Safety Programs
- Evaluating the school plant
- Evaluating safety conditions
- Developing health and safety plans
RM 301 – Crisis Management
- School emergencies
- Community emergencies
- Developing emergency contingency plans
RM 401 – Current Trends and Updates in Risk Management
RM 402 – Affiliate Course Credit
School Management Curriculum
*SM 101 – Basic Management Principles (may substitute SF102)
- Types of organizations and managers
- Leadership skills
- Planning techniques
- Communication
- Evaluation of management
*SM 102 – School Ethics and Audit Compliance (Content approved by the ADE for initial Act 730 training)
- Legal Basis for School Management – References to Laws and Codes
- School Board Structure
- School Board Member Rights & Responsibilities
- Superintendent Rights & Responsibilities
- Audit Requirements – Cooperation, Compliance, Reporting
- Common or Frequent Audit Findings
SM 201 – Effective Communication
- Integrity of information and data
- Organization and presentation of material
- Communications with board and staff
- News releases
- Successful interview practices
SM 301 – School Business Administration and the Law
- Legal basis
- Court decisions
- Arkansas code
-Resources
SM 302 – Administering a School Election
- Legal basis
- Timelines and requirements
-Bond / millage issues and options- Millage election strategies
- Board member election issues
- Dealing with the Election Commission
SM 401 – Current Trends and Updates in School Management
SM401A – Current Issues and Updates in School Management (Content approved by the ADE for initial Act 730 training)
- Recent Changes in Legislation
- Recent Rules proposed and/or approved by State Board of Education
- Recent Attorney General’s Opinions
- Pending or Filed Litigation
- Funding predictions
- Potential Federal Legislative impact
- Potential State Legislative impact
- Proposed or Passed Constitutional Amendments
SM401B – Current Issues and Updates in School Management (Content approved by the ADE for annual renewal for Act 730 training – determined annually)
SM 402 – Affiliate Course Credit
Panel Discussions
Panel discussion classes are designed to provide the participants with an opportunity for dialogue and sharing of various ways of approaching school business responsibilities and tasks. Panels will usually be composed of a number of practicing school business officials who demonstrate a potential to contribute from their experience to the topic being discussed. The panel discussions will usually be moderated by a school business official, using a general outline so as to assure that all relevant aspects of the topic are addressed during the class. Sharing will be encouraged, including the provision of handouts, the demonstration of methods, and question and answer periods.
Panel Discussion classes will be indicated with the prefix “PD” and the course level “3”, numbered as they are developed. (Example: PD 301 – “How Do You Do…School Activity Funds.”)
AASBO Role in Act 730 Requirements
AASBO has been named as a definite provider of courses to meet the requirements of Act 61 of the 2003 Extraordinary Legislative session amended by Act 730 of 2005, and as such will provide courses to help meet the need to provide training for school business officials as determined by current and subsequent rules.
The AASBO Registrar will provide documentation of initial training and annual training courses to the Department after each session in which they are provided, listing each school business official’s name, social security number, position, school district, and courses taken.
Transcripts will document participation for individual school business officials. Act 730 approved classes will be denoted on the transcript with an indicator in the title of the course or in each record. Classes may be offered in regional areas, or through distance learning opportunities, to provide for the level of participation that will needed at various times.