The Arkansas Association of School Business Officials (AASBO) is a professional education association that focuses on the issues that are critical in school business management, fiscal accountability, and support for the effective delivery of instruction.
ABOUT AASBO
GRASSROOTS
AASBO has grown in membership from 1976-1977, when we had 24 total members, to a 2018-2019 membership of 615. We continue to get our insight and impetus from the local school district level, where our members serve and work.
FOCUS
The issues that are critical in school business management, fiscal accountability and support for the effective delivery of instruction, are central to AASBO concerns. That central focus is what makes membership in AASBO a benefit to school business leaders across the state.
LEADERSHIP
The AASBO Board is comprised of representation from all congressional districts of the state, as well as officers who have served in various positions, and the AAEA executive director. This provides continuity, fair representation, and leaders who have developed a sense of needs experienced in school business.
INFLUENCE
AASBO continues to work to influence and impact the constant change in legislation and rule that affects school business in Arkansas. The Legislative Committee works between and during legislative sessions to promote sound and sensible legal frameworks under which the focuses of our organization can be achieved, and school business functions can effectively support instruction.
TRAINING
The Certified Arkansas School Business Official (CASBO) training program has been a long-standing opportunity for school business officials to receive instruction from experts and experienced persons in various areas of our profession. Most recently AASBO has been named in law as a primary deliverer of state-required training in the Arkansas School Accounting Practices professional development program (ASAP). This opportunity has been dovetailed into the CASBO program, and many classes offered count for both programs.
AASBO SERVICES
AASBO provides various services to its members and associates, designed to impact in a positive manner the functions of school business administration, and its impact on the effective delivery of educational opportunities.
NETWORKING
School business leaders have the opportunity to network in order to meet, discuss, and study all phases of public school business administration. For more information about this service, e-mail: s.chuculate@theaaea.org
Many people who participate in this professional associations describe AASBO as a place to get knowledge and encouragement from other school business officials. Meeting with others in your professional area always leads to finding new ways, new ideas, about how to handle the issues that face us everyday.
AFFILIATION
School business officials benefit from affiliations with other state school leaders in the AAEA who serve in different area of school administration, including curriculum, support programs, and personnel. For more information, e-mail: s.chuculate@theaaea.org
Education is a complex business. There are many areas in which leadership works to achieve one ultimate goal...the education of K-12 students in our state. As such, leadership in this profession is also complex, and requires the cooperation and understanding of all involved to succeed with such a lofty goal. AASBO membership and participation provide opportunities to cooperate and communicate with other school leadership groups such as superintendents, principals, special education, gifted education, and personnel administrators.
INFLUENCE
The voices and opinions of school business leaders are used to influence and positively impact legislation and state board/department of education policies and rules that affect school business practice in Arkansas. For more information, e-mail: shawn.higginbotham@lhwolves.net
Education seems to be in a constant flux of change, which leads to legislative and policy adjustments which in turn affect the school business official's role. As a group, AASBO senses a responsibility to positively affect these changes. Communication with legislators, state officials, and ADE leaders is critical to that positive influence.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Opportunities are provided for school business leaders and officials to learn the right way, better ways, and new ways of doing things in school business from practitioners in the field. For more information call Sharon Chuculate at the AAEA office, phone number 501-372-1691 or e-mail: s.chuculate@theaaea.org.
"Working smarter...not harder" is often the prescription for more success and less stress. Professional development should equip the school business official with the knowledge, skills, and resources to do what we do better...with more accuracy, more efficiency, and more relevance.