DATA COLLECTION PROJECT

If you are a current member of the AASBO Data Collection Project you may log in Here

If you would like to know more about the Project and to learn how to Join the 2008 AASBO Data Collection Project continue reading

The Data Collection Project will:

Provide your district with a very cost-effective tool to analyze and compare your district expenditures and revenues with those of other districts (over 250 individual reports)
Provide your district, a new tool that will help school districts compare staffing patterns with other school districts
Create the opportunity for staff from your district to participate in valuable and informative AASBO Web Seminars
Make valuable school finance information available to the Legislature and the Governor's Office and other organizations that help K-12 Education

Purpose of The Data Collection Project

Benefits of the Data Collection Project

Training on use of the Data Collection System

How to join the Data Collection Project

The Purpose of the Data Collection project was implemented to provide accurate information to state policy makers regarding questions related to school district funding and expenditures. AASBO believes the Data Collection and Analysis Project has helped state leaders to better understand the impact of changes to the state funding formula on individual districts. In addition, reports from this project have helped state leaders to better understand how school districts’ expenditures differ between districts. We believe that the Data Collection Project has helped prevent changes to the school funding formula that would have reduced funding to schools by tens of millions of dollars.

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Benefits of The Data Collection Project include the ability for individual school districts to compare their district’s expenditures and revenue to similar Arizona school districts. For example, you can compare the percentage of your M and O budget that is expended on employee benefits. The areas that can be compared are almost endless. Every item on your expenditure budget, worksheets or Annual Financial Report (AFR) can be compared to other similar school districts. We currently have over 250 comparison reports available and this number will continue to increase. And, if you identify a new report that would benefit you, we will create it and add it to the list of available reports. In 2007 over 80 school districts used this system.

The system to compare expenditures and revenues between districts has been greatly simplified and is much faster. It only takes three easy steps. First, you log on to the system and enter your password. Second, you pick the report you want. Third, your report is generated and made available for your review. At this point you could print the report and /or download it to your own computer in Excel. You can analyze revenue and expenditures from the 2004-2005, 2005-2006, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 budgets, as well as the 2002-2003, 2003-2004, 2004-2005, 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 Annual Financial Reports.

Two new components have been added for 2008 at the request of a number of districts. One addition allows you to include School District Employee Data (SDER) as part of the analysis project. This will allow districts to compare staffing patterns with other school districts. This addition will be a valuable tool that will allow districts to examine staffing patterns for custodians, teachers, and all of the staffing categories that are available in the SDER reports. The second new component that is being added is a set of reports that will allow school districts to prepare for a performance audit.

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Training on the use of the Data Collection System is accomplished with free Web seminars for participating districts. We will provide a Web Seminar at the end of this Legislative session to give school districts an update on 2008-09 budget changes. At these Web Seminars, you are able to sign in at a computer in your district and hear and see the presentation and have the ability to ask questions. The Web Seminars provide you with updated legislative and budget information to help you stay current on laws, regulations, and trends that impact the operation of your district. Your district will want to join the 2008 AASBO Data Collection and Analysis Project to participate in these timely and important Web Seminars.

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The Cost to join the Data Collection Project is based upon the size of the district with higher fees for larger districts. The total project is funded by the fees paid by individual school districts. We have no increase in fees for 2008. You may contact the AASBO office to obtain the pricing for your district.

If your district has not already joined, please complete the application form to become a member of the AASBO Data Collection and Analysis Project. Please return this form and payment to our AASBO office at 2100 N. Central Ave., Suite 202, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, to participate in this project. For the districts that were members in 2007 we will be sending your district an invoice to renew your membership for 2008. Thank you for becoming a member of the AASBO Data Collection and Analysis Project and if you have questions please call Chuck Essigs at 602/253-5576, Ext. 122.

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Arizona Association of School Business Officials
2100 N. Central Avenue Suite 202
Phoenix, AZ 85004
tel 602-253-5576
fax 602-253-5764