NLR district to tweak role of principals in budgeting

The North Little Rock School Board will make changes to its budget planning for 2022 to include principal-led presentations and budget justifications.

Brian Brown, chief financial officer for the school district, presented changes during a School Board workshop session Thursday that will be implemented for the fiscal 2022 budget planning.

“I wanted Mr. Brown to share some of the minor tweaks and changes to our budget year for the [fiscal]

2021 cycle,” said Gregory Pilewski, who was hired in September as superintendent of the 8,000-student school district after being chosen from among three candidates.

Brown said that before this year, the budget planning, human resources, finance and federal programs

at the school district mostly worked independently with principals regarding staffing needs and budgets.

The fiscal 2022 budget planning now will reflect a principal-led budget presentation with staffing and budget justification.

Brown said that starting Jan. 20 officials will hold a midyear Federal Programs Budget fiscal 2021 review with principals. On Jan. 28, the school district will have

fiscal 2022 training for principals and the executive committee that will include a projected operational budget, a projected federal and categorical budget and staffing evaluation based on projected student enrollment.

“This will be a time where we work with each principal on increasing their knowledge of the budget and give them information,” he said. “This lets them be involved in the budget planning pro

cess.”

The district will hold financial coaching sessions one on one with principals to prepare for the March budget presentation to an executive committee.

The executive committee will include Pilewski; Brown; assistant superintendent Keith McGee; executive director of human resources Jacob Smith; director of special services LeAnn Alexander; executive director of

student and equity services Micheal Stone; executive director of federal programs and professional development Kristi Ratliff; executive director of secondary curriculum, assessment and accountability Sharesa White; and executive director of elementary curriculum, assessment and accountability Lori Smith.

Brown said after the presentations that the executive team will make decisions on

school budget presentations and staffing needs for fiscal 2022, with final approval coming from the superintendent.

Pilewski has been very plan-oriented since his hiring, creating a 100-day transition plan that will move into Phase 3 beginning in February, when he is expected to unveil the plan’s key themes and major findings as well as short-term and long-term goals for the school district.