FROM–THE–PODIUM

Overcoming the Current Challenges in Accounting

Welcome to the Spring 2023 UPDATE! This issue is focused on Accounting and touches on several topics that every business office will likely need to address. I would like to give a quick thank you to the many authors and contributors within this issue who have taken the time to share their expertise.

If you find yourself in a conversation about public education with people who don’t work in the field, I’m guessing the topics of accounting and reporting very rarely come up. They just aren’t areas that the general public thinks about when they are discussing the different hot topics connected to education these days. To me that’s a crying shame, who wouldn’t want to talk about accounting? Of course, I’m kidding, but for those of us who are tasked with keeping our district in good standing, there are quite a few new challenges that we absolutely need to be talking about.

Simply Saying

Eric DePorter ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF FINANCE, FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS/CSBO GLEN ELLYN SCHOOL DISTRICT 41

Staying current with new reporting requirements will be vital to ensure that you and your district are prepared for success. Many of these new requirements are small and really won’t require a great deal of time, but committing time to educate yourself on what exactly needs to be completed is essential. While I’m referring to a few of the new reporting requirements addressed in this issue, keeping energized and staying on top of all the routine reporting tasks completed within the business office is certainly something we all need to focus on.

When it comes to addressing the required state or federal tasks that come up during the course of the year, I like to focus on completing what needs to be done and then quickly transitioning on to other tasks. Not everyone works the same way. When I see a team member who is struggling with completing routine tasks on a timely basis, I like to mention the simple quote by John F. Kennedy, “Things do not happen. Things are made to happen.” Don’t overcomplicate things, instead just focus on moving ahead and do what’s needed to help your district provide the very best opportunities you can for the communities you serve.

I hope you are having a great year and don’t forget to make the most of today, you don’t get to do it over!