2025 School Business Management Workshop Conference Schedule

Join Aziz Aghayev and John Brucato for an essential workshop designed to empower educational staff across all levels with the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This session focuses on the art of prompt engineering, teaching participants how to effectively communicate with AI tools to enhance operational efficiency and improve decision-making processes. (separate registration required HERE, limited availability)

Welcome to SBMW! Registration is now open in the High Rock Room.

Welcome to SBMW! Registration is now open in the High Rock Room.

Join us for Breakfast!

Ally Meyers is a certified Executive and Positive Psychology Coach and Yale-certified in the Science of Well-Being. She is the creator of the Five to Thrive and FLOURISH@WORK® workplace well-being programs, which integrate neuroscience, positive psychology, and practical strategies to strengthen resilience and engagement.

Ally equips leaders and teams with science-backed tools to manage stress and protect their well-being. Through her programs, participants discover simple, everyday practices to reduce burnout, reignite purpose, and build meaningful connection, so they can continue bringing their best to the important work they do each day.

Women are more likely to interrupt their careers to raise children, care for family members, and are more likely to live longer than men but statistically, earn only 82% of what men make. Learn about how you can educate yourself and your employees to overcome some of these challenges while also helping to address district budgetary issues. This session will teach you strategic ways to save, invest, and plan for the future. 

Please join us as the Superintendent, Business Official and Board of Education President of the Clyde-Savannah Central School District discuss relationship building, presentations, agenda development, and general processes and procedures, including chain of command. 

This presentation will walk through the STAC timeline from getting data, to navigating the STAC and file transfer system, making claims and verifications, and then will look to make connections to the timing and reconciliation of payments generated through this process.

Join your colleagues for an open discussion on current issues, challenges, and successes across the state. This interactive session offers a chance to share ideas, ask questions, and learn how others are tackling common challenges. Come ready to network, exchange practical solutions, and take away new ideas you can apply in your own roles. 

Building a BOCES budget requires input from all of the component and non component  districts. Each BOCES budget process is a little different, but all have the same outcome. Come experience the process from multiple BOCES Business Officials perspectives.

Kick off the conference at our District Clerks's meet and greet! 

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District Clerk 101 will introduce the key responsibilities and best practices for district clerks, focusing on board meeting coordination, record keeping, legal compliance for board elections and budget votes, and overall support for the board of education.  This presentation will aim to provide clerks with the necessary knowledge and tools to effectively fulfill their responsibilities, ensuring the district operates legally and efficiently.

District Clerk 201 offers an in-depth look at the expanded responsibilities of a district clerk. This session covers topics such as Impartial Hearings, Robert's Rules of Order, and Board Retreats, providing practical insight into real-world clerk duties. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, engage in discussion, and receive guidance on handling common challenges in the field.

This interactive workshop offers a deeper dive into either the Five to Thrive Building Blocks or the Flourish@WorkTM framework through customized, small-group exercises. Attendees will leave with a clear first step toward applying what they’ve learned, while also strengthening connections within the school business community through shared reflection and discussion.

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Effectively communicating your BOCES budget is just as important as developing it. This session will explore how different BOCES approach creating and presenting their annual budget booklets — from CoSer-by-CoSer breakdowns to consolidated summaries. Presenters will share real examples, templates, and strategies for explaining complex financial information to component districts. Discussion will also cover how to manage updates after booklets are distributed and lessons learned from annual budget meetings.

Join us for Lunch!

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This presentation focuses on past and current economic developments, the anticipated economic outlook and includes a discussion on short-term interest rates.

Every business office faces those tricky accounting issues - old payables, large due to/due from balances, Capital Fund clean-up issues, or pennies left in the Special Aid Fund. This session will walk through common problem areas and share practical ways to address them. Learn how other districts are handling these issues as well as fund reconciliations and accounting for uncollectable debts, and leave with ideas to make your own accounting processes run a little smoother.

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In today’s fast-paced educational landscape, first impressions, personal presentation, and social intelligence matter more than ever. This dynamic and interactive session is designed specifically for school leaders who want to enhance their professional presence, communicate with confidence, and navigate formal and informal settings with ease.

Kim Perone examines the difference between stress and burnout and guides us to understand how to identify our current state and ways to improve our wellbeing while still accomplishing everything we need and want to do in life. Kim is the founder of the Center for Clarity, Compassion & Contentment (Center4c.com) and a proponent of these qualities as more of what we need to ensure we are neither burnt out nor stressed out, but rather grounded, engaged, and thriving.                        

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The New York State Office of the State Comptroller offers many resources to local government and school district managers and staff. This session will walk attendees though the OSC website and discuss the resources available for helping to manage your district, and ways to contact OSC for technical assistance and training. 

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Test your knowledge and skills about BOCES operations in this fun filled BOCES Handbook Jeopardy session.

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Welcome to SBMW! Registration is now open in the High Rock Room.

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Join us for Breakfast!

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From budget development to year-round purchasing oversight, consistency is key to sound financial management. This session explores best practices for building a reliable budget process using existing district systems, from initiating BRQs and entering POs early in the fiscal year to maintaining accurate, transparent accounting. Participants will gain a clear understanding of when to use a purchase order versus a claim form, how to align practices with board policy, and the fundamentals of procurement compliance.

This session introduces payroll and HR professionals to effective use of AI tools like ChatGPT in their daily work. We will explore how to ask better questions, apply prompt structuring for accurate results, and integrate AI into routine tasks. The training will highlight ethics and best practices, including protecting personal information, while showing how AI can help generate formulas, draft memos, and streamline communication. Participants will leave with practical strategies for using AI confidently in payroll and HR functions. This is a general session, no technical background required.

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Budgets tell a story — if you know how to read it. Join us as we explore how to transform budget data into insights that drive smarter decisions, stronger communication, and better outcomes. Learn how to “close the loop” by turning year-end results into strategies that shape the future.

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Update from the Office of Facilities Planning regarding recent NYSED guidance and regulatory updates related to BOCES operations and facilities planning.

The budget vote and elections have deadlines and sometimes unusual circumstances. Come learn and see how these are handled from an attorney’s and a clerk’s point of view.

Join us for Lunch! Open lunch area at 11:30a for exhibitors to grab lunch.

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The presentation, “Building Strong Partnerships: The Interaction Between the School Business Official and the Facilities Director,” explores how collaboration between these two roles ensures safe, efficient, and financially sustainable school operations. It highlights overlapping responsibilities in budgeting, capital planning, and compliance, while emphasizing communication, trust, and shared goals. Through case studies and best practices, it demonstrates how coordinated decision-making supports students, staff, and the broader community.

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This facilitated session will provide practical insights and actionable steps from a Trailblazer who successfully implemented efficiencies in their district’s payables process. Discussion may include: reviewing how AP functions operate, process of AP from start to end, how to outline goals for efficiencies, identify and overcome roadblocks.

This presentation will focus on the most common questions posed to the Office of Educational Management with regard to the aidability of programs and services under CO-SER guidelines.  The discussion will also explore inquiries that have developed from newer CO-SERs such as the Early College Access program.

Unlock the full potential of Google's ecosystem by exploring the latest artificial intelligence tools designed to boost your productivity. Learn practical tips and tricks for using AI within Google Workspace, Search, and Gemini to automate tasks, generate content, and streamline your workflow.

District clerks handle complex administrative tasks every day, from preparing agendas and minutes to managing correspondence and calendars. This session will show how Microsoft’s AI-powered tools (like Copilot, Teams, Word, Excel, and Outlook enhancements) can help clerks save time, reduce repetitive work, and improve accuracy. Participants will learn real-world shortcuts, automation ideas, and AI features tailored for the unique workflows of school district offices.

Last chance to grab prizes!

School Business Leaders operate at the intersection of policy, finance, and people—where ethical decision-making is not just preferred, but essential. The Ethics Equation explores how leaders can confidently balance personal and professional values, legal compliance, and leadership responsibilities in a landscape filled with competing pressures.

Through a review of the law, real-world scenarios and reflective discussion, this session will empower participants to:

-Identify and navigate ethical gray areas common in school business operations

-Understand the connection between legal compliance and ethical leadership

-Build decision-making frameworks rooted in transparency, accountability, and integrity

-Strengthen stakeholder trust through consistent, principled actions

Whether you're managing contracts, responding to community concerns, or guiding district policy, this session provides strategies to lead with clarity, courage, and conviction—no matter how complex the situation.

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Practical strategies for handling workplace conflict and maintaining professionalism. When to escalate issues to HR or leadership, and how to document concerns. How Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) support staff with stress, conflict, or emotional fatigue.
Encouraging a healthy team culture while protecting confidentiality and trust.

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This supportive session for District Clerks simplifies the entire capital project process. We'll clarify your role in managing the timeline to the capital vote and essential BOE action requirements, including SEQRA compliance and bid acceptance. You'll gain confidence in procedural tasks, such as overseeing public communication, processing SED forms, and the proper execution of signing bonds/BANs, concluding with a simple, compliant approach to long-term records retention.

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Join your colleagues for an open discussion on current issues, challenges, and successes across the state. This interactive session offers a chance to share ideas, ask questions, and learn how others are tackling common challenges in the District Treasurer's role. Come ready to network, exchange practical solutions, and take away new ideas you can apply.

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Join your BOCES colleagues for an open discussion on current issues, challenges, and successes across the state. This interactive session offers a chance to share ideas, ask questions, and learn how others are tackling common challenges in school business operations. Come ready to network, exchange practical solutions, and take away new ideas you can apply in your own BOCES.

Last chance to grab prizes!

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The two sessions will cover the steps involved from the referendum thru SED approval, including adoption of the Bond resolution, design development, budget development, financial plan development and aidability analysis, cost estimation, maximum cost allowance calculations, construction document development process, development of the bid strategy, construction phasing, SED review, and pre-construction tips. Also covered will be capital project bidding and contract award, including public bid documents, basic bidding requirements including compliance with General Municipal Law, , analysis of bid results, determining qualified, responsible, and responsive bidders, award of contracts, contractor bonds and insurance requirements, and new cooperative bid requirements.

Handling multiple funds and accounts requires precision, especially when managing payroll, trust, and garnishment accounts. This session will help treasurers and business officials evaluate whether a multi-account or consolidated approach best fits their district’s structure. Participants will explore methods for managing cash flow, preventing reconciliation challenges, and maintaining transparency for auditors and new staff alike.

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This session will provide an in-depth look at managing and reporting fixed assets in today’s complex accounting environment. Topics will include best practices for asset management, key considerations under GASB 87 and GASB 96, and insurance implications that can affect valuation and replacement decisions. Participants will also examine real-world examples, such as evaluating the Apple trade-in program to understand asset lifecycle and reinvestment strategies. The workshop will address challenges with aid reimbursement—including when aid applies and common sources of confusion—and explore how to clarify ownership and reporting responsibilities for assets that may not technically belong to BOCES but still influence budgets and financial statements.