News & Press

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Wed, 3 Jun 2026 14:35:00 GMT

Enrollment trends influence nearly every aspect of district operations, from staffing and program planning to budgeting and long-term financial sustainability. To help school business officials better understand these trends, we are excited to introduce the new District Enrollment Dashboard within Comparative Analytics.

This dashboard brings together key enrollment metrics in a single, easy-to-use view, allowing users to quickly track enrollment changes over time and understand how students are distributed across schools. In addition to total enrollment, the dashboard highlights important student population data, including students with disabilities, English Language Learners (ELL/LEP), and students eligible for free and reduced-price meals.

The dashboard also provides valuable context through student demographic information, average students per grade, and kindergarten enrollment compared to live births. These indicators can help districts identify emerging trends that may affect future enrollment, staffing needs, and facility utilization. Designed with accessibility in mind, the District Enrollment Dashboard includes interactive visualizations and hover functionality that allow users to explore additional details without losing sight of the bigger picture.

As enrollment patterns continue to evolve across New York State, having access to clear and meaningful data is critical. The District Enrollment Dashboard helps transform enrollment data into actionable insights, supporting strategic planning and enabling more informed conversations with district leadership, boards of education, and community stakeholders.

Frontline (Forecast5) Resource: Comparative Analytics (5Sight)
For more information, please contact Brett Williams, bwilliams@frontlineed.com, 315.978.6010

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Wed, 6 May 2026 15:31:00 GMT

Fund balance is one of the most important indicators of a district’s financial health — yet it is often one of the most misunderstood. While SBOs recognize its importance for stability and long-term sustainability, many board members and community stakeholders struggle to connect percentages and reserve levels to real-world operations.

Our new Fund Balance KPI (Key Performance Indicator) Summary dashboard within Financial Planning Analytics was designed to bridge that gap by translating fund balance into practical, relatable benchmarks that are easier to understand and communicate.

In addition, this is our first dashboard to include built-in AI Insights, providing districts with automated context, trend analysis, and narrative explanations that help transform financial data into clearer, more actionable insight.

Rather than viewing fund balance as a standalone number, the dashboard anchors it to operational measures that provide clearer context. These include:

10% of Annual Revenue — illustrating the district’s financial cushion relative to incoming resources.
1 Month of Expenses — helping answer a straightforward operational question: how long could the district continue operating if revenues were delayed?
2 Months of Payroll — emphasizing the district’s ability to meet its most critical obligation: paying employees consistently and reliably.
Total Expenses — providing visual scale and helping explain why reserve targets are often largerthan expected.

Together, these KPIs transform fund balance from an abstract accounting concept into something tied

directly to time, scale, and operational resilience.

The dashboard also supports a broader shift occurring across public finance. Organizations such as the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) and ASBO continue to emphasize the importance of transparent, understandable communication around financial conditions and reserve adequacy. Strong financial communication is increasingly recognized as essential to building trust, supporting governance, and improving decision-making.

Ultimately, fund balance measures financial sustainability, while these KPIs illustrate operational resilience. The Fund Balance KPI Summary dashboard helps districts communicate both more clearly — giving boards and communities a better understanding of what the numbers truly mean.

Frontline (Forecast5) Resource: Financial Planning Analytics (5Cast)

For more information, please contact Brett Williams, bwilliams@frontlineed.com, 315.978.6010

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:47:00 GMT

School business officials rely on timely, accurate data to support informed decision-making. Our first dashboard release from Comparative Analytics — the District Profile — is designed to make that process easier by bringing essential district information into one clear, accessible view.

The District Profile highlights key components such as enrollment, staffing, and student demographics, along with high-level financial indicators. SBOs can quickly understand district size, workforce composition, and student-to-teacher ratios — all critical context for deeper analysis and planning.

A key feature of the dashboard is its interactive functionality. Users can hover over visuals to reveal additional details and underlying data, allowing for deeper insight without overwhelming the initial view. This makes it easy to move from a high-level summary to more detailed understanding in just a few clicks. By combining financial and non-financial data — including revenue and cost per student — the dashboard provides a more complete picture of how resources align with district needs.

The District Profile is designed to simplify access to key insights, support more effective communication, and help SBOs make confident, data-informed decisions.

Frontline (Forecast5) Resource: Comparative Analytics (5Sight)
For more information, please contact Brett Williams, bwilliams@frontlineed.com, 315.978.6010

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Wed, 4 Mar 2026 14:06:00 GMT

ASBO NY PARTNER FRONTLINE (FORECAST5) PRESENTS MONTHLY DATA & ANALYTICS TIP

Personnel costs remain the single largest driver of school district budgets, often representing more than 70% of total expenditures. To support stronger long-term planning, we recently released a comprehensive Salary & Benefits Projections Dashboard in Financial Planning Analytics designed specifically to give New York school business officials deeper insight into multi-year personnel cost trends.

The new dashboard provides an immediate, high-level summary of projected salaries and benefits, including year-over-year growth and five-year outlooks. Users can quickly see total projected salary and benefit costs, along with detailed breakdowns by employee group and benefit type. This allows SBOs to move beyond aggregate assumptions and understand precisely what is driving change — whether step increases, negotiated percentage adjustments, retirement contributions, or health insurance growth.

In addition to the summary view, the dashboard includes drill-down functionality by category. For example, the Classified Salaries page displays both historical growth and projected trends side by side, along with five-year averages for context. This layered approach helps districts distinguish between temporary spikes and sustainable long-term patterns.

Perhaps most importantly, the dashboard supports proactive scenario modeling. By adjusting projected salary increases or benefit assumptions, districts can immediately see how changes impact out-year budgets. This strengthens conversations around negotiations, staffing decisions, and financial sustainability — particularly when paired with revenue forecasts and tax levy planning.

With clearer visibility into the future of personnel costs, New York SBOs are better positioned to anticipate financial pressures, communicate transparently with boards and communities, and make informed, strategic decisions. The Salary & Benefits Projection Dashboard transforms complex compensation data into actionable insight — helping districts plan with greater confidence and clarity.

Frontline (Forecast5) Resource: Financial Planning Analytics (5Cast)

For more information, please contact Brett Williams, bwilliams@frontlineed.com, 315.978.6010

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Wed, 4 Feb 2026 14:56:00 GMT

In today’s fiscal environment, school district budgeting must move beyond reacting to last year’s results. Enrollment shifts, rising contractual costs, state aid uncertainty, and capital needs all create long-term pressures that cannot be solved within a single budget cycle. This is where multi-year financial forecasting and “what-if” scenario modeling becomes essential tools for school business officials.

One of the most impactful uses of scenario planning is evaluating the long-term implications of going to the
tax cap versus remaining below it. While the annual tax levy decision is often framed as a one-year choice, its effects compound over time. This point is made very clear in Financial Planning Analytics Comparison
Dashboard – Tax Levy.

The chart illustrates this concept by showing the cumulative difference in real property tax revenue under two scenarios — one assuming consistent tax cap increases and another reflecting more limited growth. While the annual differences may appear manageable, the long-term impact becomes increasingly significant as each year builds on the last. Incorporating scenario planning with multi-year projections allow districts to see how small, incremental differences in levy growth accumulate into meaningful revenue gaps — or opportunities — over five or more years.

In addition, it helps districts answer critical questions before decisions are made. What does the district’s
financial picture look like if it consistently levies at the cap? How does that compare to a more conservative
approach that stays below the cap? How do those choices affect the district’s ability to absorb enrollment
decline, manage salary growth, or address future capital needs without sudden program reductions?

Equally important, scenario modeling strengthens communication with boards and communities. When
stakeholders can see how levy decisions affect the district’s financial trajectory over time, discussions shift
from short-term tradeoffs to long-range strategy and sustainability.

Ultimately, multi-year forecasts and what-if scenarios give district leaders the clarity needed to make
proactive, thoughtful decisions — ensuring today’s choices support financial stability well into the future,
rather than forcing reactive adjustments down the road.

Frontline (Forecast5) Resource: Financial Planning Analytics (5Cast)

For more information, please contact Brett Williams, bwilliams@frontlineed.com, 315.978.601

ASBO International's School Finance and Operations Certification

Wed, 7 Jan 2026 16:24:00 GMT

The Certified Administrator of School Finance and Operations® (SFO®) is a prestigious designation offered through ASBO International. Created by school business professionals, the certification proves a practitioner's knowledge and professional competencies. To learn more visit: https://asbointl.org/SFO

Current ASBO New York members who have also received their SFO credential:

Robert P Avery Delaware-Chenango-Madison-Otsego BOCES

Mitchell J. Ball Gates Chili CSD

John Brucato Briarcliff Manor UFSD

Tim Burns Manchester-Shortsville CSD

Dr. Daniel P Driffill Penfield CSD

Brianne Durham Watertown City SD

Sylvia Fassler-Wallach Mamaroneck UFSD

Joseph Greco Saratoga Springs City SD

Ron Hansen Retired Member

Rubie Harris Huntington UFSD

Keri Loughlin Bayport-Blue Point UFSD

Jack R. Mitchell Valley Stream UFSD #24

Dr. Christopher Thuman Frontier CSD

Michael Varney Corinth CSD

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Wed, 7 Jan 2026 15:09:00 GMT

Accurate enrollment forecasts continue to be one of the most critical inputs in New York school budgeting —influencing staffing, class size targets, facilities planning, transportation routing, and long-term financialsustainability. Yet many districts still rely heavily on manual spreadsheets or outdated projection models thatmiss emerging trends.

Frontline’s Comparative Analytics tool uses a combination of Live Birth Data from the New York StateDepartment of Health and Enrollment Records from the New York State Education Department (NYSED), toproduce the annual enrollment projection. Using a Cohort Survival model, this projects future students bygrade for each district. When SBOs can visualize grade-by-grade shifts across multiple years, planningbecomes far more reliable than simple year-over-year comparison.

Where this really becomes powerful is when you connect enrollment directly to budget assumptions enteredin Financial Planning. As projections change, districts can model how staffing levels, program needs, andexpenditure growth will be affected over the next three to five years. This supports conversations withsuperintendents and boards about where resources may need to shift — whether due to enrollment decline,pockets of growth, or shifts in student needs.

Financial Planning models also help districts test “what-if” scenarios. How sensitive are future budgets to a 2% drop in K–2 enrollment? What happens if residential development accelerates faster than expected?Scenario modeling equips districts to prepare for uncertainty and make decisions with greater confidence.Reliable enrollment projections aren’t just numbers — they’re the foundation of sustainable budgeting. Withthe right tools, SBOs can transform forecasting from a once-a-year spreadsheet exercise into an ongoingstrategic process.

Frontline (Forecast5) Resource: Comparative Analytics (5Sight), Financial Planning Analytics (5Cast)For more information, please contact Brett Williams, bwilliams@frontlineed.com, 315.978.6010

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Tue, 2 Dec 2025 17:14:00 GMT

Districts often ask, “How do we know if we’re spending the right amount on the right things?” Comparative Analytics offers a practical answer by helping school business officials see where their district aligns with — or diverges from — similar districts across New York State.

When SBOs can compare spending, staffing, and resource allocation to true peer groups, patterns emerge that are difficult to spot in isolation. A district may discover that its per-pupil spending on transportation is significantly higher than peers with similar geography. Another might find that instructional support staffingratios are lower than comparable districts, driving workload challenges. These differences aren’t inherently good or bad — but they’re almost always worth understanding.

Comparative Analytics visuals like Staffing Ratios, Average Class Size, and School Cohort Enrollment Analysis to name a few, allow districts to filter peers by need/resource capacity, enrollment size, grade configuration, or regional context. This ensures that comparisons are valid and actionable. Once differencesare identified, SBOs can dig deeper: Is higher spending the result of conscious investment in programming? A contractual factor? Or an opportunity to improve efficiency?

Comparative Analytics isn’t about rating or ranking districts — it’s about context. And in an environment where school leaders must make complex decisions under public scrutiny, context is one of the most valuable tools available.

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Tue, 4 Nov 2025 16:04:00 GMT

Frontline Education is excited to announce powerful new updates to Comparative Analytics
(CmpA) - enhancements designed to make collaboration, transparency, and data-driven planning even more seamless for New York’s school business officials.

At its core, CmpA helps districts better understand their financial and operational performance through data-rich comparisons with peer districts. This latest update takes that capability to the next level.

Peer Groups Enhancements

Building and sharing peer groups has never been easier. Users can now create, duplicate, and share peer groups directly within the Peer Finder tool. Whether you’re working with colleagues across the region or coordinating with your team, this improvement removes the friction from collaboration. Districts can now align on consistent peer sets, ensuring that comparisons are apples-to-apples and decisions are made with shared context.

New User Directory Page

Transparency is vital in financial planning and data management. The new User Directory Page gives districts clear visibility into who has access to CmpA and how each user is configured. With just a few clicks, administrators can confirm access levels, streamline onboarding for new staff, and maintain data security with confidence.

Learning Center Updates
To support users in leveraging these enhancements, updated Learning Center articles are now live. These guides walk through each new feature step-by-step, ensuring that every district can maximize the power of Comparative Analytics.

Together, these updates reinforce Frontline’s commitment to helping New York districts make informed, collaborative, and transparent financial decisions. As districts prepare for budget season, there’s no better time to explore how CmpA’s enhanced peer collaboration and user management tools can strengthen your financial storytelling and planning processes.

Frontline (Forecast5) Resource: Comparative Analytics (5Sight)

For more information, please contact Brett Williams, bwilliams@frontlineed.com, 315.978.6010

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Wed, 1 Oct 2025 15:27:00 GMT

School finance can often feel complex, but the decisions behind staffing and salaries, the largest expense for most school districts, affect every student, educator and family. That’s why Frontline Education is excited to introduce its new Staffing and Salaries Community Report.

This report is designed to help districts share clear, approachable data about how resources are allocated to support teaching and learning. Instead of lengthy spreadsheets or technical jargon, this Community Report translates staffing levels, salary trends and enrollment patterns into visuals and narratives that anyone – whether a parent, board member or community stakeholder – can easily understand.

By making this information more accessible districts can foster stronger connections and more productive conversations about priorities, equity and long-term planning. The Staffing and Salaries Community Report is the third in Frontline’s Community Series, following earlier reports on Special Education and Cost per Student. Together, these tools create pathways for trust, transparency and shared understanding.

As school districts continue to navigate evolving workforce needs and fiscal realities, this report offers more than data. It provides a bridge – helping communities see not just the numbers, but the story of how schools invest in people to drive student success.

Frontline (Forecast5) Resource: Financial Planning Analytics (5Cast)
For more information, please contact Brett Williams, bwilliams@frontlineed.com, 315.978.6010

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Wed, 3 Sep 2025 18:48:00 GMT

With a new school year, comes new visuals from Comparative Analytics. We recently released the ERS –District Position Control Analysis and ERS – Salary Ranges Per District Per Position visuals for New York districts. These visuals draw directly from NYS Employee Retirement System (ERS) earnings data to provide districts with actual salary benchmarks for operational roles like paraprofessionals, office staff, and buildings and grounds personnel.

The new visuals allow school business officials to view minimum, maximum, and average salaries by district and position, enabling apples-to-apples comparisons across peer districts. Whether preparing for CSEA negotiations or evaluating internal equity, these tools offer clear, defensible data to support strategic decision-making.

In the current environment of staffing shortages and rising labor costs, being equipped with real salary insights—not just estimates—empowers districts to negotiate more confidently and competitively.

As seen in the example visualization, the 2024 data show how salary ranges have shifted from the previous year, offering valuable context for future planning.

If you're heading into a negotiation cycle or updating salary schedules, now is the time to explore these new ERS visuals in Comparative Analytics.

For more information, please contact Brett Williams, bwilliams@frontlineed.com, 315.978.6010

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Wed, 6 Aug 2025 15:06:00 GMT

In today’s complex educational landscape, New York school business officials are expected to do more than balance the books—they must tell a compelling story of how every dollar supports student success. With increasing demand for transparency, unpredictable state aid, and rising operational costs, making data-driven financial decisions has never been more critical. This is where Comparative Analytics, combined with Financial Planning and Budget Management tools, can transform the way districts plan and communicate their budgets. By harnessing these tools, school business officials can move beyond traditional spreadsheets and gain actionable insights that support both short- and long-term strategic decisions.

1. Benchmark Against Peers
Comparative Analytics enables districts to evaluate their spending patterns against similar districts in the region or across the state. This context is invaluable—whether it’s analyzing staffing levels, program investments, or operational costs—to identify areas of efficiency or potential reinvestment.

2. Project with Confidence
Budget decisions made today can have lasting implications. Multi-year forecasting within Financial Planning tools allows business officials to anticipate how shifts in enrollment, state aid, or contractual obligations will impact the district’s future financial health.

3. Move from Reactive to Proactive
Rather than waiting for year-end surprises, districts can identify trends early and adjust course proactively. This shift not only strengthens fiscal decisions but also supports the district’s ability to maintain or expand critical programs. In an era where every decision is scrutinized, leveraging these analytics tools helps districts turn data into decisions—and decisions into stories that resonate with stakeholders.

For more information, please contact Brett Williams, bwilliams@frontlineed.com, 315.978.6010

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Wed, 9 Jul 2025 15:04:00 GMT

A study done by the National Center for Education Statistics “projects that public school enrollment will decline to 46.9 million students by the 2032 fiscal year” with “states such as…New York…forecasted to lose over 12% of their public school students during this time…” A look at the latest K-12 public school enrollment data. This trend, combined with increasing demands for student support – particularly in areas like mental health – creates a complex challenge for school districts across the state.

Planning ahead is no longer optional. Since state aid is directly tied to student enrollment, understanding and anticipating these shifts is essential for maintaining financial stability and ensuring students receive the support they need.

That’s where Comparative Analytics’ Enrollment Story becomes a game-changer. This powerful tool transforms raw enrollment data into clear, compelling visuals that help district leaders and stakeholders make informed decisions. With just a few clicks, districts can generate a comprehensive presentation that answers key questions:

What are the long-term enrollment trends in our district?
Are there grade-level enrollment bubbles we need to plan for?
What might future kindergarten classes look like based on current data?

These insights are more than just numbers – they’re the foundation for strategic planning. By tracking enrollment patterns, districts can better align staff, allocate resources, and plan programs that meet the evolving needs of their communities.

For more information, please contact Brett Williams, bwilliams@frontlineed.com, 315.978.6010

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Tue, 3 Jun 2025 19:35:00 GMT

As the school year draws to a close, many districts are evaluating their financial position – determining whether they will end the year with a surplus or a deficit. June is typically one of the highest months for appropriations, making it a critical time to assess and communicate year-end financial outcomes with confidence.

A clear understanding of year-end finances is essential for both effective planning, compliance, and starting the next school year off on the right foot. Leveraging tools like the Monthly Board Report in Budget Management Analytics, which provides Year-to-Date (YTD) metrics and year-over-year comparisons, allows districts to answer key questions such as:

Where did we stand at this point last year?
Based off history, what financial activity can we anticipate in the final month of the year?
Are there opportunities to allocate surplus funds to reserves?

Incorporating this type of analysis into your end-of-year financial review helps ensure transparency and supports data-driven conversations with stakeholders, including board members, staff, and the broader community.

Frontline (Forecast5) Resource: Budget Management Analytics (5Cast Plus) For more information, please contact Brett Williams, bwilliams@frontlineed.com, 315.978.6010

ASBO International's School Finance and Operations Certification

Wed, 21 May 2025 15:37:00 GMT

Current ASBO New York members who have also received their SFO credential:

Robert P Avery Delaware-Chenango-Madison-Otsego BOCES

Mitchell J. Ball Gates Chili CSD

John Brucato Briarcliff Manor UFSD

Tim Burns Manchester-Shortsville CSD

Dr. Daniel P Driffill Penfield CSD

Brianne Durham Watertown City SD

Sylvia Fassler-Wallach Mamaroneck UFSD

Joseph Greco Saratoga Springs City SD

Ron Hansen Retired Member

Rubie Harris Huntington UFSD

Jack R. Mitchell Valley Stream UFSD #24

Dr. Christopher Thuman Frontier CSD

Michael Varney Corinth CSD

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Wed, 14 May 2025 15:29:00 GMT

Access to financial data is essential in the Business Office, but combining financial and non-financial data can create a powerful communication tool between district leaders and the community. Our Community Report Series bridges this gap, helping you tell your district’s story clearly and effectively – no school finance expertise required.

Drawing from Financial Planning and Comparative Analytics, the series includes topic-driven reports and presentations designed to support transparent and impactful communication with any audience. In March, we featured our Cost Per Student Presentation, and most recently, we released the Special Education Report.

This latest report presents Special Education enrollment, staffing, and spending through easy-to-read visuals and graphs. It also includes budget trends and projections, comparing Special Education and General Fund spending for a comprehensive view. Our goal is to help districts use this report to guide thoughtful, student-centered conversations, while keeping affordability in mind.

Frontline (Forecast5) Resource: Financial Planning Analytics (5Cast), Comparative Analytics (5Sight)

For more information, please contact Brett Williams, bwilliams@frontlineed.com, 315.978.6010

ASBO International's School Finance and Operations Certification

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 19:35:00 GMT

Current ASBO New York members who have also received their SFO credential:

Robert P Avery Delaware-Chenango-Madison-Otsego BOCES

Mitchell J. Ball Gates Chili CSD

John Brucato Briarcliff Manor UFSD

Tim Burns Manchester-Shortsville CSD

Dr. Daniel P Driffill Penfield CSD

Brianne Durham Watertown City SD

Sylvia Fassler-Wallach Mamaroneck UFSD

Joseph Greco Saratoga Springs City SD

Ron Hansen Retired Member

Rubie Harris Huntington UFSD

Jack R. Mitchell Valley Stream UFSD #24

Dr. Christopher Thuman Frontier CSD

Robert Yusko Saratoga Springs City SD

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Wed, 2 Apr 2025 15:10:00 GMT

April showers bring May flowers and the heart of budget season for school districts. At this point, you probably have a good idea what your budget will look like, dollar-wise. But what about your presentation to the public? While the entire process can feel very labor-intensive, putting together a polished, comprehensive budget presentation doesn’t have to be.

The FY26 Proposed Budget General Fund Finances at a Glance and Budget Presentation PowerPoint are two great outputs from our Financial Planning Analytics tool that can help districts create eye-catching, easy-to-read visuals with just a few clicks.

The FY26 Proposed Budget General Fund Finances at a Glance provides a high-level budget to budget comparison for both revenues and expenses in bar graphs while pulling in some historical information for context. The Budget Presentation is in Power Point and provides revenue and expense budget analysis at various levels (think Source level for revenues and Object/Function levels for expenses). Visuals in the PowerPoint include pie and bar charts and all slide decks can be easily customized.

Simply send us your preliminary budget in Excel and these visuals automatically update with your districts data. Stop spending countless hours creating your budget presentations and more time fine-tuning your message and key points.

Frontline (Forecast5) Resource: Financial Planning Analytics (5Cast)

For more information, please contact Brett Williams, bwilliams@frontlineed.com, 315.978.6010

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Tue, 4 Mar 2025 14:30:00 GMT

Analyzing metrics like cost per student is an important exercise school districts should undertake. Improving student outcomes, effective resource allocation and budget planning, and program effectiveness are a few reasons to make this a top priority.

To make that analysis easier, we recently released our NEW Community Presentation – Cost Per Student in Financial Planning Analytics. This slide deck was created with community members in mind, who many times, do not know the ins and outs of school finance. This information can help to answer questions like:

What is causing our cost per student to fluctuate? Enrollment? Changes in spending? Both?
Is district spending out pacing or aligned with changes in the economy?
Are we seeing/anticipating any changes in how the district is funded and the impact enrollment could have on future funding?

When equipped with this insight in an easy-to-understand format, you not only get your point across but you’re also educating your community on important aspects of the school district.

For more information, please contact Brett Williams, bwilliams@frontlineed.com, 315.978.601.

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Wed, 5 Feb 2025 17:04:00 GMT

Having the ability to easily marry your financial data with enrollment figures can create a powerful story for your district. With our NEW Community Report – Per Pupil Spend, doing just that got a whole lot easier. Available on Financial Planning Analytics, this report was created to help you, and your district communicate district financials to your community or anyone else who is not familiar with school finance. We have pulled in data from both Financial Planning Analytics and Comparative Analytics to showcase:

Where district funds come from and how they are spent
Cost per Student over a 5-year period
Annual changes in revenues and expenditures as it relates to inflation

Click on each image shown below to expand.

Showing this data at a high level with simple but impactful graphics helps to quickly and easily tell your story. Our report also offers the option to insert your own text boxes to provide further context and clarity around the data provided, giving it a more custom look and feel. Try it today and see how it can help you!

For more information, please contact Brett Williams, bwilliams@frontlineed.com, 315.978.601

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Wed, 8 Jan 2025 16:08:00 GMT

The preliminary budget process for next school year should be well underway. A key part of that planning process is analyzing enrollment projections. From facility utilization to programing, understanding what future student enrollment will look like in the district can greatly help school officials allocate resources efficiently while meeting the needs of students.

Frontline Data & Analytics uses a combination of Live Birth Data from the New York State Department of Health and Enrollment Records from the New York State Education Department (NYSED), to produce the annual enrollment projection. Using a Cohort Survival model, this projects future students by grade for each district and can help answer important questions like:

What enrollment trends can we see in the district?
Can increased knowledge of enrollment projections help the district in other areas of planning?
What, if anything, is happening in the broader community that could impact enrollment?

For more information, please contact Brett Williams, bwilliams@frontlineed.com, 315.978.6010

ASBO International's School Finance and Operations Certification

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 13:51:00 GMT

Current ASBO New York members who have also received their SFO credential:

Robert P Avery Delaware-Chenango-Madison-Otsego BOCES

Mitchell J. Ball Gates Chili CSD

John Brucato Briarcliff Manor UFSD

Tim Burns Manchester-Shortsville CSD

Dr. Daniel P Driffill Penfield CSD

Brianne Durham Watertown City SD

Sylvia Fassler-Wallach Mamaroneck UFSD

Joseph Greco Saratoga Springs City SD

Ron Hansen Retired Member

Rubie Harris Huntington UFSD

Jack R. Mitchell Valley Stream UFSD #24

Dr. Christopher Thuman Frontier CSD

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Wed, 4 Dec 2024 22:46:00 GMT

As we approach the halfway point of the 24-25 school year, this may be a good time to start reviewing how the district is trending against the budget set earlier in the year. With Guided Analysis, a NEW feature of Budget Management Analytics, it can help make this process easy but also insightful.

Guided Analysis is an interactive dashboard experience that allows you to click on a variance, drill down, and diagnose areas within your budget that may need attention. For example, you may notice your Local Source revenue is less than what you expected this time of the year. With a few clicks, you can pinpoint the source(s) of the variance. Guided Analysis pairs nicely with our Assumption Assist feature, as you can then go into Assumption Assist and adjust future projections based on the variances found. You can also compare your current year activity with prior year-to-date information to help you see if any trends are emerging.

Utilizing our NEW Guided Analysis feature in Budget Management Analytics can give you important insight into your district's finances. Paired with Assumption Assist, it can help you to better project how the district will end the school year, leaving you with fewer surprises as you close out the year.

Frontline (Forecast5) Resource: Budget Management Analytics (5Cast Plus)

For more information, please contact Brett Williams, bwilliams@frontlineed.com, 315.978.6010

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Wed, 6 Nov 2024 14:54:00 GMT

With the end of ESSER dollars coupled with increased uncertainty around Foundation Aid, there is a lot of talk about the looming “fiscal cliff”. The impact this could have on districts is discussed frequently in school business offices but how is that information and potential impact being discussed with your school board and community? Visuals from our Comparative Analytics tool like the Revenue Bar Chart, Tax Levy Per Pupil and State Aid Breakdown can help tell the story of where the district has been in terms of funding from Local, State and Federal sources.

Then looking to the future, utilizing visuals from our Financial Planning Analytics tool like our NEW Financial Forecast PowerPoint to forecast when and where potential shortfalls may occur and adjust as needed.

Being open and transparent is key during uncertain times. Having clear, concise visuals to tell your story helps to not only convey district priorities, both strategically and financially but also educates your community on important aspects of school finance.

For more information, please contact Brett Williams, bwilliams@frontlineed.com, 315.978.6010

ASBO New York Partner Frontline (Forecast5) Presents Monthly Data & Analytics Tip

Wed, 2 Oct 2024 15:05:00 GMT

As the leaves start to fall, you may be switching gears in the business office and thinking more about long-range financial plans for your district. Engaging in long-range financial planning ensures the mission and goals of the district are kept in mind and on track. In addition, having a clear financial plan to show your community members helps to ensure transparency and fiscal responsibility.

In Financial Planning Analytics, we have a brand-new PowerPoint called Financial Forecast that can help any SBO quickly pull together a comprehensive presentation for long-range planning. For the first time, this PowerPoint combines several familiar concepts from Financial Planning such as revenue and expense comparisons for current and projected years with some demographic information from Comparative Analytics including District Enrollment and Daily Cost Per Pupil. The result is one PowerPoint that pulls in several key aspects of a long-range plan. In addition, the PowerPoint can be easily customized with different styles and colors to suit your needs. Simply enter your assumptions in our system and the PowerPoint automatically updates, making it a real time-saver. Having a long-range plan for the district can help answer questions like:

Where does our money come form?
How is it spent?
Can the district afford to continue current operations?
Should the district consider new options?

Frontline (Forecast5) Resource: Financial Planning Analytics (5Cast)
For more information, please contact Brett Williams, bwilliams@frontlineed.com, 315.978.6010