By Sharon Raschke, ED.D., CFO, MSBO Board President, School District Liaison – Dexter Wellness Center Management, Dexter Community Schools
At the Annual Conference, I shared that my first priority as MSBO President would be to listen. As part of that effort, I asked a broader strategic question:
“What one thing would make MSBO more helpful and better support you in YOUR role?”
Thank you to everyone who took the 60 seconds I paused during the closing session to respond. MSBO routinely gathers feedback after conferences, events, and professional development sessions, and that ongoing member input is incredibly important to our work. This particular survey, however, was intended to step back from individual sessions and ask a broader question: beyond the many things MSBO already does well, where are the gaps? Where could we refine our support even further to better meet the realities of members’ work today?
The feedback was thoughtful, practical, and incredibly helpful. More importantly, it confirmed something encouraging: many of the areas members identified as important are already areas where MSBO has begun refining and evolving how we serve members.
The message was not that MSBO is broken. The message was that our members’ work continues to grow more specialized, more technical, and more demanding — and our challenge is to continually refine how we deliver support so the member experience truly matches the realities of the work.
One thing the survey helped clarify was the breadth of professional roles represented within MSBO. Responses came from members across finance leadership (CFOs and business directors), finance operations (assistant directors of finance, accountants, accounts payable, grants, purchasing), payroll and HR, administrative support, facilities, food service, technology, and transportation. While all are part of school business and operations, the daily realities of those roles can look very different — and the feedback reflected that nuance.
What we heard repeatedly was the need for practical application alongside foundational knowledge. Members value certification, compliance guidance, legislative updates, and broad professional development, but they also want more tools they can immediately use in their daily work: checklists, templates, workflows, technical walkthroughs, and peer discussions grounded in real operational scenarios.
In many ways, this validates initiatives already underway. Immediate Past President Julie Williams-Muz launched the Back to Basics initiative to strengthen foundational learning and support newer professionals entering increasingly complex roles. We have expanded opportunities for peer discussion through open mics, the MSBO Exchange, and collaborative problem-solving conversations focused on functional areas. We have also heard the growing need for stronger regional engagement, including more opportunities for members in northern and rural districts to participate without significant travel barriers.
The survey reinforced that these efforts are moving in the right direction.
We also heard clearly that members experience MSBO differently depending on both their role and career stage. A newer payroll specialist needs practical REP or ORS guidance to survive reporting cycles, for example. A facilities leader needs help translating operational decisions into long-term capital planning conversations with boards. Technology leaders need benchmarking and retention data as they compete with the private sector for talent. Transportation, food service, HR, and administrative support professionals all expressed the importance of connecting with peers who understand the specific operational language and challenges of their work.
At the same time, veteran members shared something equally important. Many are willing — and eager — to help mentor the next generation, but they also recognize that institutional knowledge transfer cannot rely entirely on informal calls, emails, and individual goodwill forever. As an organization, we need to continue refining ways to capture and share expertise without creating burnout for the very people carrying so much experience.
One of the strongest themes throughout the feedback was not necessarily a request for more, but for better alignment. Members are looking for clearer translation of information, more targeted collaboration, and professional development that recognizes where they are in their careers and what challenges they are facing right now.
The conclusion was straightforward:
Listening. Refining. Delivering.
That is the work.
Not changing things simply for the sake of change, but continuing to refine our delivery until the support members receive truly reflects the support they need.
Following the conference, I prepared a full presentation of the survey findings and analysis based on this initial opportunity to hear directly from members. This presentation was shared with the MSBO Board and the 2026–27 Leadership Dimensions cohort earlier this month. The Board will continue working through this information during our summer retreat as we discuss priorities, opportunities, and ways to continue refining and delivering meaningful support to members across all functional areas.
MSBO has always been strongest when members help shape its direction. The feedback we received at conference helps affirm where we are making progress, where we need to continue refining, and where we have opportunities to better support one another across all areas of school business and operations.
And as we move forward this year, we are still listening:
“What one thing would make MSBO more helpful and better support you in YOUR role?”
Click here to respond.
