By: Thomas L. Armstrong, CPA, CFO, MSBO Board President, Business Manager, Fulton Public Schools
So, you’re President of the Board of the Michigan School Business Officials. As President, you have to prioritize what you would like to focus on and accomplish during your year. You know what the Board has been working on over the past several years. You also know the results of recent surveys of the MSBO membership. Limiting what you focus on is the challenge. We have always focused on meeting our members’ needs.
MSBO has recognized for some time that school districts are struggling to attract, develop, and retain quality school business professionals. MSBO is doing its part to reverse that trend with our Leadership Institute and Business Manager Academy. Both programs are doing a super job of providing much needed training to our membership.
The MSBO Board also believes that we must provide additional support to members. In fact, we feel a need to, “invest in MSBO’s members.” This year, we will offer new scholarships that will help our members grow into leaders who will participate in guiding their school districts. We plan to offer ten scholarships to the Leadership Institute. Those scholarships will go to members who are either incoming vice chairs of MSBO’s Facilities, Food Service, ISD, School Finance, Technology and Transportation committees or incoming vice presidents of our regional groups. In the fall of 2020, MSBO will also offer one scholarship to each site of our Business Manager Academy. MSBO staff are currently working on criteria to award those scholarships.
Also, we have made some changes to the Stebbins Scholarship application, making it easier to qualify. The Board has also increased the amount of the Piper Scholarship to $3,000.
Lastly, MSBO staff are working on a partnership with Wilkes University. Wilkes University is currently offering online school business focused degree programs. Several states have been taking advantage of the program started by Pennsylvania ASBO. We look forward to offering these programs to our membership as well.
Please take advantage of any or all of these programs. If you have questions, ask any MSBO Board Member or call the MSBO office.