District Leadership Spending Responses to Financial Crises

• In Event: Education Policy and Finance Virtual Roundtable

Abstract

This paper aims to enhance our knowledge of how spending priorities are altered during financial shocks, by examining how districts re-prioritized their spending during the Great Recession. In this paper, we explore (1) How districts reapportioned their spending during a financial shock, and (2) the history, context, and policy that explains these decisions. Using an explanatory mixed methods design, we explore financial narratives of several key districts in Texas through a close examination of district budgets, financial audits, and other publicly available financial documents. Results demonstrate that schools do reallocate differently when faced with financial shocks, and that certain types of expenditures—particularly those in less restrictive categories—are more volatile than others.

Authors

• Jeremy Anderson, California School Boards Association
  Presenting Author

• Andrew Pendola, Auburn University
  Non-Presenting Author