GCSA’s Financial Management Courses Offered This Summer & Fall
**Scholarships are available for state charter school participants.**
Coming Soon: Winter/Spring 2025 Registration
Expand your financial knowledge and skills by enrolling in GCSA’s Financial Management Courses! Our courses are tailored to address the unique financial issues facing charter schools. GCSA’s Financial Management Certification Program is offered virtually, consisting of six courses, each divided into two sessions of four hours within the same week. Course information for GCSA’s Winter/Spring Financial Management Courses will be published in January. Please email Leslie Gabbianelli to receive a registration link for the Winter/Spring semester.
Registration is open to all interested charter school employees and their Board members. Attendees can register for individual courses or the entire program. This training is specifically designed to build the expertise and knowledge of charter school leaders and board members who oversee or work directly in school financial operations.
Each course will be offered twice per year. See the course schedule below:
| Course | Description | Training Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Government Accounting 101 | Participants will understand the basics of accounting, navigate the Georgia Department of Education LUA accounting manual, and learn how to avoid common accounting mistakes. Key topics include the accounting equation, basic financial statement preparation, monthly closing tips, and a review of common accounting transactions. | TBD |
| QBE Funding & School Budget Development | Participants will gain a comprehensive, big-picture and detailed understanding of the QBE formula and all its input variables, including the funding formula calculation, program weights, FTE counts, allotment sheets, budget services reports from the GA Department of Ed, and the 18 programs included in the QBE formula. Participants will also learn how to prepare for a successful annual budgeting process, how to budget for state, local, federal, and grant revenue, how to budget for personnel and other expenses, and how to manage the budget to actual performance throughout the year. In addition, the course will cover long-term forecasting and budget policy. | TBD |
| Foundational & Strategic Fiscal Policy Development, Implementation & Evaluation | Participants will receive a foundational policy framework and learn the basics of policy development, implementation, and evaluation. Policy topics include budget development, budget amendments, internal controls, spending limits and approval requirements, policy development and implementation best practices, and effective policies. Participants will also understand how to align policies with mission and school culture, how to align budgeting policy with strategic planning and forecasting, how to mitigate risk through policy development, how to update policies, and how to monitor ongoing financial performance. | TBD |
| Procurement Policies & Practices • Payroll & Compensation Practices | Participants will learn best practices for the entire procurement cycle, policy and regulatory implications, the relationship between internal controls and procurement, the RFP process, and best practices. The course also reviews policies and procedures that allow for a sound bidding process. Additional topics include purchasing procedures, billing systems, contract negotiation and execution, and vendor management. Participants will learn about payroll requirements and systems, compensation models and salary scale creation, payroll and compensation policy, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the W-2 process, employee benefits, the Teachers Retirement System of GA (TRS), payroll processing, payroll taxes and remittances, payroll deductions, reporting and recording payroll, internal controls related to payroll, payroll resources, and the benefits of having an HRIS. | TBD |
| Internal Controls, Legal Requirements & Best Practices • Effective Financial Oversight | Participants will learn to develop and maintain robust internal control structures, systems, and policies to ensure that sound fiscal management practices are in place. Topics include creating a culture of financial discipline, segregation of duties, grant management, travel reimbursement practices, procurement, internal control reviews and sample testing, policies and procedures, risk management, fraud detection, and insurance. Participants will learn how to implement sound systems of financial oversight. Topics include effective board and finance committee management, financial dashboard planning, key financial reports and timing, and fiduciary roles and responsibilities. | TBD |
| Audit Preparation Best Practices | Participants will develop an understanding of the audit process and the audit preparation process. Content includes internal controls, auditor selection, internal audit, financial reporting, audit policy development, common auditor requests, and audit preparation calendar. | TBD |
PROGRAM TESTIMONIALS
“I have enjoyed taking the courses as part of the GCSA Financial Management Certification program. As a financial officer and new employee in the education industry, the courses provided direction on how to properly manage my school finances as well as a refresher on financial management standards. The courses are a great investment. I will be using the recently learned information on Procurement as a guide when soliciting RFPs for a couple of services.”
-Chiquetta West, Director of Finance and Operations, Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School
“I’m new to the charter school world and found the GCSA Financial Management Certification Program extremely rewarding. The program offered valuable historical insight and guided you to legal, compliance, and supplemental resources that are useful in ensuring sound financial oversight for your school. The course is also set up so you can tap into a hidden gem, which is the knowledge and experiences of both the fantastic instructor and fellow attendees through small group exercises. Overall, I believe anyone being a board member, school leader, or bookkeeper will most assuredly benefit from taking this program.”
-Olisa Yetman, Principal Accountant, Leadership Preparatory Academy
“Being a part of the Charter School Financial Management Certification Training has provided me with the tools, knowledge, and skillsets needed to be successful. As a member of the accounting and finance department for a local charter school, the value gained from this training is beyond amazing. The focus areas and in-depth discussions made learning and grasping the information more effective. After this training, I feel I have a better understanding and can lead the finance department in a positive direction going forward.”
-Arnold R. Pierce, Associate, The Wesley Peachtree Group, CPAs
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
If an attendee misses a course, they will have the opportunity to complete it again in the next semester. Following each of the six required courses, attendees must take and pass an exam (with a score of 75% or higher) to earn their certification. Participants have up to three years to take and pass all exams to earn certification.
Contact:
Leslie Gabbianelli
Chief Operating Officer
lgabbianellil@gacharters.org
Pricing:
Each individual course costs $300 per person and you or your school will be billed upon registration.
Scholarships are available to SCSC authorized schools.
Registration:
To register, please complete this registration form.
