Resignation, Preparation, and Reflection

You’ve decided to turn in your resignation as School Business Official to the school board and the Superintendent.  This may happen because you’ve found a different position elsewhere or even outside of school business.  Maybe your significant other has found a position in a different location (state or town).  Maybe it’s because you’re ready to retire.  Now what do you do?

First take time to reflect on your career.  What did you enjoy?  What did you dislike? How did you feel when you started at your current district?  Did the SBO prior to you leave a good set of directions, or did you receive only a scant few suggestions on one side of a piece of paper?  

When I started my position at Roland-Story I received only one month with the current SBO and a few directions on one piece of paper.  I was totally overwhelmed.   Therefore, when I retired, I reflected on how I felt when I started and didn’t want my successor to feel the same way.  I began to prepare for the new SBO shortly after I turned in my early retirement request.  

Being an SBO is a difficult position and many of us started in July at the end of the fiscal year.  Not only are you learning the monthly functions of your position, but you are also closing out someone else’s books and filing three extremely important reports that you know nothing about and only prepare once a year.

You can just walk away and let the next SBO sink or swim like you did, or you can do better.  Do better by clearly documenting your monthly activities.  You don’t have to prepare this for each month, since many of the tasks are repeated monthly.  If you have some specific things that you only do once a year in a certain month (such as AEA flowthrough), be sure and write that down.  You will forget to write some things down.  I know I did, but any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated.  Then provide your successor with the critical dates and information that IASBO has prepared for us. 

Encourage them to join IASBO.   They will need to be a member of IASBO to obtain the SBO license and to receive the mentoring that is offered.  Let them know what a great resource IASBO is for all school business officials.  Introduce them to the neighboring SBO’s, start networking with others that use the software you use, and encourage them to attend training courses with IASBO and your school business software provider.  I know I would not have made it my first few years without the help of the SBO’s that came before me.  If I had a question I would call and ask one of my neighboring SBOs - they were always there to help.  If they didn’t have the answer, they were quick to provide the name of someone who could.  

I also leaned on the knowledge of my software consultants to help get me through the first few years and even the last few years with all the changes that happen each year with new legislation, new account numbers, and new funding sources.  I remember calling my Vista software consultant many times throughout my career for help.  My consultant was always there to help, whether in person sitting at my side or on the phone.  Don’t be discouraged if you ask the same question over and over.  It’s okay.  There is a lot to learn.    

If you are retiring, let your new person know that they can reach out to you with questions (once you’ve met your eligibility requirements for IPERS).  I wouldn’t encourage you to do the work for them - they need to learn how to do things their way.  However, if you have time, being available to provide direction as to where they can find the answers is so valuable to the continuity of SBOs in Iowa.   

I think we all remember how we felt when we started in this world of school business.  Think about how you want to be remembered when you leave.