You Attended a Conference - Now What?

Last October many of us attended the 2024 Fall IASBO Conference.  We listened to the main speakers, the Department of Education as well as fellow IASBO members.  I’ve been to several of these conferences over the last 26 years and each year I have learned something new.  Conferences are a great way to network, find out what is trending, learn of new GASB regulations, and hear what changes may be on the horizon from the Department of Education.  

The first thing to consider before attending your next conference is, what will you do with the information you learn there?  Plan on taking good notes during the conference.  What you learn may not be needed until next summer during the end-of-the-year reporting.  Next, think of who you want to share this information with.  You might need to visit with the human resource director, head of maintenance, food service, or Superintendent depending on what sessions you visited.  As you take notes, jot down who you may need to share the information with.  You should also plan on giving a brief overview to your school board.  

Sit down with your Superintendent and let them know what might affect your school either financially, with your audit report, or with new reports that might be required.  I found that my Superintendent always welcomed the sharing of ideas and was thankful that I kept them up to date.

For example, one of the sessions I attended was on “New GASB Statements.”  GASB 101: Compensated Absences was the first statement that was talked about.  After listening to the auditors of Bohnsack & Frommelt, I realized this would apply to every district, and will certainly be additional work.  Districts will have to determine the average number of sick leave days for those employees who have been employed by the district under five years and then again for those over 5 years.  After this you would then have to determine the average hourly rate of pay for both of these groups.  This all takes effect with FY25, and you would have to go back to FY24 to figure these amounts so you would have a beginning balance.  Sharing this with your superintendent will help them understand that you will need to devote extra time to completing this regulatory task.  A visit with your district’s software provider would also be helpful to see how they help with your calculations.  They may suggest a new report, changes in account numbers, ACA changes, or new GASB statements.

Conferences, conventions and regional meetings are learning environments.  You can’t know everything, and your Superintendent doesn’t expect you to.  What you do learn, share with those that will possibly be affected (Superintendent, board, co-workers, software vendor, and other SBO’s).  They may not have attended the same sessions as you or read communications from the Department of Education as fully as you.

The next time you attend a conference session, think about what will be helpful to share with others.