PEYTON WOLCOTT - Check Register Roster - U.S. School Districts ( Michigan

P E Y T O N W O L C O T T

WHY THERE
ARE NO
DOLLARS
MENTIONED
ABOVE: YOU
CAN'T GET
THE WHOLE
STORY ABOUT
THE
NON-TEXAS
DISTRICT'S
SPENDING.
Almost all of the
dollar reporting I
have found in
other states is
projected, to
which I say a
friendly, "Hahaha."
And they can
keep their pie
charts and bar
graphs with
percentages. If
actuals are
mentioned, it's
been almost
impossible to
determine the
formula used,
whereas here in
Texas we can look
at very clearly
defined amounts:
Total Receipts/All
Funds, Total
Expenditures/All
Funds, and Total
Disbursements/All
Funds, just to
mention a few.

et's look at the
differences in how
school spending
can be reported by
observing
projected versus
actuals Texas
averages for
2006-07: This
lowest number in
the pink box
below, $6,996, is
the amount to
which most
districts are
referring when
they talk about
their budgets.
Generally when
schools forecast
for the next year
they do not
include grants
and federal funds.
When you hear
superintendents
talk to their school
boards about
having found
some money in
the budget for
some pet project,
it's often pulled
from these
undisclosed
sources, which
may represent in
effect a sizeable
slush fund. Look
at the next figure
in the blue box,
the total receipts
dollars -- almost
twice as much.
Even the total
expenditures
amount in the
orange box is
considerably
higher than the
projected general
fund budget
amount.

(L to R) Ocean Springs after
Katrina; flooded roads after
Hurricane Ike; survivor
nutria/muskrat; video here.

ACTUAL DOLLARS SPENT

PROJECTED DOLLARS

FEEDBACK FROM DISTRICTS

FAIR USE NOTICE:
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to
advance understanding of education issues vital to a republic. We believe this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright
Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C., Chapter 1, Section 107 which states: the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any
other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright," the material on
this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond "fair use" you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

ATTENTION EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATORS:
Every attempt possible has been made to verify all sources and information. In the event you feel an error has been made, please contact us immediately. Thank you.

COMMITTED
Argyle ISD (TX) - here
Clear Creek ISD (TX)
Dew ISD (TX) - here
El Paso ISD (TX)
Hondo ISD (TX) - here
Ingram ISD (TX) - here
La Marque ISD (TX)
Martins Mill ISD (TX)
Plainview ISD (TX) - here
Pottsboro ISD (TX) - here
Snyder ISD (TX) - here
Southside ISD (TX)

WHERE
PARENTS,
TAXPAYERS,
TRUSTEES
ARE ASKING:
Chippewa Valley SD (MI)
Lake Travis ISD (TX)
LA USD (CA)
New York CPS (NY)
Omaha PS (NB)
Rochester CS (MI)
Santa Cruz CPS (AZ)
Water Valley ISD (TX)
___________________________

Heads up to grassroots school reform activists: Be smart,
be effective
By Peyton Wolcott
Updated 12.02.07

"Walk softly
and carry a big
stick."
-- Teddy Roosevelt

"Trust but
verify."
-- Ronald Reagan

Just because you
can
doesn't mean you
should.

A model for the nation:
More about the
San Antonio Triple Crown here
How 3 major school districts in one city put their checks online . . .
in 1 week!

H o w w e t a k e b a c k o u r c h i l d r e n ' s e d u c a t i o n: o n e p e r s o n , o n e q u e s t i o n , o n e s c h o o l a t a t i m e.

Read article here.

HOME

ASKING YOUR DISTRICT

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS (Florida)
Budget: $6.8 billion         Students: 400,000
Superintendent: Alberto Carvalho
The 4th-largest public school district of the 15,000 in the U.S., Miami-Dade posted its
check register online on January 14, 2008.
Trustee Marta Perez brought this to then-
superintendent Rudy Crew and the board.

MONTROSE PUBLIC SCHOOLS (Michigan)
Budget: $ 14 million           Students: 1,900
Superintendent: Mark Kleinhans
Problems reported: None.

MARBLE FALLS ISD (Texas)
Budget: $40.5 million            Students: 4,000
Ryder Warren, superintendent
"We have had absolutely no issues."
Kelly Fox, trustee: "Peyton is always innovatively at the cutting edge of the promotion
of school reform. This is yet one more example of her efforts to improve the quality of
our schools by championing open records of our spending. As a board member I
highly recommend that all districts make their spending more transparent and be
accountable to the taxpayers."

SPRING BRANCH ISD (Texas)
Budget: $300.6 million       Students: 32,000
Duncan Klussmann, superintendent
"Posting our check registers online has been something that's worked for us with very
minimal effort to get it up and running; I believe school districts are running moving in
this direction. We try to be a very transparent district. We have a strong and supportive
community, and we feel that being transparent supports that."   Klussmann added that
when he first came into education it was common for all checks to be included with
the board packets and an approval item at board meetings.
Obstacles and stumbling blocks: "Our financial software is older and DOS-based, not
designed to generate reports, but once we got our first report as a model it went
quickly."
Special kudos: "We have a wonderful finance person, Karen Wilson, who took this on."
Additional comments: "Anything we can do to take raw data as we're required to report
it by the state and make it more accessible to our community is a benefit."
Extra expense: None.
Fallout? No increase in public records requests. "The only thing you do worry about is
someone looking at something and not understanding; you'd sit down with the person
and explain it to them."
Goals for the future: Make the link more accessible, in fewer clicks.

DALLAS ISD (Texas)
The 2nd-largest public school district in Texas.
Budget: $1.7 billion      Students: 158,000
Superintendent: Eliu Misael "Mike" Hinojosa
Fallout:   "Everything's absolutely positive, and there's been no negative fallout--we're
one of the first in the state to post our check register online," said a district spokesperson.
Logistics, goals for the future: "We're talking to our IT people to see if we can simplify
the process so that people can go to the online check register more quickly and
directly."

1. Our public schools are a pure form of local government. You elect
trustees to oversee your superintendent's running of the schools which
are fueled by your taxes. Just because you may see clear problems
including proof of illegality that does not mean your pointing these out
will be welcomed by either your board or administrators with open arms.

2. Don't cold call on the board at the meeting -- call ahead, ask
questions, learn what your trustees' and superintendents' concerns are.

3. Bring 50 copies of the flyer I've prepared for you (with your contact
info). Please email me and I'll send you the link.

4. Correct & thorough prep saves time in the long run.

5. Everyone who has followed these steps exactly as outlined here has
experienced 100% success; shortcuts lead to failure.

These districts below have already successfully
addressed familiar concerns: software, costs,
technology & privacy
The following report from school districts who have already posted

The most important thing about persuading your local school district to
voluntarily post its check register online is the "persuasion" part. This
means we remem-
ber to approach them in a friendly way, with a smile rather than a stick.
No demands, no strident letters to the editor. None of the folks who
have tried shortcuts have succeeded. You can't email this in or
demand it on your website. You can't talk to your friend the board
president and assume anything will come of it.

This is your opportunity to participate in your local political process.

Here below is the short version; the longer more detailed version that
points out most of the pitfalls and roadblocks is here.

Remember that Golden Rule we've heard about all of our lives? This
is a good time to dust it off. When you approach your board, you're
approaching individuals. If you go after them in an angry way, they will
react as though you're calling their baby ugly and become defensive and
turn your request down. Honor their humanity no matter how grumpy or
sour they look or act.

Welcome to National HQ for the Grassroots School District Online Check Register Movement! Est. 10.01.06

AVERAGE OF ALL
1,031 TEXAS
SCHOOL DISTRICTS:

General Fund per student $6,996

Total Receipts per Student $12,458

Total Disbursements/Student$11,374

Total Expenditures/Student $10,162

STATE DOE ONLINE
Texas Education Agency

MIDDLE EDU-LAYER

CALIFORNIA
Glenn County Ofc. of Ed.
Placer County Office of Education

MICHIGAN
St. Clair County RESA

HONORABLE
MENTION
ALASKA
DOE - Checks over $1,000

CALIFORNIA
San Gabriel USD - Checks over $500

MICHIGAN
Intermediate School Districts

PENNSYLVANIA
Capital Area Intermediate Unit

TEXAS
Brackett ISD
(checks over $500)

This below is the short version; if you're going to do this, please read
the full information here; it's your proven road map.

Terms & conditions

U.S. SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH CHECK REGISTERS ONLINE: Michigan - Wyoming

Here's the report I have prepared for you (in printable
format here) so you may see for yourself how other
folks have already handled the usual concerns your
district might raise.

How to find your
district's checks
Here are some of the
50-plus places to look; if
there's no direct link on the
home page, try:

o about us
o accounts payable
o a/p
o approved bills
o approved warrants
o board of directors
o board of edu./BOE
o business office
o checks
o check journal
o check listing
o claims docket
o community news
o district information
o expenditures
o facts
o finance
o financial services
o information
o legal notices
o links
o monthly expenses
o monthly report
o monthly spending
o monthly warrants
o news
o non-payroll expenditures
o paid bills
o payment register
o public notices
o public information
o public records
o required postings
o school board
o superintendent
o technology
o vendor payments
o vendor check register
o vouchers
o warrants
o warrant register

If there's no direct
link to check registers on the
home page, try first the
business office or financial
services-type area. After that
try the "district information"
page, something close to that
description. If you still haven't
found your district's checks, a
third place to try is your school
board's agendas; often where
districts have gone to
paperless board packets the
checks are included as a link,
many times as a line item on the
consent agenda.

Three more variables
First, I myself am still finding
new places. My local Llano ISD
supe put checks for a time on
his own page, the only supe
I've found so far to do so in the
entire nation. Second, please
keep in mind that like the rosters
this is fluid information. In
addition to changing their minds
about where to put their
checks, districts are also
always in the process of
refining their websites. Third,
if the district is paying for
TASB's BoardBook software or
for BoardDocs, online check
registers are a free feature,
and can usually be found in the
agenda packet for the most
recent regular board meeting.

MICHIGAN (65)

Allen Park Public Schools - Check Register
AuGres-Sims SD - Check Register
Avondale SD - Check Register
Bay City Public Schools - Check Register
Beal City Public Schools - Check Register
Benzie County CS - Check Register
Berkley Schools - Financials - List of Bills
Birch Run Area Schools - Check Register
Bloomfield Hills CS - here
Brighton Area Schools - Check Register
Bullock Creek SD - Quarterly

Clare Public Schools - Check Register
Clarenceville Schls - Bus.Ofc. - Check Register
Clawson CS - here
Clio Area Schools - Board - Check Register
Coleman CS - Accounts Payables
Davison CS - Check Register
Dearborn PS - Check Register (far right)
DeWitt PS - District Check Registers
Dundee Community Schools - Unable to locate here
East Detroit PS - here

MISSOURI (4)

Liberty Public Schools - BoardDocs
Excelsior Springs 40- BOE- Board Docs
Mehlville SD - Warrants
St. Charles SD - Board Docs

NEW JERSEY (2)

Haddonfield Public Schools
BOE - Paperless Board Mtg. - 2008-09 Payement of Bills

Jersey City Public Schools - Accounts Payable

WISCONSIN (4)

Fort Atkinson SD - Check Register
Germantown School District
Novi Community School District
Sun Prairie School District

NEW MEXICO (3)

Albuquerque SD- BoardBook Agenda Packet
Aztec Muni SD - BoardBook - Agenda Packet - Consent Agenda - Bills & Budget Rpt.
Espanola Public Schools District #55 - BoardBook

OKLAHOMA (1)

Oklahoma City PS - Page 12 here

PENNSYLVANIA (9)

Chambersburg Area School District -
School Board - BoardDocs - Reg. Mtg.
Dallastown Area SD - Board Agenda, List of Bills
Greencastle Antrim SD - Board Packet/List of Paid Bills
Manheim CSD - Check Register
Norristown Area SD - here
North Penn SD - here
Penn Manor SD - here
Pine-Richland School District - here
Reading SD - here
Saucon Valley SD - here

TEXAS (____)
A-L here
M-Z here

UTAH (3)

Davis School District*
Grand County SD
Park City SD

Haddonfield Public Schools had been
discussing increasing their financial
transparency this past year when resident Jim
McCormick contacted me; we discussed the
positive impacts of posting the district's check
register online and some friendly ways of
reviewing this with the district. Within a month
the district's check register was online. Hats off
to Jim and to Haddonfield's superintendent Alan
Fegley (seated front left) and board.

Park City School District was
among the first in the nation to post its
check register online -- at least as
early as January 2004. From the
scenes at right, it's easy to see why
Park City has been long favored by
Texans, superintendents and
non-superintendents alike, in both
winter and summer.

Left, cowboy pauses on
Fremont Butte (Photo--Rusty
Gooch); Fremont CSD 24 is
located in the small town of
Shoshoni, Wyoming, near
the Boysen Reservoir and
the Wind River Indian
Reservation, home of the
Shoshone and Arapaho
tribes of Native Americans.

New Prague's
online checks

To connect to
their checks:

From the district's
home page here

Choose:

Finance

Accounts Payable

Records (since at
least 2005)

www.np.k12.mn.us
/profile/board/packet
s.shtml

How to find
Starkville's
check
register:

From the district's
homepage:.
www.ossd.k12.m
s.us

2. Click on
"School Board"
button up at top

3. Click on
"Agenda Packet"
for the "Regular
Meeting" you're
looking for.

Choose:
C. Office of the
School Business
Administrator
I. Approval of
docket of claims
#274815-#276266

NEVADA (2)

Clark County School District - Purchase Orders
Elko County School District - BoardDocs

SOUTH DAKOTA (1)

Mitchell School District - here

VIRGINIA (3)
Alleghany County Public Schools - Payment of Warrants
Page County Schools
Roanoke County Schools

N O T E S

During the last night (below) in the 2007 Texas Senate for the
school district check register bill the Texas Public Policy Foundation
helped write and advocate for, TPPF employees were away on
vacation and the bill died on the floor.

Ocean Springs
More about Hurricane
Ike photos

Photo of the "car underwater a
few blocks from down-
town Ocean Springs, Missis-
sippi, during Hurricane Ike.
Photo by the Rev. Karen
Bullock, associate pastor
Westminster Presbyterian
Church in Gulfport, MS." More
here:
www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/0867
7.htm

From NBC: Hwy 90 biloxi,
heading East towards the
Biloxi/Ocean Springs Bridge.
(That’s the Isle of Capri casino
on the right)
www.nbc15online.
com/ugc/cat/hurricaneikeflooding/69GPjgg
4yEOSaZ3aIpr-MA.aspx

From the Sun-Herald: The
video of Hurricane Ike flooding
in Ocean Springs:
http://videos.sunherald.com/vmix_hosted
_apps/p/media?id=2172758&item_index=
1&all=1&sort=NULL

From left, John Marshall HS in Oklahoma City where the
mean house price is $156,500; former OKC PS supe
John Q. Porter's house, valued at $1 million. Far right,
illustration from District Administrator magazine featuring
Porter. Oklahoma City Schools recently announced a
$40 million bond blunder; what a great opportunity this
represents for citizens to start looking at the district's
checks and help the new administration find places to cut.

How hard are you prepared to work for your cause?
As hard as the paid professional education lobbyists
opposing your efforts towards transparency and
accountability?
By Peyton Wolcott - Fri. / Dec. 26, 2008 - Updated Thurs., Jan. 1, 2009

Walk softly, and carry a big stick. --Teddy Roosevelt

More here:
http://valley.vcdh.virginia.edu/
and here:
Burnt courthouse (Civil War)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bur
ntCourtChambersburgPA1864.j pg

Roanoke County Schools' Burton Academy
offers the following: Auto Service Technology;
Building Trades Computer Information Technology
(CIT); Cosmetology; Criminal Justice; Floral
Design; Digital Web Design; Game Design/
Programming; Graphic/Advertising Design;
Landscaping; Machining; Masonry, more here.

From left, Alleghany
superintendent Sarah
Campbell; stage for theatrical
Roanoke settlement play; (R)
replica of original Elizabeth II
thought to have brought first
settlers to Roanoke Island.

Fremont CSD24

Please copy
one of these
two URLs into
your browser to
view Fremont's
checks.

MAY 2008
http://boarddocs.c
om/wy/fcsd24/Boa
rd.nsf/b6d9f0d1f8
285b2c85256e740
0431d46/55c74ae
a04ad816b872574
6a005bef2d/Body/
M3/attach10508det
ail.pdf?OpenEleme
nt

AUGUST 2008
http://boarddocs.c
om/wy/fcsd24/Boa
rd.nsf/2e010f82a7
6b56d485256e740
0431d45/8e490a1
c8456b4ea872574
9b0055ffca/Body/
M3/Attach%204DC
R81808.pdf?Open
Element

their check registers online is based on anecdotal feedback regarding their experiences. Trustees, superintendents, CFO's and other
administrators and employees, all share their positive experiences. Except for the nation's largest districts, in most cases posting checks is a
simple question of sorting out what's payroll and HIPAA-related then PDF'ing what's left over. Typically this takes only a few minutes and no
special technology is required.

Districts posting more information rather than less -- especially the reasons for checks -- report fewer questions from parents and taxpayers of
the "$300 for balloons?" variety.

By contrast, another hard-fought bill -- Kelly Coughlin's Religious
Viewpoint Antidiscrimination Act for Texas schoolchildren over which
he'd labored for at least a dozen years -- was revived and survived
because not only was Kelly sitting two rows from me when I took the
photo above but so also was his lobbyist, Jonathan Saenz of the
Texas Free Market Foundation. Watching him in action during the
2007 Lege from my vantage point above, I would have Jonathan
work for my cause in a heartbeat. To make things happen at the
legislative level takes a tremendous amount of work, persistence
and passion for your cause -- in short, grit, spirit and heart.

So. Are you prepared to work as hard as the professional lobbyists
with whom you'll be competing? Are you playing to win or going
through the motions? For those not prepared to work through
weekends and holidays, I suggest they find another line of work.

MISSISSIPPI

MINNESOTA

PENNSYLVANIA

WYOMING

Chambersburg:
The story behind the white-
columned courthouse

From a site about the Civil War
hosted by the University of Virginia:

Photographs taken after
Confederates burned the town
of Chambersburg. On July 30,
1864, Confederate cavalry,
under the command of General
John McCausland and orders
from General Jubal Early,
burned Chambersburg after the
townspeople refused to pay a
ransom of $500,000 in currency,
or $100,000 in specie.

New Prague
Area
Schools

New Prague HS

Cotton District student housing (more here)

WHAT'S INCLUDED IN
PUBLIC SCHOOL
DISTRICT CHECK
REGISTERS
AND WHAT ISN'T
We do not ask school
districts to post payroll or
HIPAA-
related dollars; districts can
easily post their annual
payroll/stipend schedules
after the budget is firmed up
each summer.

PHOTO
CREDITS
& LINKS
TO CHECK
REGISTERS:
I am adding
photo credits
as I locate
them; for now,
please right
click on any
image above
that interests
you. Some
photos are
themselves
live links.

I am adding
check register
links all the
time; please
remember
that because
this is fluid
information,
not static,
things change
constantly as
districts
redesign their
websites and
the locations
where they're
posting their
checks.

(Please copy and paste these
links in blue into your browser.)

If you'd like to see your local schools join this roster, remember to ask
them in a friendly way. For too long many of us vented our righteous
indignation about waste in school spending -- then wondered why we
weren't received with open arms in our schools.

As Pogo said, "I've met the enemy and he is us." These are our
schools -- they belong to us -- just as do our towns and cities. If we're
not happy with spending, it's up to us to roll up our shirt sleeves and fix
it.

Besides, this is a political process and nobody likes a surly politician.

The approach outlined here has been 100% successful every time it's
used as written.

It's good to remember that we're dealing with real people, each of
whom has an array of issues: personal, financial, behavioural,
developmental, moral, and intelligence.

December 2006: Marble Falls ISD (Texas) This was the board the night I asked them to put
the check register online. I followed my own advice and they said "yes" on the spot. It helped
immeasurably that our superintendent is pro-transparency.

MINNESOTA (8)
Milaca School District ISD 192 - here
New Prague Area Schools ISD 721- here
Perham-Dent PS - Check Register
St. Cloud Area SD 742 - Monthly Chk.Reg.
Wayzata Public Schools - BoardBook
West St. Paul-Mendota Heights- Eagan ISD 197 - Accts Payable
Yellow Medicine East ISD 2910 - here

MISSISSIPPI (7)

Benton County School District - here
Clinton Public School District - Ag enda Packet - Docket of Claims
Hancock County SD - 1st Mtg. - Other Business - Claims
Livonia Public Schools - Bills for Paymt
Ocean Springs MSD - Claims Docket
Scott County School District - Claims Docket
Starkville School District - Claims Docket

Think your project
through.

What might be
its unintended
consequences?

PHOTO CREDIT:
Clinton News
reporter Robert
Chapman's plate of
watermelon.

NEBRASKA (2)
Millard Public Schools - Board Packet
North Platte Public School District - BoardDocs - Claims

A prosperous suburb of
Kansas City, Liberty's
Farmer's Market attracts
shoppers eager for locally
produced food; Liberty
Academy (center) and
Liberty High School (right).

Left, West Millard
High School.
Right, North
Millard senior
Matt Conahan
signs letter of
intent (U. of
Nebraska) in
2007 with parents;
North Platte HS
volleyball team;
(far right) North
Platte River.

Situated at the southernmost tip of Nevada, Clark County's
boundaries include Lake Mead, the Hoover Dam, and Las Vegas (R);
the county's 2000 population was 1,375,765.

In stark contrast, Elko County,
located in Nevada's far
northeastern corner, although
the lower 48's 4th-largest
county, has a population of
only 45,291; East Humboldt
Range in snow (R).

The State of New Jersey has
instituted some admirable
transparency at the state level
with the publication of a single
easy-to-read document
containing particulars of all
administrator contracts; I wish
Texas would impose a $50
maximum buyback for unused
sick and vacation time.

OHIO (1)

Springboro Community City SD -
- Fiscal Year 2009 (scroll down to most current posted
"Detailed Check Register")

(Above) Aztec Monument panorama (Aztec,
New Mexico) (SOURCE--David T. Ratcliffe)

(Below)
Espanola (more coming)

The City of Springboro has a
Memorial Tree program (left); the
marker at right commemorates the
important and historic role
Springboro played in the
Underground Railroad during the
period 1815 to 1864. Far right,
Springboro High School.

A predominantly
Quaker community in
its early days,
Springboro served as
a hospitable
thoroughfare for many
runaway slaves on
their way north to
freedom. Between
1815 and 1864,
Springboro was host to
numerous safe-houses
and many agents and
conductors operating
with the village and the
surrounding township.
Two factors contributed
to Springboro's role as
a pathway to the
Underground Railroad.
One was the
antislavery sympathies
of its residents.
Secondly, situation
between the Great and
Little Miami Rivers and
just two nights run
north of the Ohio River,
Springboro was in the
middle of two corridors
of flight. Enriching the
antislavery sentiments
of the local community
was Achilles Pugh,
who for years
published a famous
national abolitionist
paper, "The
Philanthropist." In
Springboro, despite
constant scrutiny and
harassment from
bounty hunts and law
officers, no runaways
were ever captured or
returned while under
the protection of the
Springboro area.
http://www.ohioundergr
oundrailroad.org/Comm
unityMarkers.htm

OREGON (1)

Oregon Trail School District 46
- Accounts Payable Check Listing

Oregon Trail
ruts
www.legendsofamer
ica.com/NB-Overlan
dTrails.html

Taking its name as a terminus of the old Oregon
Trail -- you can still see wagon ruts in
Nebraska (3rd right) -- OTSD 46 encompasses
the communities of Sandy, Boring and Mount
Hood (4th); the OTSD
High School's stadium (far right) is named for
the "Pioneers."

From left, historic
Franklin County
Courthouse in
Chambersburg,
Pennsylvania; please
scroll down to
"NOTES" below for
information regarding this
structure during the Civil
War. Far right, covered
bridge at Antrim

KUDOS TO
MANHEIM CSD
It appears from my research
that MCSD was the first
U.S. public school district to
post its check register online;
date: November 2002.

Left to right: Mitchell is home to
the "A-Maize-ing" Corn Palace,
covered anew each year in
corn, grasses and grains and
visited by a half-million tourists
annually. There's also a sizable
turnout for Mitchell HS
basketball games. Mt.
Rushmore is four hours due
west as the crow flies.

SOUTH
DAKOTA
http://mit.midco.n
et/prairiestorm/Pr
airiestorm.html

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN, THAT TEXAS ALREADY HAS SO MANY DISTRICTS ONLINE? Contrary to publishe reports, there is no law in Texas requiring school districts to post their check registers online.
The most that school districts can obtain from our state DOE (the Texas Education Agency) is 3 extra points on the Schools FIRST tally and many schools have chosen to not get the 3 extra points.

Texas is a good example of a grassroots idea which has spread heart to heart, where school districts are opting for transparency because it's the right thing to do -- not because angry taxpayer
groups have stormed their citidels making strident demands. In fact, not just in Texas but in many other states much of the work I do is to help transform angry taxpayers into friendlier more agreeable
folks when approaching their districts -- that Golden Rule thing.

TO PUT ONLINE SCHOOL TRANSPARENCY INTO PERSPECTIVE: California officially has 1,050 school districts (2007-08); about 1,036 per the California DOE's Data & Statistics department as of
January 7, 2009. Texas has 1,031 school districts as of that same date. Illinois has 879 districts.

TO PUT THE STATES' ROSTERS INTO PERSPECTIVE: California officially has 1,050 school districts (2007-08); about 1,036 per the California DOE's Data &
Statistics department as of January 7, 2009. Texas has 1,031 school districts as of that same date. Illinois has 879 districts, and Michigan has 551.

VIRGINIA

Roanoke

Auto Service
Technology I,
II, & III

Auto Service
Technology
provides theory
and hands-on
experience in the
repair of the
modern
automobile.
Preparation for the
ASE certification
exam will include
concentrated study
in brake systems,
electrical systems,
engine
performance, and
suspension and
steering systems.

NOTE: There are no dollars listed with the above school districts for one reason: Only Texas can tell us actual total expenditures for all funds, etc. spent in a school
year with a clearly defined formula. Please see the NOTES section on the two Texas rosters (A - L) (M - Z) to understand this distinction. Also, once you land on
those pages, you can compare the pink budget forecast sections (left side) to the blue actual financial sections (right side) yourself and see which is larger.

NEW MEXICO

Left, annual Albuquerque
International Balloon Fiesta in
Albuquerque, the largest of its
kind in the world, is a nine-day
event with approximately
750 balloons and had its
beginnings in a local radio
promotion in 1972. Right: Aztec
Monument.

OHIO

OREGON

NEVADA (NEW MEXICO BELOW)

For more information regarding Elko County,
Nevada, here's a first-person site with plenty of
photographs.

Starkville
school board

North Platte High School band practice

NEBRASKA

How we take back
our children's
education:
one person, one
question, one
school at a time.

BIG SPRING ISD (Texas)
Budget: $28.1 million          Students: 3,900
Sandra Waggoner, chief financial officer
"Posting our check register online really isn't any extra work; it's the same check
register we give our board each month, then we just PDF it to our webmaster."
Sandra is BSISD's public information officer; the district only receives 3-4
ORR's per year. "Most are not people trying to stir up something, just, 'I'm
curious.' "
Logistics: BSISD's bookkeeper sends a PDF file to the superintendent's
secretary for TASB BoardBook, and sends a duplicate copy of the PDF file to
the webmaster who uploads and creates a link so it's available for the public.
Extra expense: None.
Fallout? No increase in public records requests.
Goals for the future: Keep each month's check registers online for one year.

NEDERLAND ISD (Texas)
Budget:   $ 37.9 million         Students: 5,100
Gail Krohn, superintendent: "I think it's important for a district to share
pertinent financial information with the community and the taxpayers; that's
what's important. I'm very proud of our business manager that she tries her very
best to make things simple and understandable for the taxpayers of Nederland
ISD."

NEW CANEY ISD (Texas)
Budget:    $79.8 million        Students: 8,700
Cindy Reynolds, secretary to superintendent/media relations: "Posting our
check registers online saves us some time on generating information that
people might request otherwise. This is the best way to approach it. It never
occurred to us to not post this public information. When you form partnerships
with your community, you have to be above reproach. We're all partners, we're
all taxpayers. We have to be accountable in all areas."
Fallout? "Parents and support organizations question us from time to time
regarding expenditures--not that we've been questioned on how but where--and
they're certainly entitled to that information."
Logistics: NCISD uses TASB's BoardBook.
Extra expense: None; check registers are a free feature of TASB's BoardBook.

CLOVIS USD (California)
Budget: $300 million            Students: 37,000
NOTE: Clovis USD, just north of Fresno in California's fertile San Joaquin
Valley farming region, may have been the first school district in the nation to
put its entire check register online -- a natural next step, according to a district
spokesman, as part of its move to a paperless board packet. Check register
information included: Check number, payee name, dollar amount, date,
account. If there are questions about checks: We'd first invite them in and try
to answer their questions.
Bill McGuire, CFO - We completed posting to our website our check registers
over 5 years ago as the 1st part of our electronic agenda. The board, district
administration and community have been very supportive of our
school district's providing as much information as possible in an electronic
format.

COPYRIGHT 2006-2009 PEYTON WOLCOTT

( Alabama - Kentucky districts here ) ( Texas A-L here . . . M-Z here )

NEW HAMPSHIRE (1)

Rochester Schools
- A/P Checks with Warrant Nos.

According to my best research,
Rochester is the first district not only in
New Hampshire but also in New
England to post its check register online.

Rochester, known as the Lilac City, is
located in southeastern New
Hampshire. With a population of
almost 31,000, Rochester is the largest
city in the seacoast region and fourth
largest city in New Hampshire. (See
"Notes" below for more.)

ROCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE (cont'd from above)
Encompassing 48 square miles of rolling hills and rivers, Rochester is conveniently located only a short distance from New Hampshire's famous
Lakes Region, the White Mountains with its ski resorts and the Seacoast with its superb beaches. (SOURCE--City of Rochester)

L to R: Mendota Bridge, built in 1926, spans the Minnesota River near its confluence with the Mississippi; New Prague High School, built in 1998,
has 1100 students in grades 9-12. After Milaca ("mille lacs" or "a thousand lakes") -- the Walleye Capital of the World" -- experienced a drop in
students last year from 1909 to 1855, state aid was cut and the school board recently voted to cut the district's budget by $1 million; the district
receives $7,300 per student in state aid. The Milaca Senior High School Marching Band leads local parade. Northwest Technical Instiute campus.

How to find Dallas ISD's
check register:
On DISD's home page, choose
Board of Trustees, then Meeting
Agendas, then a regular
meeting, then Consent Agenda,
then "Ratification of List of Bills,
Claims and Accounts."

MICHIGAN INTERMEDIATE
EDU-LAYERS (3)
Livington ESC - Here
Oakland ISD - Here
St. Clair RESC - here

New Lothrop APS - Check Register
Northville PS - Check Register
Novi CSD - Check Register
Oxford CS - Check Register

Royal Oak N'hd Schls - Expenditure Register
South Lyon CS - Accts Payable Prepaids
Stephenson ASD - Checks
Swan Valley SD - Check Register
Swartz Creek CS - Check Register
Traverse City CS - A/P Check Register
Trenton PS - BoardDocs/Reg.Mtg./ConsentAgenda
Troy PS - Check Registry
Utica CS - Check Register
Vicksburg Schls - BoardBook Agenda Packet
Walled Lake CSD - Check Register
Waterford CS - Board - Accounts Payable
W. Bloomfield SD - Monthly Check Register

Above, Swartz Creek Athletic Boosters support sports such as
baseball and hockey. Far left, Michigan abounds in natural beauty --
Lake Superior, Upper Peninsula woodlands; center left, Bowers
School Farm campus in Bloomfield Hills; Montrose Community
Schools (far right) makes part of its campus available for the annual
Montrose Blueberry Festival with the 3 P's (parade, pancakes and
pie) each August, and the Frozen Blueberry 5K Run & Walk each
January.

SOUTH CAROLINA (1)

Berkeley County School District - Here

Montrose CS - H ere

Lakeview SD - Bd. Min./Check Register
Livonia PS - BoardBook Agenda Packet
Madison SD - Board Agenda PDF

Holly Area SD- Depts-Bus.Accts Payable
Howell PS - Agenda - Financial Report
Huron Valley Schls - Check Register

Manchester CS - Unable to locate here

Marlette CS -BOE-Gen. Fund Chk Reg.

Hats off to our friends at The Mackinac Center for their
transparency efforts!

Carman-Ainsworth CS - Check Register
Carrollton Public Schools - Check Register
Chassell Township Schools - Mo . Spending Rpt

Pinconning ASD - Check Register
Plymouth-Canton CS - Check Registry

Grand Blanc CS - Check Register
Greenville PS - Check Register
Grosse Ile Townshp Schls - Check Register
Grosse Point PS - Mthly Fin.

Farmington PS - here
Frankenmth SD - Check Register
Freeland CSD - Check Register

ORIGIN OF SCHOOL CHECK REGISTER TRANSPARENCY IN MICHIGAN: In January 2007, together with Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton (R),
Montrose Schools superintendent Mark Kleinhans (L) fielded questions from the press following the arrest of long-time MCS bookkeeper Dana Bacon on charges of embezzling
$1.2 million from a district with a $14 million annual budget. Coming at a time when Michigan's economy is sorely challenged, Mark's decision to voluntarily post his district's checks
online in August 2007 marked a pro-active step towards gaining community support for funding his schools; he later opened the budget adoption process to the community, holding a
series of meetings and seeking line-by-line input and approval.

Chippewa Valley SD - Check Register

Redford Union Schls - Checks Offline
Riverview CSD - Authorized Payments
Rochester CS - here
Romeo CS - Vendor Payment Register

Gladwin CS - Check Registry

WEST VIRGINIA (1)

Summers County Public Schools - Here

WYOMING (1)

Fremont CSD #24 - Here

RHODE ISLAND (O)

Hats off to this Ocean State transparency effort; hopefully they'll next work with the districts to get checks posted
on district websites -- timelier, better engages all citizens.

MONTANA (0)

NEW YORK (O)

NORTH CAROLINA (O)

NORTH DAKOTA (O)

TENNESSEE (O)

VERMONT (O)

WASHINGTON (3)

La Center School District 101 - Board Agenda - AP Voucher Register
Ritzville SD - School Board Packet - A/P Warrants
Raymond SD - Board Packet - A/P Warrants

From left, downtown
Raymond. Ritzville
farmers market;
Church of Christ built
in Ritzville by German
immigrants was
completed in 1901 at a
cost of $6,000.

Hats off to our friends at
Evergreen Freedom Foundation
for their transparency efforts.