§ 1B-12 — Financial Plans

The local board shall develop, adopt and submit to the Panel for approval an initial financial plan with respect to the remaining portion of the current fiscal year and for the 2 succeeding fiscal years. The board shall develop and adopt subsequent financial plans as directed by the Panel. The financial plans shall supersede any financial plan developed pursuant to Section 1A-8 of this Act. The Panel shall require that each financial plan cover a period of at least 3 fiscal years. After adoption by the board, the board shall submit each plan to the Panel for its approval not later than the date required by the Panel. The Panel shall approve or reject the financial plan within 30 days of its receipt. No financial plan shall have force or effect without approval of the Panel. Each financial plan shall be developed, submitted, approved and monitored in accordance with the following procedures: (a) The board shall determine and submit to the Panel, at a time and in a manner prescribed by the Panel, estimates of revenues available to the board during the period for which the financial plan is to be in effect. The Panel shall approve, reject or amend the revenue estimates. In the event the board fails, for any reason, to submit to the Panel estimates of revenue as required by this paragraph, the Panel may prepare such estimates. The financial plan submitted by the board shall be based upon revenue estimates approved or prepared by the Panel. As soon as practicable following the establishment of the Panel, the president of the board shall, at the request of the Chairman of the Panel, make available to the Panel copies of the audited financial statements and of the books and records of account of the board for the preceding 5 fiscal years of the board. (b) Each financial plan for each fiscal year or part thereof to which it relates, shall contain (1) a description of revenues and expenditures, provision for debt service, cash resources and uses, capital improvements, and a building utilization component requiring maximum efficient use of all classrooms and buildings, in such manner and detail as the Panel shall prescribe, (2) a description of the means by which the budget will be brought into balance, and (3) such other matters that the Panel, in its discretion, requires. For Panels established under Section 1B-4 for a district that had its financial plan rescinded by the State Board for violating that plan as provided in Section 1A-8, the financial plan required under this Section shall also include the staffing plan required pursuant to subsection (e) of Section 1B-22, provisions for addressing findings or violations identified by the Inspector General or the school district audit, provisions for implementing directives of the Panel, and the plan of action to be followed by the district to maintain long-term financial stability, provide for transition of the Panel's authority, and analyze the need for additional State funding for the district. The initial financial plan shall also include a description of the means by which any outstanding short-term indebtedness shall be paid or refunded by the board. The Panel may prescribe any reasonable time, standards, procedures or forms for preparation and submission of the financial plan. (c) The Panel shall approve the initial and each subsequent financial plan if, in its judgment, the plan is complete, is reasonably capable of being achieved, and meets the requirements set forth in this Article. Otherwise, the Panel shall reject the financial plan. In the event of rejection, the Panel may prescribe a procedure and standards for revision of the financial plan by the board. (d) The board shall report to the Panel, at such times and in such manner as the Panel may direct, concerning the board's compliance with each financial plan. The Panel may review the board's operations, obtain budgetary data and financial statements, require the board to produce reports, and have access to any other information in the possession of the board that it deems relevant. The Panel may issue recommendations or directives within its powers to the board to assure compliance with the financial plan. The board shall produce such budgetary data, financial statements, reports and other information and comply with such directives. (e) After approval of each financial plan, the board shall regularly reexamine the revenue and expenditure estimates on which it was based and revise them as necessary. The board shall promptly notify the Panel of any material change in the revenue or expenditure estimates in the financial plan. The board may submit to the Panel, or the Panel may require the board to submit, modified financial plans based upon revised revenue or expenditure estimates or for any other good reason. The Panel shall approve or reject each modified financial plan.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 89-572, eff. 7-30-96.)