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Feeling a bit anxious about year-end closing? You’re not the only one.
It’s a high-stakes, complex, time-sensitive task – with multiple parts – that must be done exactly once a year. Which means there’s a good chance you’ve forgotten (or aren’t quite sure about) some parts of the process.
CASBO’s Year-End Closing 101, a free, self-paced online course, can help. It’s one of a growing contingent of foundational courses available at no cost to members via CASBO’s (SBU). Each 101 course is designed to help school business professionals quickly get up to speed on important aspects of school business.
“Our districts are facing staffing shortages and have limited time and resources for training and onboarding,” says Kristen Gates, CASBO’s online learning director.
“New school business leaders may not yet have had a chance to learn alongside experienced leaders, and those coming to school business from the private sector may have a limited understanding of the complexities of school funding and reporting requirements, as well as limited opportunities to learn from school finance experts. CASBO SBU fills those gaps.”
Even veteran school business professionals can benefit from refreshers that revisit core concepts and cover the latest practices, but few are able to do so within their districts.
That’s why CASBO is building out a slate of “101” courses.
“We’re developing these short, foundational courses to make learning more accessible and practical,” Gates says. “We see these as the first step on your learning path – or a quick refresher. These courses break down complex concepts into clear, digestible fundamentals.”
Recently launched courses include:
Budgeting & LCAP 101 and Audit 101 are scheduled for release later this year, with more 101 courses on the way.
Yes, each of these courses covers a complex topic. But instead of delving into details, each is constructed to quickly boost learners’ understanding, confidence and competence. The interactive, self-paced online courses include practical exercises to help learners apply their knowledge and skills.
“Rather than just learning about the California School Accounting Manual, learners actively navigate and search the manual themselves — building job-ready capability,” Gates says.
Each 101 course takes 30 to 60 minutes to complete, but users can start at their convenience and work at whatever pace is best for them.
“If you only have 10 minutes today to start, that’s OK,” Gates says. Course progress is automatically saved, so learners can return to the material when they are ready.
To date, feedback from users has been positive. An experienced CBO who took Vendor Reporting 101 said, “This was such a great refresher, even after years in this role.” Another learner said, “I wish I had this when I first started!”
To explore available courses, visit CASBO SBU; you can search content by discipline or explore free member courses. 101 courses are accessible immediately after registration.
Members who want to go deeper and learn more can explore CASBO’s paid educational offerings, including online workshops, micro-certificates, and certification programs.
