Payroll professionals play a critical role in ensuring employees are paid accurately, compliantly, and on time while navigating complex regulations, retirement systems, tax requirements, and labor laws. CASBO’s School Business Payroll Certificate Program (formerly Payroll Essentials) is an intensive two-and-a-half-day virtual training designed to help current and aspiring school business professionals build a strong foundation in payroll operations and compliance within California educational agencies.

This hands-on program provides practical instruction on payroll-related computations from gross pay to net pay, while strengthening participants’ understanding of federal, state, and local statutes, education code requirements, labor law, tax administration, and retirement system obligations. Through presentations, exercises, discussions, quizzes, and real-world payroll scenarios, participants will gain the knowledge and skills needed to perform payroll functions with greater confidence and accuracy.

Attendees will work through practical payroll calculations, deductions, withholdings, balancing processes, and retirement reporting requirements while using Excel-based templates and exercises designed to reinforce learning and support real-world application. The program also includes collaborative activities, independent assignments, and an open-book final assessment designed to validate participant competency.

Ideal for experienced payroll professionals seeking structured training and professional growth, this certificate program provides comprehensive instruction and practical tools participants can immediately apply in their districts and organizations.

Program Format

Dates and Times:

• September 15: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
• September 16: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
• September 17: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Technology Requirements:

Participants must have access to a computer with Excel and camera capability. Cameras are required to remain on during the course. All course materials will be distributed electronically through SBU.

Who Should Attend:

Payroll professionals, from technicians to managers, fiscal services staff, Human Resources professionals, business office personnel, and school business leaders responsible for payroll processing, compliance, reporting, and employee compensation.

What You’ll Learn:

• Employee classifications
• Salary and gross pay calculations
• Payroll deductions and withholdings
• Federal and state tax calculations
• STRS and PERS requirements
• Net pay calculations
• Payroll balancing processes
• Education code and labor code applications

Recommended Excel Skills Prior to Enrollment:

Participants should be comfortable with:

• Creating and formatting worksheets/workbooks
• Formatting cells and ranges
• Creating and modifying tables
• Sorting and filtering data
• Using formulas and functions
• Summarizing data with functions
• Applying conditional logic
• Formatting text with functions
• Creating charts and formatting objects

What You Will Earn:

Participants who successfully complete approximately 15 hours of self-paced online learning modules, knowledge checks, peer discussion activities, reflection assignments, and the course evaluation will earn:

• 18 CEUs
• A verified CASBO School Business Payroll Certificate

This printable credential can be shared with supervisors, colleagues, and professional networks to demonstrate your commitment to professional growth and excellence in school business leadership.

Plus, earn a digital badge to share on your email signature and social media accounts.

Registration:

• CASBO Member: $1,395
• Non-Member: $1,795

Registration and Cancellation Deadline:

September 1, 2026

Cancellation Fee:

$150

Featured Presenters:

• Brenda Boothe, Payroll/Retirement Consultant
• Ramona Coker, Director II, Payroll and Retirement Compliance, Stanislaus County Office of Education