Assume you are a member of the Board of Education. The budget officer of the district...

 

 

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Assume you are a member of the Board of Education. The budget officer of the district is before the board seeking approval of the budget for the Birch Tree Elementary School and ready to answer questions about the budget. What concerns you, if anything, about the budget proposal below? What questions would you put to the budget officer? Prepare a list of questions that include a short rationale for each question that you are asking. Make sure that the list is readable and clear since you may be sharing it with others. Birch Tree Elementary School, Budget for 2023 (in thousands) Goal: Achieve high academic performance, develop a first-rate faculty, and prepare the well- rounded students basic to engaged citizenship and responsible adulthood. Strengthen education Structure teaching and curriculum to achieve the highest state standards Support the introduction of technology into teaching Develop and maintain excellent computer systems and science labs Focus on problem solving in math and sciences Conduct regular reviews of student and teacher performance Maintain a premier teaching staff Tie pay raises closely to performance Offer college tuition reimbursements to faculty for extra training Pay bonuses to recruit more teachers with doctorates 2022 82 30 5 12 2 2023 ∞ m 84 55415 35 5 14 21,000 21,000 500 500 100 500 Graduate well-rounded students for civic engagement Promote modern language study Maintain robust art, music, theater, and sports programs Maintain a strong program of field trips and partnerships with local organizations to advance student understanding of community Incorporate civics and public policy awareness throughout the curriculum. Maintain the strong security, transportation, facilities, and leadership to support the school's educational goals Total 400 900 42 420 910 42 300 5,800 5,900 320 29,173 29,731 You are an analyst for city government and have been assigned to create a baseline for a new program to provide cash assistance for single elderly people. Based on a census in the city, the number of initial beneficiaries has been counted at 7,400 people in 2023; the population is assumed to grow by 1.1% each year after that. The amount of the benefit has been set in legislation at $300 per month and includes a provision that the payment should be adjusted at the beginning of each year for inflation. Economic forecasters for the city have estimated that inflation will be 3.0% in 2024 and 2.0% annually thereafter. Construct a baseline in Excel for a 10-year period from 2024 to 2033 that shows projected spending each year for the program. Make sure that your spreadsheet can be easily used by others. Assumptions Beneficiaries 2023: Annual growth rate: Average benefit/month Inflation rate 2024: Inflation rate 2025 and beyond: Assume you are a member of the Board of Education. The budget officer of the district is before the board seeking approval of the budget for the Birch Tree Elementary School and ready to answer questions about the budget. What concerns you, if anything, about the budget proposal below? What questions would you put to the budget officer? Prepare a list of questions that include a short rationale for each question that you are asking. Make sure that the list is readable and clear since you may be sharing it with others. Birch Tree Elementary School, Budget for 2023 (in thousands) Goal: Achieve high academic performance, develop a first-rate faculty, and prepare the well- rounded students basic to engaged citizenship and responsible adulthood. Strengthen education Structure teaching and curriculum to achieve the highest state standards Support the introduction of technology into teaching Develop and maintain excellent computer systems and science labs Focus on problem solving in math and sciences Conduct regular reviews of student and teacher performance Maintain a premier teaching staff Tie pay raises closely to performance Offer college tuition reimbursements to faculty for extra training Pay bonuses to recruit more teachers with doctorates 2022 82 30 5 12 2 2023 ∞ m 84 55415 35 5 14 21,000 21,000 500 500 100 500 Graduate well-rounded students for civic engagement Promote modern language study Maintain robust art, music, theater, and sports programs Maintain a strong program of field trips and partnerships with local organizations to advance student understanding of community Incorporate civics and public policy awareness throughout the curriculum. Maintain the strong security, transportation, facilities, and leadership to support the school's educational goals Total 400 900 42 420 910 42 300 5,800 5,900 320 29,173 29,731 You are an analyst for city government and have been assigned to create a baseline for a new program to provide cash assistance for single elderly people. Based on a census in the city, the number of initial beneficiaries has been counted at 7,400 people in 2023; the population is assumed to grow by 1.1% each year after that. The amount of the benefit has been set in legislation at $300 per month and includes a provision that the payment should be adjusted at the beginning of each year for inflation. Economic forecasters for the city have estimated that inflation will be 3.0% in 2024 and 2.0% annually thereafter. Construct a baseline in Excel for a 10-year period from 2024 to 2033 that shows projected spending each year for the program. Make sure that your spreadsheet can be easily used by others. Assumptions Beneficiaries 2023: Annual growth rate: Average benefit/month Inflation rate 2024: Inflation rate 2025 and beyond: