Easing Your End-Of-School-Year Checklist Chores
As the school year winds down, school administrators are already looking ahead to next year. It’s time to start planning for summer and fall programs. Your end-of-school-year checklist might seem long and unmanageable, but if you break it down into smaller sections, you can get it done. Don’t forget to plan for training sessions and registration; it will be on you sooner than you think.
When you go over your end-of-year checklist, remember that summer should be a time for relaxation, not for worrying about what you didn’t get done. If you have everything planned out ahead of time, you can enjoy your summer knowing you have everything in place for opening day.
Summer Training Sessions for New Hires
If you have new teachers coming on board, they’ll need to be brought up to speed on your school’s programs and procedures. If anything new will be implemented next fall, your current employees will also need to be told about the changes. Summer training sessions should be scheduled well in advance to avoid conflicts with vacations and other summer plans.
If your school offers summer education programs, you’ll need to plan around those, too. If you plan ahead, a school lunch program can accommodate both the summer students and your summer training classes. Don’t leave your trainees hungry. Nobody wants to study on an empty stomach, whether they are adults or kids.
Accounting and Budgeting
One end-of-the-year chore all administrators dread is reviewing the accounting. Most fiscal year budgets need to be in by July to meet state appropriations deadlines. You can save everyone time and aggravation by starting early and collecting departmental budgets early, and issuing reminders before the end of school rush.
Be sure to reach out to agencies whose accounts are critical to your budgeting needs. School lunch vendors, athletic suppliers, and other third parties should be contacted for updated cost sheets, so you can accurately budget for the following year. Take the time to account for everything that might be needed.
Activities and Fee Collection
It’s never too early to start planning for the start of the school year. If you have everything in place when you leave in June, you’ll be ready to start back up when students return in the fall. Having a list of activities and fall fee collections prepared will make things easier for students, parents, and staff.
If you plan on having fee collection days, school lunch catering should be considered to save time and space. Your collections days can be held as an adjunct to school days and still be carried out efficiently. Plus, the students will already be in the lunch location and able to sign up for events without disrupting the day.
Fee collection activities can include:
- Fundraising
- Homecoming
- Student programs
- Athletics
- On-campus student organizations
- Tutoring and remote classes
Designing and delivering activities that students will be willing to pay for can be difficult. Everyone wants to get something back for their money. A school lunch fundraiser can bring in money for other causes, such as homecoming or an athletic event. Be creative when it comes to your fee collections.
Registration
It is never too early to begin registration for next fall. Early registration can make coming back to school easier for everyone. Online registration and payment options for tuition (if any), athletic fees, books, or iPads, should always be available. If prices have increased since last year, make this clear on your website, and offer discounts for returning students if possible.
Some students may prefer walk-in registration, and changes are nearly always required. A smart administrator plans for both options. Make sure that you have staff ready for online, early walk-in, and opening day registration, and that you have support staff on call for emergencies.
Other considerations:
- Post clear signage and directions at the walk-in location.
- Have your IT staff ready to provide computer support.
- Open early and stay open late. Registration should be available to parents who work.
- Educate staff on how to handle situations before they arise.
Having a plan for your fall registration before you leave will give you extra weeks of relaxation. Take the time to decide how your registration process will work and what you want before leaving your office for the last time.
Technology Solutions and Updates
Perhaps the school lunch platform is no longer adequate for the number of meals being served. Maybe the grade tracking program isn’t tracking as well as it should. Whatever the problem, the end of the year is an excellent time to review your current IT status and consider upgrading your tech to a different model.
Of course, just because something is new doesn’t mean it’s better or suited to your needs. Flashy software isn’t always what an educator needs to keep track of students. Sometimes all you need is this year’s updates. But now is a good time to review what’s available and see if you could be doing better.
Take a look at things similar to what you have and ask your staff and teachers what they need and what improvements they’d like to see. You can incorporate any upgrades into the summer training courses. By the time school reopens, they’ll be ready to go with the new programs.
End of the Old Year, Start of the New
As you reach the end of the year, you should have everything in place to start next fall. Your summer training sessions and updated courses should be scheduled. The budgeting has been prepared, and you’ve reviewed any new tech solutions for everything from school lunch orders to football game scoring. The registration plan is all ready for opening day.
Now you can sit back and wait for the bell to ring on the last day of school. Enjoy your summer vacation knowing you’ve checked off everything on your end-of-school-year checklist.