Experience Rochester is working with Rochester Public Schools to provide MASBO conference attendees the opportunity to participate in the Community Care Kit initiative. This program provides resources for young students and their families to support learning over the summer. MASBO attendees can help to assemble these kits on Wednesday morning—the project station is located on the second floor of the Civic Center, near conference registration. Please stop by, and join in on making a difference!

The Minnesota Association of School Business Officials has established a voluntary certification program for all MASBO members and nonmembers. The courses are designed to train current and prospective school business officials, offers practical information to assist members in excelling in their profession. Although this course is part of the certification program, it is open to all members. This session will discuss in detail the different kinds of investments available to school districts, along with liquidity, investment policy and Minnesota legal requirements. Cash flow management strategies will also be reviewed, including short term borrowing and arbitrage.

Stress is perceived when there is an imbalance between the demands placed on us and our ability to meet those demands. Ongoing stress has a negative effect on health, happiness, relationships, sleep, mood, and overall quality of life. Excessive stress also adversely affects cognitive functions (including attention, memory, judgment, and decision making). Resiliency is the ability to adapt well to stress, and to thrive even amidst adversity. Resiliency correlates positively with several psychosocial and health related variables. In this single 90-minute group session, you will understand how the brain and mind generate unwanted stress every day, even during routine daily activities. Based on this understanding, you will learn a two-step program that will empower you to manage your stressors with less distress, and as a result, enhance your physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

A presentation on what and when items are due and how they are used to determine a district's levy.

This session will provide an update on the recent changes in the accounting and auditing requirements of Minnesota School Districts. It will cover a variety of topics including changes in Governmental Accounting Standards (GASB), Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS), Federal Single Audit requirements (Uniform Guidance), Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) audit requirements, and the Office of State Auditor (OSA).

This brand-new program focuses in on a highly requested topic—eligibility. What qualifies an employee for PERA membership? What excludes them? And which PERA plan should they be enrolled in? Intro to PERA Eligibility will answer all those questions and more.

With all the challenges schools are facing today, discussion will be based around the top emerging risks for schools to be aware of and most importantly – what tools, resources and coverage are available.

Supporting your district's strategic objectives while adhering to procurement laws, guidelines, and best practices can feel like walking a tightrope. Cooperative procurement can help. In this session, we'll talk through how leveraging cooperative purchasing contracts can advance your organization's strategic policy objectives, including: sustainability, supplier diversity initiatives, performance efficiencies, and more.

This session will cover the new Minnesota Education Grants System (MEGS). The primary emphasis will be on how to gain access, MEGS roles, Central Data Collection tile (Program Assurances), CEIS grant application process, the IDEA Part B, C and Discretionary Grant tiles, SEDRA budgets, reimbursement requests, closeout reports and important deadlines.

This course is designed for anyone with payroll processing, review or oversight responsibilities and aims to provide attendees with introductory or refresher level review of key payroll and overtime compliance concepts. Attendees will learn more about payroll taxes, payroll filings and deadlines, overtime regulations and classifications, pay stub reporting requirements, and much more to raise awareness of common errors and minimize risk for their organizations.

Representatives from the Teacher's Retirement Association will present on payroll, demographic and leave submission. They will cover the basics and will be available to answer questions.

In the unpredictable landscape of the property insurance market, schools are facing unprecedented challenges. Wind/Hail deductibles, rate increases, and insurance to value are just some of the looming threat of cost explosion demand of insurance companies. Join our session as we discuss exactly how to take the right proactive measures to confront the issue head-on. Don't hide from the storm—equip yourself with the knowledge and tools needed to weather it successfully with timely strategies for the continued pressures from insurers.

District administrators are continuously addressing deferred maintenance, health and safety and overall capital project needs. Sometimes, the biggest challenge is generating the money needed to complete these projects. The key to success is using the appropriate tools and getting advice early! Learn how districts around the state have explored various avenues to blend these financing tools to develop creative solutions.

MSBA answers questions received from school districts across the state. Come and hear about some questions that have been asked and answered this year....maybe they apply to you too!

Is a school district allowed to make a donation, give a gift, or spend funds on meals for board members? This presentation will focus on the public purpose doctrine and its limitations on school district expenditures.

Representatives from the US Department of Labor, MN Dept of Labor & Industry and the Office of the MN Attorney General will present on federal wage laws, compliance with MN wage laws and wage theft enforcement in Minnesota.

Staff from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) will present on funding opportunities and obligations for students experiencing homelessness (including McKinney-Vento funds) and students in foster care.

Employee benefits are one of the largest expenses for school distrcits, and it is important that employees understand their benefits and costs, so they can be good consumers. This session will provide information and tips to help you better communicate about these benefits, as well as the tax implications of 403(b)s, VEBAs, HSAs and FSAs. Benefits administration systems will also be briefly reviewed.

If you are new to school finance (and even if you aren't) it's difficult to know how what revenue you should see and when you should see it. Is the revenue an entitlement? Is it a pass through from the feds? Is it based on an expenditure you have to report somewhere? Is it based on pupil units, and if yes, what units are used? When can you expect it? Does it come all at once or is it metered? Does it come through IDEAS or other channels? Cathy will unlock the mystery of state revenue!

Prepare to think differently about your organization's culture, and the value of the individual within it! Drawing inspiration from his own experiences and years of research, John explores the ways organizations can prioritize employee well-being, foster open communication, and tap into the hidden talents and diverse interests of their workforce. With humor, anecdotes, and insights, he challenges traditional notions of professionalism, encouraging attendees to embrace their "Ands" – the outside-of-work passions and hobbies that make them human – and to create a work environment where everyone can thrive. His one-of-a-kind message invites leaders to consider the power of human connection and personal authenticity in the workplace, ultimately advocating for a more inclusive and fulfilling professional culture.

More than a few school districts are struggling to pay retirees' health benefits as school business officials continue to grapple with the liability issue of other post-employment benefits ("OPEB"). This session will provide the basics of OPEB and the implications of new GASB rules. Participants will also learn the benefits of pre-funding a trust and creating an investment program.

This session will discuss FFY24 UFARS Codes, provide updated on 2023 legislative changes and new programs, and proivde various UFARS accounting reminders.

Important review of LTFM 24-25 Legislative proposals and FY 2015 effective legislation ("Single User" restroom and new "Lead in Water" requirements). Did you Know? - "New" LTFM/UFARS Guidance for Allowable Project Expenditures (LTFM website). July 21, 2024 LTFM Ten-Year Plan process requirements to include FAQs/LTFM Budget/FY 26 Documentation availability.

Need to grow your knowledge on SEDRA and how to juggle two fiscal years? We have hints and suggestions on SEDRA lines and SEDRA/UFARS reconciliation to help your LEAs navigate through both.

Representatives from US Dept of Labor (USDOL), MN Dept of Labor & Industry (DLI) and the Office of the MN Attorney General will present on the change in federal rulemaking for independent contractor misclassification; the 9-factor test in Minnesota for independent contractors and the Attorney General's misclassification taskforce and the legislative changes that are taking place this session.

Since taking the role of Director of School Finance in 2022, Cathy Erickson has prioritized communication. In this reverse session she is listening (instead of formally presenting), and wants to hear your concerns, thoughts and ideas. Join us for this conversation and exchange of information and ideas.

Utilizing a collaborative team to employ different financing tools to help meet the needs of Orono Public Schools. In this presentation the District will discuss how they collaborated with Ehlers, Inc. and Wold Architects and Engineers to identify, plan, and execute current facility needs and tools to finance them.

A feature of SECURE 2.0 allows employee college loan payments to qualify for employer 4039b) matching dollars. This allows for employees to payoff their college loans while also saving for retirement. This session will cover the details of how they will benefit both employees and school districts. We will also provide sample language for contracts and bargaining agreements.

The presentation will review general special education updates, including formula changes, using federal funds for tuition billing along with data reporting in SEDRA.

GASB 101 - Compensated Absences supercedes GASB 16 - Other Compensated Absences for plans with fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023. We will review any changes to your Post-Employment Unused Accumulated Sick Leave Benefits and/or your Post-Employment Medical, Dental, and Life Benefits (OPEBs under GASB 75.) Other topics of what is new in GASB 101 and Post-Employment Benefit plan design will also be reviewed and discussed.

MASBO leaders will be actively engaged as they learn about the Tools of Cultural Proficiency Framework and how Finance and Operations Leaders in Minnesota and across North America use it to support the implementation of their district's Mission, Vision, Core Values and Strategic Plans.

This session will discuss FFY24 UFARS Codes, provide updated on 2023 legislative changes and new programs, and proivde various UFARS accounting reminders.

Leave with five steps to ensure you have the most accurate data to help school leaders make more informed decisions about facility improvements and move from a reactive mindset to a proactive planning methodology. Understand the potential impacts to facility planning due to inflation, labor market shortages, and supply chain issues that could influence facility maintenance decisions.

The Board of School Administrators(BOSA) will review essential parts of the Minnesota Rule and State Statute that school districts must follow. We will also update you on changes and processes at BOSA that might impact you (CEUs, variances, ethics issues, state reports, out-of-state administrative applicants, licensure and re-licensure, BOSA administrative fees, etc.) and how we can support your work.

This interactive session facilitates exchange of ideas and information between attendees. Each group sets its own topics and utilizes small group discussion for learning and conversation.

• HR
• Payroll
• Purchasing
• Superintendents
• Small District
• Co-ops / Intermediates
• Large Districts

This final group session for the first cohort of Next Level Leadership is by invitation only.

After reflecting on the wisdom of Viktor Frankl, groups choose a purpose and core values from a list and apply them to address a challenging decision scenario, emphasizing the impact of values on choices.

Explore some ways to improve your skills with board presentations, relationships with admin., mentoring staff, customer service and "getting to yes."

The government has passed unprecedented energy legislation these past two years ushering in the upcoming Climate Economy. During this session you will learn about those energy incentives in the built environment that apply to tax exempt organizations, specifically school districts. Those who are building new, renovating or improving their facilities are welcome to join and learn if they are eligible to participate in the Energy Incentive Program.

The model documents used at the outset of construction projects are drafted by the American Institute of Architects and are typically updated once each decade. This presentation will focus on how these updates impact the overall flow and cost of projects and how strategic amendments can guard against potential problems.

Discover the benefits of "no member cost" virtual medicine across various treatment areas, including mental health. Not only can this innovative approach help you control costs, but it also ensures your members receive the care and access they need. With the opportunity for 100% claims redirection, self-insured, fully insured, and pooled plans all stand to gain. Explore real-world examples of successful cost-saving outcomes backed by data and uncover proven communication strategies and next steps to unleash the full potential of your district's medical plan.

Questions are often raised about what is allowable for a District to do in order to support or inform the public about referenda, and what relationship they may have with Vote Yes committees. This presentation will discuss the legal boundaries of what District's may do related to referenda and other political issues during an election year.

Do you plug your bank reconciliation every month? Do you wait and do all of your reconciliations right before your audit? Do you do the same with district deposits? We'll start with reasons why it is so important to do your reconciliations as soon as the bank statement arrives. You'll learn the plugging reconciliations (even with small amounts) isn't a good habit. You will learn to use the bank reconciliation process to reduce the chance of withholding penalties, and reduce the risk of fraud. This session will provide you with tips and trick on how to reconcile your checking accounts, using both a system approach (SMART in this case) and when that doesn't work, how to build a manual reconciliation and tackle it that way. You will be anxious to get back to the office to tackle them with new tools and confidence!

With so many tasks and responsibilities falling within the business office today, it can be hard to know the effectiveness and efficiency of your team. In this presentation, participants will explore easy-to-implement solutions for school communities of all sizes.

Tim Sullivan and Kaylynn Johnson of Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A. will present on ongoing issues surrounding Minnesota's new Earned Sick and Safe Time Act (ESST). Five months after ESST was implemented on January 1, 2024, school districts are still grappling with implementation, negotiation, and enforcement of ESST. This presentation will address some of the most common questions school districts have raised over the past several months.

As the COVID federal dollars come to an end, many districts and charters are looking for ways to fund their out of school time programs, particularity summer programs. MDE has developed a guide to the different federal and state funding sources, along with a tool for tracking revenue and expenditures for these programs. The tool was adapted from the budgeting tool developed by the Wallace Foundation. Participants would learn about different funding sources as well as the needs of these programs and how to resource them.

As students and the community have acclimated to receiving free school meals, nutrition programs continue to balance impacts on staffing needs, increased costs, communication with families and the cafeteria experience. Learn how districts can amplify the positive and work together to manage the challenges to ensure continued success.

Audit findings often come as a surprise to even the most prepared finance staff. We will discuss common audit findings and steps to take during the year to prevent them. The discussion will focus on four areas: financial transactions, compliance with state statutes, grant compliance and student activity accounts.

Is your school district doing what's required to manage federal funds? Do you have proof of compliance? What fiscal regulations were recently revised? Monitors for the ESEA Title, special education and Perkins programs will explain provisions in the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) and Uniform Grant Guidance that are most relevant to school districts managing federal education funds.

This session will address common questions surrounding unemployment insurance, and the changes to unemployment insurance that impact educational institutions in Minnesota.

Tim Sullivan and Kaylynn Johnson of Ratwik, Roszak & Maloney, P.A. will present on ongoing issues surrounding Minnesota's new Earned Sick and Safe Time Act (ESST). Five months after ESST was implemented on January 1, 2024, school districts are still grappling with implementation, negotiation, and enforcement of ESST. This presentation will address some of the most common questions school districts have raised over the past several months.

Details to come.