Lessons from school business leaders on streamlining operations without cutting staff
The budget pressures facing public education right now are no secret. What's less talked about is the practical work happening behind the scenes—the daily decisions that allow districts to stretch resources, reduce risk, and protect classroom capacity without staff reductions.
In conversations with School Business Officials across the country, a theme emerges: when operations break down, it's rarely because people aren't trying hard enough. It's because the legacy systems weren’t designed for the complexity that exists in K12 right now.
The perfect storm
School business leaders are navigating conditions that would test any organization. Enrollment is declining in many regions—California, New York, and New Mexico are each projected to lose 10 to 16 percent of students over the next several years. Federal funding uncertainty continues. Moody's issued a negative outlook for K–12 schools in early 2025, citing declining revenue and rising costs. In Minnesota, AMSD districts face a collective $280 million shortfall. Chicago Public Schools is managing a $500 million gap, with per-pupil costs approaching $93,000 in some underenrolled schools.
At the same time, talent shortages persist across business offices and school sites. Compensation isn't keeping pace with private sector alternatives. Retirements and burnout are affecting teams. And all of this is playing out while state and federal compliance grows more complex, requiring deeper documentation, tighter audit trails, and faster turnarounds.
The CBO role sits at the center of it all—accountable to school boards, fellow cabinet leaders, families, and auditors. With such pressures, the CBO needs technology that supports their most essential processes.
What district leaders are learning
Most districts aren't struggling because people aren't doing the work. They're struggling because the systems they rely on weren't built for what today requires.
When SBOs have the right tools to support clear approvals, better documentation, and faster collaboration, the whole district benefits. Strategic and financial impact comes from finding steady, sustainable ways to improve how processes are done every day.
"Informed K12 helped us be transparent about where we're spending money—and who's approving it. We have to show value. We're fiscal stewards. It's public money."
— Analia Galloway, Director of Human Resources, Auburn School District (WA)
"Before, we were buried in paper. Now, I can approve forms from my phone between meetings. We're never caught off guard at year-end."
— Blake Prewitt, Superintendent, Newaygo County RESA (MI)
“We don’t have to come back to a stack of things to approve. We keep the workflow going while we’re out of office."
— Michele Leach, RTSBA, Chief Finance & Operations Officer, Region 8 Educational Service Center (TX)
The path forward starts with visibility. Knowing where approvals are stuck. Seeing which processes create bottlenecks. Understanding which workflows drain staff time or create compliance exposure.
That's what process orchestration addresses—connecting the systems already in place, activating the data they contain, and giving business leaders the tools to protect resources, reduce risk, and preserve capacity.
Want to see how other districts are managing finance and risk in this environment?
Download our new eBook, Perspectives from the Field: Managing Finance and Risk with K12 Process Orchestration, featuring detailed insights from school business leaders.
