The School Finance Team resides in the Division of Financial and Information Services. The team consists of five staff members and is structured to function collaboratively under the leadership of the administrative consultant. The team is cross-trained and reports directly to the Division Administrator.

The team’s mission contributes to the overall mission of the Department of Education by:
Serving in a collaborative, state-level leadership role to align the K-12 finance system and to assist Iowa public school districts and area education agencies in managing resources to meet their local goals.

The School Finance Team assumes a number of finance-focused activities that include, but are not limited to:

1. Serving as liaison between the School Budget Review Committee and the state and school districts.
2. Allocating and managing payments to school districts and area education agencies for several state and federal aid programs.
3. Collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on certified student enrollments from school districts and nonpublic schools.
4. Collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on certified financial reports from school districts and area education agencies.
5. Collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on certified budgets of area education agencies.
6. Preparing state-level reports to the federal government on K-12 education finance.
7. Managing the reimbursement programs for nonpublic textbook services, foster care education, and juvenile home education.
8. Managing the OMB Circular A-133 audit review for the department.
9. Participating in statute and rule development and interpretation.
10. Striving for equitable application of financial accountability while minimizing regulation.
11. Facilitating the Finance Roundtable.
12. Providing publications, inservice opportunities, and technical assistance on education finance.
13. Providing technical assistance and back-up support to department staff and other state departments.