Appoquinimink plans new budget reporting, Allaview software and earlier timelines for board review

At the workshop, the director of finance described plans to adopt a school-budgeting system, Allaview, to reduce manual spreadsheet work and improve reporting. The district is vetting the system with IT and the state; the director said Allaview is expected to allow more detailed reporting tied to the district’s needs and reduce manual manipulation of reports.

Alisa Stewart told trustees the district plans to separate discretionary and nondiscretionary spending, present amended preliminary budget material showing those separations later this month, and pursue a 0‑based budget model for fiscal year 2027. She said some parts of the implementation are state-driven and noted that this year the district cannot meet the suggested November/December reporting shift because of transitional timing.

Stewart gave a proposed FY27 timeline: meetings with district leaders and principals from November through February, vetting with superintendent and cabinet in March–May, and a goal of presenting a final preliminary expenditure budget by June 30, 2026. On compatibility, she said the Allaview vetting process is underway and hoped IT review would conclude in a few weeks. External expert Chuck Longfellow described the need for a clear chart of accounts and stronger reconciliation to the First State Financial System (FSF) so board members can ‘‘see where our dollars are going.’’

Trustees asked for concrete dates and deliverables; the director agreed to provide a timeline for what the board can expect before the next meeting.