Business manager outlines finance fixes, offers training and Forecast 5 option

Melanie, the district's new business manager, told the board she is focused on making financial information more current and accessible to principals and staff by better using the district's Infinite Visions accounting software and rolling out user guides and short how‑to videos.

"Some of the challenges I come across is that a lot of the information is not directly put into Infinite Visons," Melanie said, adding that reconciling purchase orders and avoiding repeated manual work for secretaries are immediate priorities. She described a streamlined approval workflow that will email approved purchase orders directly to site staff rather than requiring them to reprint or hunt for records in the system.

Melanie recommended a series of process and training changes to reduce delays and clerical burden. She said supervisors will hold monthly budget review meetings with building principals to examine year‑to‑date spending and to teach staff how to run template reports. She also described workarounds already in place for registration and student fees while integrations are completed.

On forecasting tools, Melanie said Forecast 5 could provide the board with scenario modelling and clearer month‑to‑month projections, but cautioned that the product costs roughly $13,000 per year and would require commitment to be useful. "It's about $13,000 a year to use Forecast 5," she said; "if we're gonna pay that, Melanie's going to use it and we'll make sure it's helpful to the board." The board confirmed that purchasing Forecast 5 would be an administrative decision and not a board vote.

Next steps: Melanie will continue implementing system integrations, produce the training guides and videos she described, and bring sample monthly reports for the board to review at the September work session. The district will also continue routine reconciliations and return with recommendations if Forecast 5 is purchased.