This research study addressed a gap in the literature about the effect of school district funding allocation in Student Support Services, Instructional and Curriculum Development Services, and Instructional Staff Training Services on school district achievement. Using data gathered from the Florida Department of Education, this study examined whether differences existed in the specific school district funding allocations among the varying school district sizes in Florida. Additionally, the purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between school district grades and specific school district funding allocations. Further, school demographic characteristics such as English Learners and Students with Disabilities were examined as control variables in this study. The analysis was conducted using Annual Financial Reports for each school district from the school year 2015-2016 through 2018-2019, and the total points earned for school district grades, reflected on the School District Report Cards reported by the Florida Department of Education. To complete the analysis, a hierarchical multiple regression was utilized to determine the relationships in four distinct models. This study revealed no predictiveness of the school district funding allocation variables utilized in this study and total points earned for school district grades. Results from this study may help guide educational leaders in refining budgets to better reflect expenditures with a better return on investment. The findings of this study led to recommendations for future research, such as replicating the methodology for other school district funding allocations.

Because the public school budgeting process is arguably the single most important process in a school district, the budgeting process is a leadership challenge for the Superintendent. This leadership challenge is even more pronounced in fiscally dependent school districts where the school board does not have the authority to tax and must obtain funding from the local governing board. In fiscally dependent school districts, superintendents must develop and guide the school district budget through two different boards with different responsibilities and interests: a school board focusing on the educational vision of the school district and a local governing board focusing on overall community needs and tax rates. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of fiscal dependence on superintendent leadership during the budget process. This multi-case study utilized Stake's (2006) multi-case analysis methods to determine findings from four cases selected using a stratified, purposeful sampling of school districts in Virginia, a fiscally dependent state. The analysis resulted in eleven findings: 1) Superintendents guide school district budgets through the local government approval process. 2) The fiscally dependent method of school district funding in Virginia has a direct impact on the development of the school district budget. 3) The importance of education in a community influences the budget development process. 4) Personalities and relationships can be more important than budget processes and documents. 5) Limited local revenue has an impact on the budget development process. 6) An appointed school board increases the importance of the local governing board and influences the budget approval process. 7) The depth to which local government leaders look at the budget details influences the district budget development process. 8) Superintendents ensure frequent and ongoing dialogue with local government leaders. 9) Superintendents maintain good relationships with the local government leaders. 10) Superintendents have a good budget process and budget document. 11) Superintendents involve and engage the larger school community. This study has implications for superintendents that work in states with fiscally dependent school districts. / Ph. D. / One of the most important and most difficult duties of the superintendent of schools is to develop and get the school district budget approved. This process is even more difficult in fiscally dependent school districts, or school districts where the school board does not have the authority to tax, and must obtain funding from the local city council or governing board. In fiscally dependent school districts, superintendents must develop and guide the school district budget through two different boards with different responsibilities and interests: a school board focusing on education and a local governing board focusing on overall community needs and tax rates. The purpose of this study was to determine how the need for city council, or governing board, approval affects how the superintendent develops and guides the school district budget through the budget approval process. This study resulted in eleven findings: 1) Superintendents guide school district budgets through the local government approval process. 2) The fiscally dependent method of school district funding in Virginia has a direct impact on the development of the school district budget. 3) The importance of education in a community influences the budget development process. 4) Personalities and relationships can be more important than budget processes and documents. 5) Limited local revenue has an impact on the budget development process. 6) An appointed school board increases the importance of the local governing board and influences the budget approval process. 7) The depth to which local government leaders look at the budget details influences the district budget development process. 8) Superintendents ensure frequent and ongoing dialogue with local government leaders. 9) Superintendents maintain good relationships with the local government leaders. 10) Superintendents have a good budget process and budget document. 11) Superintendents involve and engage the larger school community. This research is important because superintendents can use the strategies from the findings during the budget process to maximize the funding they receive from the local government.