Wednesday Sessions


Wednesday  |  Thursday  |  Friday

Connect to Sessions that Advance Your Profession

Illinois ASBO professional development committees are working hard to create relevant sessions that cater to your specific needs as a school business professional.
Earn up to 10 PD Clock hours at this year's conference.

8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Accrue It or Screw It An expert panel of school business practitioners will tackle common accruals for the audit and determine if and how they need to be accrued. Bring your tough questions and we will help answer them. 
 PDC: Accounting
Anatomy of a School Budget Peek inside the ‘anatomy’ of a school budget. From the beating heart of the general fund to the muscle of capital projects, discover how every dollar has a job. This session makes budgeting less about spreadsheets—and more about how schools thrive.
PDC: Accounting
Know Your Role: Crisis Communication in School Business When a crisis hits, confusion can spread faster than solutions. This session helps facility professionals understand their role in emergency communication. Learn how to coordinate with administrators, support response teams and communicate clearly under pressure. Be ready to act, inform and lead when your school community needs you most.
PDC: Communications and Community Engagement
Legislative Update Hear from Illinois ASBO's legislative expert, Emily Warnecke, as she provides the most up-to-date information about the 104th General Session as well as hot topics impacting education in Springfield.
PDC: Public Policy
Cybersecurity & Risk: CFO Strategies for Protection and Insurance Readiness Cyber threats carry financial, operational and insurance consequences. This session helps SBOs assess cybersecurity investments, planning, tools and how they all affect liability and reduce risk. Learn strategies to protect your district.
PDC: Technology



8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. 

Belonging by Design: Budgets, Bids and Boardrooms Join a panel of Illinois SBOs for a candid conversation on what inclusion really looks like in the school business office. From vendor diversity to student services, board relations to community trust, panelists will share stories, challenges and wins. Bring your questions, add your voice and walk away with practical takeaways for weaving equity and belonging into the everyday decisions.
 PDC: DEI
Free Speech in Schools: Navigating Legal Boundaries for Students & Staff This session will explore the evolving legal landscape surrounding First Amendment rights in Illinois schools. We will cover potential risks and responsibilities for school districts and staff as well as best practices for managing speech-related issues.
PDC: Legal Issues
Opening the Black Box of Special Education Finance Join this crash course on special education for the SBO. Learn what you need to know to maximize revenues, control costs and build stronger relationships with your special education department. Discover positive choices that enable student and financial success. 
PDC: Special Education Finance



9:10 a.m. to 10:10 a.m. 

Effective Communication When Preparing for Referendum Whether you are voting for a referendum in November or 2027,  join this session to learn what you can do to best prepare your community through effective communication. Increase your chances of success with effective communication. 
PDC: Cash Management
Food Service Panel Discussion Join an interactive discussion on key school nutrition and operations topics, including Buying American,  Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Programs, CEP, SSO vs. SFSP, commodities, local foods, wellness policies and food service audits of all types.
PDC: Food Service Committee
Help!!! I'm a First Year CSBO Learn all of the survival tools necessary for a new CSBO from a panel of experienced experts. 
PDC: Principles of School Finance
Bidding 101 Join us to explore the basics of bidding — from procurement planning to bid development to executing the purchase and all things in between. Whether you are new to the process or a seasoned veteran in need of a refresher, there is something all negotiators at this session.
PDC: Purchasing
Securing Schools: What CFOs Need to Know About Safety Tech Explore how districts are unifying video surveillance, access control, visitor management and emergency alerts into one comprehensive safety system. This session offers SBOs insights on aligning security investments with district protocols, effective budgeting and supporting safer learning environments through strategic technology planning.
PDC: Technology



9:40 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. 

Single Audit Update This short session will walk through the reporting process of the single audit. 
PDC: Accounting
Preparing For Rating Meetings This session will explore best practices and how to cultivate a plan for a credit rating meeting. Are you an SBO or debt/capital manager who wants to put their best foot forward with the rating agency? This session is for you.
PDC: Cash Management



10:20 a.m. to 10:50 a.m.

Pros and Cons of a 403(b) and 457 Plan Explore the advantages and potential challenges of offering a 403(b) retirement plan in your organization. This session breaks down both single-provider and multi-provider plan structures, helping you understand which option best supports your employees’ financial wellness. Then we'll flip the expert—shifting perspectives to give you a fresh, insider look at how these plans really work. 
PDC: Human Resource Management



10:20 a.m. to 11:20 a.m.

From Chaos to Clarity: Actionable Strategies to Streamline Payment Collection District-Wide Is your district juggling multiple payment platforms and unpaid fees? This session shares practical strategies to centralize fee collection, increase online payments and reduce hidden costs. Learn how automation and system integrations create clearer, more efficient school commerce through real-world examples of districts simplifying their payment management.
PDC: Accounting
How Would You Handle That? School finance is full of tough choices. In this interactive session, we will tackle challenging real-world financial scenarios. Hear how our experts would approach them, consider your own strategies and walk away with practical insights to strengthen your decision-making—while keeping it collaborative and fun.
PDC: Budgeting & Financial Planning
Radical Candor Based on Kim Scott’s book, Radical Candor, this session teaches you how to show genuine care while delivering honest feedback—whether offering praise, correction or guidance. Learn practical strategies to strengthen relationships and foster growth in both personal and professional settings.
Presented by Illinois ASBO
Learning From Leadership Failures You do not learn as much from success as you do from failures. However, failures can be painful, so come learn from ours. Remember, if you’re not making mistakes, you’re probably not pushing yourself hard enough.
PDC: Leadership
Preparing for Contract Negotiations: Strategies, Market Data and Current Trends Gain valuable insights into school district contract negotiations from experienced SBOs and bargaining legal counsel. Learn effective preparation strategies and stay informed about the latest legal trends impacting negotiations.
PDC: Legal issues
Insurance Trends and Self-Funded Health Insurance Learn why organizations choose self-funded health plans, from gaining control and potential savings to managing compliance and increasing complexity. Experts will share strategies to avoid pitfalls and ensure insurance sustainability. This session will also cover Property & Casualty insurance trends, key program differences and ongoing market factors. 
PDC: South Central West
MOE Money, MOE Problems Join us to better understand IDEA Maintenance of Effort (MOE). We will review eligibility and compliance, as well as learn how to properly plan for the future.
PDC: Special Education Administration & Finance


11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

More than Meets the Eye: "It" Happens! From rural districts to Chicagoland, every community experiences belonging differently. In this session, SBOs will share personal stories on leadership, identity and inclusion in school business. Learn why belonging matters everywhere and leave with practical strategies to strengthen inclusion in your own district.
PDC: DEI



11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Annual GASB Update Join us to learn the exciting new standards that are being implemented by GASB.
PDC: Accounting
Developing a Sound Investment Plan in a Falling Interest Rate Environment With the cuts to the Federal Funds rate in late 2025, short-term and intermediate rates have fallen from the highs we have seen over recent years. This session will review the key economic factors impacting school district investment programs as well as discuss steps SBOs can take to help maximize investment income in a falling rate environment.
PDC: Cash Management
New Kids on the Block: How to Keep the Community Informed From Referendum Through Construction BDiscuss how after 50 years without any major construction projects, our district decided now was the time to build. Learn how the district communicated referendum options, how the construction process is going and how they have kept the community informed throughout. 
PDCs: Communications & Planning and Construction 
Navigating Tough Conversations With Confidence Difficult conversations are part of both personal and professional life, whether addressing performance concerns or resolving workplace conflicts. In this session, you will learn practical strategies to prepare for and approach these conversations with clarity, empathy and confidence.
PDC: Leadership
You Can't Make This Stuff Up: Legal Review Hear two experienced school attorneys discuss the legal highs and lows of the previous year. You can also ask advice on how to respond to all things legal in your district.
PDC: Legal issues
How a Bill Becomes a Law Learn the bill making process in this interactive session. You will be assigned a role in the process, see multiple sides of a legislative issue and learn how a bill becomes a law.
PDC: Public Policy
Navigating the New Energy Code Discover the future of energy-efficient design under the new energy code and how it will impact both your district finances and operations.
PDC: Sustainability and Environmental Health