Includes: Purchasing, Personnel, Payroll
Required Degree: BA/BS or equivalent
Required Class Hours: 52
Required Accounting Hours: 8 semester hours
Grandparent Provision: Yes
Continuing Education Requirement: 90 hours over five years

Hours required can be met via: college classes, workshops, conference participation, and specialized workshops.

This voluntary certification program is sponsored by Michigan School Business Officials (MSBO). This section contains brief descriptions of certification courses that will be offered through MSBO and the Michigan Institute for Educational Management (MIEM). In some circumstances courses from other sources may be counted toward MSBO certification. Please be aware that some courses and/or requirements may change. MSBO and the committees that created this program are continuing to evaluate plans and make minor modifications as deemed appropriate.

This program and the courses listed have been created and reviewed by the Professional Development Committee of MSBO. An applicant for certification must be a member of MSBO, and hold a Bachelor's Degree or have equivalent experience, including eight semester hours of accounting.

Business Office Managers are people employed in directing one or more of the functional areas in a school business office -- payroll, purchasing and personnel are primary examples. A Business Office Manager typically reports to the Chief Financial Officer of a school district or a superintendent who serves in that capacity.

The overall purpose of this certification is: 1) to provide access to information and training for School Business Managers that is specific to their function under Michigan law and regulation; and 2) to provide a basis for advancing professionalism of Business Office Managers in Michigan schools.

MSBO certification courses provide a great deal of information in a short time. Most courses are "bulleted" information rather than in-depth training. They are intended to cover major points about their respective topics, offer an opportunity for questions and discussion, and provide resource information containing background and useful materials for future use.

The beginning course for Business Office Managers certification is Introduction to School Business. Although anyone may benefit from certification courses, the full program is generally intended for Business Office Managers in their first 1-5 years of employment. For those who already have more experience, MSBO will evaluate their background to determine how much additional training is required prior to granting certification.

Questions? Contact Debbie Kopkau at MSBO (517) 327-2587 or e-mail dkopkau@msbo.org.