Includes: Data and Personnel
Required Degree: Associate or equivalent
Required Class Hours: 34
Required Accounting Hours: None
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 an Associateís Degree or have equivalent experience.

Business Office Specialists are people employed in one or more of the functional areas in a school business office -- payroll, purchasing and personnel are primary examples. A Business Office Specialist typically reports to the Chief Financial Officer or Business Office Manager of a school district.

The overall purpose of this certification is: 1) to provide access to information and training for School Business Specialists that is specific to their function under Michigan law and regulation; and 2) to provide a basis for advancing professionalism of Business Office Specialists 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 Specialist certification is Introduction to School Business. Although anyone may benefit from this or other individual certification courses, the full program is generally intended for business office specialists 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.