School for School Finance Officers
May 2026 through April 2027, 2 days per month | approximately 9 a.m.–3 p.m. each day | Chapel Hill, NC | Price: $0
Held in partnership with the NC Department of Public Instruction and the NC Association of School Business Officials
Registration will close on May 11, 2026
SCHEDULE:
May 18–19, 2026
June 15–16, 2026
July 13–14, 2026
August 12–13, 2026
September 3–4, 2026
October 26–27, 2026
November 9–10, 2026
December 7–8, 2026
January 4–5, 2027
February 24–25, 2027
March 18–19, 2027
April 22–23, 2027
The School Finance Officer Support Program is a year-long professional learning program for North Carolina public school finance officers. The program is designed to help participants understand how school finance works as a complete system—from constitutional authority and state funding decisions to local budgeting, compliance, and audit responsibilities.
Participants meet twice each month for full-day, in-person sessions. Over the course of the year, the program moves from foundational topics, such as governance and funding structure, to practical operational areas, including allotments, budget development, cash management, payroll, procurement, grants management, capital planning, and audit preparation.
Each session combines legal requirements, real-world practice, and hands-on exercises. Participants will work through scenarios, review common risk areas, and apply what they learn to their own finance offices between sessions.
The program focuses on strengthening core competencies, reducing compliance risk, improving internal controls, and building confidence in working with superintendents, boards of education, counties, auditors, and state agencies. By the end of the year, participants will have a clearer understanding of their role, stronger technical skills, and a network of peers across the state.
Certification and Continuing Education Information:
Any credits earned from this program are not applicable toward an academic degree at UNC.
Continuing Education Credits:
Applicable CPE credits are listed below.
For more information on certifications or continuing education credits, please see the Continuing Professional Education page.
Attendance:
Participants must attend and complete all program segments, including the full-day sessions and the assigned applied work between sessions. Successful completion of all required components is necessary to earn the program certificate.
Pre-requisites:
The program is open to individuals who meet the State qualifications to serve as a public school finance officer.
Instructors:
Presenters include faculty from the UNC School of Government, staff from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, representatives from the North Carolina Association of School Business Officials (NCASBO), and experienced school finance professionals from across the state.
Additional information
HOTEL INFORMATION:
Hotel Block information coming soon.
Please see the School’s list of recommended area hotels.
PARKING INFORMATION:
Parking details will be provided to you by your program manager the week prior to each session. Additional directions and parking information can be found on our Visitor Information page.
MATERIALS:
Program materials will be available in CANVAS as they are received from instructors. Instructions for accessing or creating a log-in to CANVAS can be found on the program materials site.
CANCELLATION POLICY:
Course participants must cancel their registration more than 7 calendar days before the course start date to offer the seat to another applicant. More information can be found in the full cancellation and refund policy.
SPONSORSHIP:
This program is in partnership with the NC Department of Public Instruction and the NC Association of School Business Officials.
| CPE | 100.00 hrs |
Program materials will be available in CANVAS as they are received from instructors. Instructions for accessing or creating a log-in to CANVAS can be found on the program materials site.
