HB 1403 - AS INTRODUCED
2026 SESSION
26-3245
12/06
HOUSE BILL 1403
AN ACT relative to credentials for the position of school business administrator.
SPONSORS: Rep. Damon, Sull. 8; Rep. Ebel, Merr. 7; Rep. Balboni, Rock. 38; Rep. Fellows, Graf. 8; Rep. Bricchi, Merr. 15
COMMITTEE: Education Policy and Administration
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ANALYSIS
This bill establishes required credentials for the position of school business administrator.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
26-3245
12/06
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six
AN ACT relative to credentials for the position of school business administrator.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; School Business Officer; Required Credentials. Amend RSA 186 by inserting after section 8 the following new section:
186:8-a School Business Administrator; Credentials Required.
I. An individual shall have the following entry-level requirements to be certified as a business administrator:
(a) Have completed a state board of education-approved program in the area of business administration at the bachelor's or master's degree level; or
(b) Have completed a bachelor's or master's degree in business, and:
(1) Have acquired the competencies, skills, and knowledge as itemized in paragraph III and through experience in comparable business management positions; or
(2) Have demonstrated the equivalent of completing an approved program in business administration through experience in comparable business management positions and having successfully completed an individualized professional development plan.
II. The candidate shall file the following materials and documents with the bureau of credentialing:
(a) Completed application forms;
(b) Previous work record;
(c) Education record; and
(d) A minimum of 3 confidential references from persons who can attest to the candidate's proficiencies in the required leadership area.
III. Qualifications for business administrators shall include the following skills, competencies, and knowledge in the following areas:
(a) Educational organization;
(b) Financial resource management;
(c) Human resource management;
(d) Facility and property management;
(e) Information management;
(f) Risk management;
(g) Pupil transportation; and
(h) Food service.
IV. In the area of educational organization, the candidate shall have knowledge and the ability to administer and organize, including the ability to:
(a) Identify and apply management and leadership styles, including, but not limited to, concepts of behavioral science and organizational structure theory;
(b) Develop and maintain positive organizational culture;
(c) Manage organizational change; and
(d) Knowledge of and ability to manage public policy and intergovernmental relations, including the ability to:
(1) Assist in the development and application of policies and rules of local boards of education, state educational authorities, state legislatures, and the federal government;
(2) Develop a financial model to monitor a school district's financial health; and
(3) Select professional advisors and contractors, including, but not limited to, attorneys.
(e) Knowledge of and ability to manage legal issues, including familiarity with:
(1) RSAs 32, 33, 35, and others relating to budget, debt, and capital reserve funds;
(2) Laws around various state aid programs, including adequate education aid, building aid, special education aid, and Medicaid billing;
(3) Laws relating to federal aid and program requirements, including RSA 94-142, IDEA, and ESEA grant programs;
(4) State reporting requirements, including department of revenue administration forms and reporting requirements;
(5) State and federal constitutional rights that apply to individuals within the public education system; and
(6) Appropriate statutory and constitutional authority regarding the administration of public schools and significant statutory and case law relative to:
(A) Financial resource management;
(B) Human resource management;
(C) Facility and property management;
(D) Information management; and
(E) Management of ancillary services; and
(7) Practice and application of ethical standards as they relate to the entire profession of school business administration.
(f) Communicate clearly and effectively the financial status of the school district or school administrative unit to the school board or the school administrative unit board and the community within the district.
V. In the area of financial resource management, the candidate shall have the following abilities and knowledge:
(a) Knowledge of and the ability to apply the principles of school finance, including the ability to:
(1) Explore alternative available revenue sources;
(2) Interpret the state funding model; and
(3) Analyze the impact of shifts in local, state, and federal funding and the effect on local spending plans;
(b) Knowledge of and ability to implement budgeting and financial planning, including ability to:
(1) Prepare a budget calendar to meet the time constraints of budget preparation; and
(2) Prepare revenue projections and estimates of expenditures for school and district-wide budgets;
(c) Knowledge of and ability to manage purchasing, including:
(1) Ability to apply the following:
(A) Generally accepted ethical concepts, as identified in the 2nd Edition of the International School of Business Management Professional Standards and Code of Ethics as referenced in Appendix II; and
(B) Computerized procedures in the bidding and purchasing process.
(2) Use of regional or cooperative purchasing with other school districts, municipalities, counties, and the state purchasing bureau;
(3) Specification and competitive bidding;
(4) Contracting and contract administration;
(5) Performance contracting;
(6) Insurance and bonding; and
(7) Lease purchasing;
(d) Knowledge of and ability to manage supply and fixed asset management, including the ability to:
(1) Manage and control inventories;
(2) Plan and implement a program for the maintenance and repair of equipment;
(3) Oversee the development and management of inventories; and
(4) Monitor and distribute supplies and equipment;
(e) Knowledge of real property management, including the ability to apply legal and ethical management policies, procedures, and practices;
(f) Knowledge of and ability to implement accounting, auditing, and financial reporting, including the ability to:
(1) Develop and monitor systems to account for, control, and report school district revenue and expense;
(2) Prepare and analyze interim and annual financial reports for school boards, communities, and other appropriate entities;
(3) Determine revenues and expenditures by fund, using state-approved charts of accounts; and
(4) Establish and verify compliance with finance-related legal and contractual provisions;
(g) Facilitate management control of all financial operations and funds, using appropriate technology;
(h) Ability to manage a school district's cash, investments, and debt, including the ability to:
(1) Comprehend procedures and legal constraints for cash collection and disbursement;
(2) Select professional advisors/contractors, including, but not limited to:
(A) Bond counsel;
(B) Accountants and auditors;
(C) Actuaries;
(D) Financial advisors;
(E) Underwriters; and
(F) Banking institutions.
(3) Analyze the legal constraints and methods of issuing long-term general obligation bonds and lease purchasing, including:
(A) The bond rating process;
(B) Role of the bonding attorney; and
(C) Rating services;
(i) Knowledge of and ability to evaluate technology available for school finance
operations, including the ability to:
(1) Keep current with technology applications;
(2) Maintain a working knowledge of the technology and software that are available for business and financial operations;
(3) Evaluate and apply various technology tools for use in the business office; and
(4) Promote and assist in the development of staff training in technology for the business office;
(j) Determine and advocate for the allocation of appropriate resources toward the purchase and installation of technology and technology infrastructures in the school and business office; and
(k) Participate in the development and issuance of specifications for technology purchasing and technology infrastructure for school and business office functions.
VI. In the area of human resource management, the candidate shall have the following abilities and knowledge:
(a) Knowledge of and ability to manage human relations, including the ability to:
(1) Identify and apply management theory and leadership styles including concepts of behavioral science and organizational structure theory;
(2) Develop and maintain organizational culture; and
(3) Manage organizational change;
(b) Knowledge of and ability to manage the administration of personnel and benefits, including:
(1) Knowledge of federal and state laws, rules, and regulations, including, but not limited to, wage and hour requirements, Family Medical Leave Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, Comprehensive Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, and workers' compensation;
(2) Ability to coordinate the development and management of an appropriate personnel information management system;
(3) Ability to administer collective bargaining agreements and personnel policies;
(4) Procurement and contract management for employee benefits such as workers' compensation, unemployment compensation, medical and disability insurance; and
(5) Coordination of efforts relating to various employee committees such as safety committees and wellness committees;
(c) Knowledge of and ability to manage business office staff development, including the ability to assist district staff in determining their professional development needs for the enhancement of employee training and development programs; and
(d) Knowledge of and ability to manage labor relations and collective bargaining, including:
(1) Knowledge of NH RSA 273, the public sector collective bargaining law, as well as case law pertaining to labor relations; and
(2) Ability to analyze and review jurisdictional, state, rules, and federal laws and regulations with respect to collective bargaining and impasse procedures, including, but not limited to, mediation and fact-finding.
VII. In the area of facility and property management, the candidate shall have the following abilities and knowledge:
(a) Knowledge of and ability to manage facilities planning, including the ability to assist in developing and implementing a strategic plan for facilities;
(b) Knowledge of and ability to manage maintenance and operations, including ability to understand the steps and procedures required to keep schools clean, energy efficient, and well-kept through routine custodial services, preventive maintenance, and energy management; and
(c) Knowledge and ability to manage facility construction, reconstruction, and renovation projects, including the ability to enter into:
(1) Contracts for architectural, engineering, and construction;
(2) Bonding and insurance;
(3) Construction contract management and administration;
(4) Permitting; and
(5) School building approval and state construction aid programs.
VIII. In the area of information management, the candidate shall have a knowledge of and ability to manage business office technology, including the ability to:
(a) Oversee the technical aspects of information management;
(b) Direct, protect, analyze, and update the information managed by the business office; and
(c) Understand how district information is used in state and federal funding models.
IX. In the area of risk management, the candidate shall have the following abilities and knowledge:
(a) Ability to ensure that a comprehensive risk management program is in place;
(b) Anticipate and manage risks, taking into consideration the individual nature of each situation;
(c) Develop strategies and action plans to reduce exposure to risks;
(d) Knowledge of legal requirements for insurance; and
(e) Ability to direct the process of selecting/employing an insurance consultant or risk manager.
X. In the area of transportation, the candidate shall have the following abilities and knowledge:
(a) Knowledge of state requirements for a student transportation program;
(b) Knowledge of and ability to analyze the methods available for providing transportation;
(c) Ability to ensure that a school bus maintenance and replacement program is established and maintained;
(d) Ability to develop, implement, and maintain an efficient and comprehensive routing and bus stop plan; and
(e) Ability to develop and implement a comprehensive human resource plan to include recruiting, training, and retention of bus drivers.
XI. In the area of food service, the candidate shall have the following abilities and knowledge:
(a) Knowledge of state and federal requirements of the food service program;
(b) Knowledge of and ability to analyze the methods available for providing food service and
(c) Knowledge of food safety and sanitation.
XII. The commissioner of the department of education shall adopt rules, after public hearing and pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to requirements to be certified as a business administrator.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 14, 2026 | House | Hearing |
Jan. 8, 2026: Public Hearing: 01/14/2026 02:20 pm GP 232
Dec. 4, 2025: Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Education Policy and Administration