This wasn't posed to me as a question. It was a statement that someone made to me when I was in CVS today.
There are a couple of aspects to that thought. Run a school like a business. First, anyone who has public funds that they have jurisdiction over, absolutely... treat the public's contribution to school corporations like you would as a business owner. Some view this a little more closely than that. Some in these roles feel like they should manage tax payer money like they do their own! If they are financially responsible, I completely agree with this 100%. Not being efficient with dollars and cents, financial irresponsibility, is indefensible.
When it comes to "operating" a school like a business, there is where we have differences. Public schools can't reject students in the communities that they serve. A business can evaluate and discontinue programs that don't bring in enough profit or drain resources. A public school system must provide educational opportunities for everyone. They have to make accommodations or adaptations for high ability students. What that looks like can vary from school to school. Public schools can not reject students with an IEP or 504 plan. Public schools can't refuse to educate a student because they are in a wheelchair. A public school shouldn't refuse to send a school bus to a student or small group of students who live at the furthest edge of the corporation boundaries. Public schools weren't ever designed to operate like a business when it comes to aspects such as these. You have seen signs in some businesses that read something like, "We have the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason". Public schools don't have that option.
However, when it comes to operating school finance, every care and consideration should be given to make sure that tax payer money is well spent. "Treat that checkbook like it's your own".
I also want to interject - I STRONGLY FEEL like our staff should be well compensated. I want them to have the best benefits that are realistically possible. Our staff deserves to have the best that we can give them.