Professional Learning

FCMAT Featured Presentations

FCMAT staff provide an array of school business related presentations across the state in addition to workshops with other organizations that FCMAT has scheduled, collaborated or partnered in. Many of the presentation decks from these workshops are available on this page.


TK-14 Local Educational Agencies

Leadership and Fiduciary Responsibilities for School Business Officials — presentation deck about leadership and fiduciary responsibilities for school business officials, including topics on expectations, personal characteristics and competency.

Student Centered Funding Formula Peer Learning Community — presentation deck about the student centered funding formula, including topics on declining population, enrollment trends, and challenges. The workshop was presented by FCMAT CEO Mike Fine at the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office on April 22, 2022.

Position Control and Financial Management — presentation deck about position control and financial management, including topics on fraud and budget consequences, communication, and best practices. The workshop was presented by FCMAT Intervention Specialists Debbie Reidmiller and Marcus Wirowek at the Santa Clara County Office of Education on February 23, 2022.

Fraud and Insolvency Risk Indicators for School Districts and Charter Schools — presentation deck about fraud, including topics on insolvency risk indicators, internal controls, and fraud trends. The workshop was sponsored by the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA) and presented by FCMAT Intervention Specialist Michael W. Ammermon at the CalCPA School Districts Virtual Conference on April 20, 2021.

Leading Through Challenges — presentation deck about school business leadership, including topics on enrollment, cash flow, and insolvency. The workshop was presented by FCMAT CEO Mike Fine at the California’s Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH) Fall Conference on October 13, 2020.

School District and Charter School Fraud — presentation deck about the definition of fraud, its causes and prevention, and misappropriation in K-14 schools. The workshop was sponsored by CalCPA and presented by FCMAT Intervention Specialist Michael W. Ammermon at the CalCPA conference on April 17, 2020.

Hot Topics and State Updates — presentation deck about hot topics and state updates, including topics on declining enrollment, charter schools, and special education reform. The workshop was presented by FCMAT Deputy Executive Officer Michelle Giacomini at the CASBO Central Section Winter Conference on December 6, 2019.

Fraud Happens: What you Need to Know — presentation deck about fraud and internal controls, including topics on best practices to discourage fraud and what to do if fraud is suspected. The workshop was presented by FCMAT Deputy Executive Officer Michelle Giacomini at the Inland Personnel Council 39th Annual Fall Symposium on October 25, 2019.

FCMAT and Extraordinary Audits — presentation deck about FCMAT's Extraordinary Audit work, also referred to as Assembly Bill (AB) 139 audits, and suggested actions to help prevent fraud. The workshop was presented by FCMAT CEO Michael Fine and FCMAT Intervention Specialist Michael W. Ammermon at the California Council of School Attorneys (CCSA) Fall 2019 Workshop on September 13, 2019.

To Gift or Not to Gift (Public Funds) — presentation deck about what constitutes a gift of public funds and how to identify an inappropriate activity. The workshop was presented by FCMAT Deputy Executive Officer Michelle Giacomini at the California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO) Annual Conference on April 5, 2018.


TK-12 School Districts

TK-12 ASB Workshop — presentation deck about associated study body (ASB) organizations, including topics on ASB types, board policies, and funds.

Internal Controls, Fraud, and Allowable Uses of Funds for ASB and Booster Clubs — presentation deck about internal controls, fraud prevention and allowable uses of funds, including topics on fraud indicators, factors, and detection.

Booster Club and School Connected Organizations Workshop — presentation deck about booster clubs and school connected organizations, including topics on operating in the district, games and gambling, and raffles.

The Three “Es” to Watch: Economy, Enrollment and ESSER — presentation deck about the state of the economy, enrollment trends, the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund, their implications, and strategies for addressing the challenges they present.

Fiscal Status of LEAs — presentation deck about the fiscal status of local educational agencies (LEAs), including topics on disapproved budgets, fiscal health risk analysis trends, and historical perspectives on certifications. The information was presented by FCMAT CEO Mike Fine at the January 24, 2024 FCMAT governing board meeting.

Maximizing Local Control Funding Formula Revenue — presentation deck about how the local control funding formula calculation works, how to maximize LCFF projected data factors and revenue, and how to troubleshoot common problems with best practices.  The workshop was presented by FCMAT Deputy Executive Officer Michelle Giacomini and Intervention Specialist Erin Lillibridge, CFE at the Northern California Best Practices Workshop on February 7, 2023.

Fiscal Oversight  Staying Out of Trouble — presentation deck about staying out of trouble and maintaining fiscal solvency, including topics on budget, deficit spending, and cash flow. The workshop was presented by FCMAT CEO Mike Fine at the CASBO Business Executive Leadership Conference on July 8, 2022.

COVID-19 Relief Resources and Learning Loss Mitigation Funds — presentation deck about COVID-19 relief resources and learning loss mitigation funds, including topics on cycle reporting, budget basics, and additional resources. The workshop was presented by FCMAT CEO Mike Fine at the Business and Administration Services Committee (BASC) AB 1200 Conference on October 20, 2020.

Fiscal Impacts of COVID-19 on K-12 School Districts — presentation deck about the fiscal effects of COVID-19. The workshop was presented by FCMAT CEO Mike Fine to CASBO on May 13, 2020.

Using the FCMAT Special Education Efficiency Tool — presentation deck about how to use the FCMAT Special Education Efficiency Tool. The workshop was presented by FCMAT Intervention Specialist Tami Ethier at the CASBO Sacramento Section Spring Conference on March 13, 2020.

Assessing Fiscal Risk — presentation deck about assessing fiscal risk, including topics on indicators of risk or potential insolvency, budget development, and cash management. The workshop was presented by FCMAT Deputy Executive Officer Michelle Giacomini at the CASBO Sacramento Section Spring Conference on March 13, 2020.

Fiscal Health Risk Indicators — presentation deck about indicators of risk or potential insolvency, including topics on internal controls, employee benefits, and deficit spending. The workshop was presented by FCMAT CEO Mike Fine to Vavrinek Trine Day & Company CPAs on July 26, 2019.


Charter Schools

Charter School Fiscal Oversight – The Basics — presentation deck about the basics of charter school fiscal oversight, including topics on oversight, reserves, and signs of fiscal distress. The workshop was presented by FCMAT Intervention Specialists Erin Lillibridge and Tami Montero at the Riverside County Office of Education on September 23, 2022.

Charter School Oversight and Best Practices Workshop — presentation deck about charter school oversight and best practices, including topics on policy, oversight, and liability. The workshop was presented by FCMAT Intervention Specialist Michael W. Ammermon at the CASBO Sacramento Section Spring Conference on March 13, 2020.

Identifying and Investigating Financial Fraud & Mismanagement — presentation deck about identifying and investigating financial fraud in charter schools, including topics on internal controls, evidence collection, and liability considerations. The workshop was presented by Alameda County Office of Education Director II Shirene Moreira and FCMAT Intervention Specialist Jeff Potter at the Charter Authorizers (CARSNET) Conference on September 24-25, 2019.

Charter School Accounting, Oversight and Best Practices Workshop — presentation deck about accounting, oversight and best practices in charter schools, including topics on the AB 139 process, proposition 39 facilities, and where to get help. The workshop was presented by FCMAT Deputy Executive Officer Michelle Giacomini and FCMAT Intervention Specialist Debi Deal at the Charter School Authorizing Conference (CARSNET) on September 20, 2018.


Community Colleges

Community College ASB Workshop — presentation deck about ASB organizations, including topics on policy, responsibilities, and fundraisers.

Community College District Board Study Session — presentation deck about community college district governing board responsibilities and duties.

Community College Gift of Public Funds Workshop — presentation deck about ASB organizations, including topics on policy, responsibilities, and fundraisers, and additional review of gift of public funds.

Population and Enrollment Trends Affecting Community Colleges — presentation deck about population and enrollment trends, including topics on migration and career and technical education. The workshop was presented by FCMAT CEO Mike Fine at the CA Community College Association of Occupational Educators (CCCAOE) on October 5, 2022.

Assessing Fiscal Risk — presentation deck about assessing fiscal risk, including topics on the indicators of risk or potential insolvency and the Fiscal Health Risk Analysis (FHRA) tool. The workshop was presented by FCMAT Deputy Executive Officer Michelle Giacomini at the Association of Chief Business Officials (ACBO) Institute II on April 30, 2021.

Maintaining Fiscal Health in Community Colleges — presentation deck about maintaining fiscal health in community colleges, including topics on the indicators of risk or potential insolvency and the FHRA tool. The workshop was presented by FCMAT CEO Mike Fine and FCMAT Deputy Executive Officer Michelle Giacomini at the Chancellor’s Office State Budget Workshop on July 22 and 25, 2019.


County Superintendents

Fiscal Oversight: The Role of County Superintendents — presentation deck about a county superintendent's role in fiscal oversight of LEAs in their county. Presented by FCMAT CEO Mike Fine at the California County Superintendents' conference on October 15, 2023.

Charter School Oversight — presentation deck about the role of a county superintendent in oversight of charter schools within their county. Presented by FCMAT CEO Mike Fine at the California County Superintendents' conference on October 16, 2023.

Assembly Bill 139 Reviews — presentation deck about the role of a county superintendent in Assembly Bill 139 extraordinary audits of LEAs in their county. Presented by FCMAT CEO Mike Fine at the California County Superintendents' conference on October 16, 2023.

Where Do We Go From Here? — presentation deck about the impact of the pandemic on LEAs and looking ahead. The workshop was presented by FCMAT CEO Mike Fine at the BASC AB 1200 Conference on October 19, 2021.

BASC Annual Conference 2021 — presentation deck about various topics, including declining enrollment, budgets, and pandemic relief funding. The workshop was presented by FCMAT CEO Mike Fine at the CCSESA Chief Business Officials Conference on February 17-18, 2021.

AB 1200 Tools, Techniques and Tips — presentation deck about AB 1200 tools, techniques and tips, including topics on responsibilities, oversight, and tools. The workshop was presented by San Bernardino County Office of Education Director Tom Cassida, FCMAT Deputy Executive Officer Michelle Giacomini, and FCMAT Intervention Specialist Tami Ethier at the California County Superintendents Educational Association (CCSESA) Chief Business Officials Conference on February 17-18, 2021.

Hot Topics Impacting Oversight — presentation deck about topics impacting oversight, including topics on state revenue, fiscal distress, and fiscal health risk analysis trends. The workshop was presented by Mike Fine at the BASC AB 1200 Conference on October 20, 2020.

BASC Annual Conference Presentation — presentation deck about various topics including that while the fiscal health of districts is strong, underlying difficulties exist. And a reminder that multiyear projections have never been more important. The workshop was presented by FCMAT CEO Mike Fine at the CSA Chief Business Officials Conference on February 28, 2023.

Progressive Intervention — presentation deck about the requirements and progressive actions outlined in Education Code Section 42127.6 related to a lack of going concern for county superintendent if a local educational agency may be unable to meet its financial obligations for the current or two subsequent fiscl years. The workshop was presented by FCMAT CEO Mike Fine at the CSA Chief Business Officials Conference on March 1, 2023.

About FCMAT

The Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team's (FCMAT's) primary mission is to help California's local TK-14 educational agencies identify, prevent and resolve financial, operational and data management challenges by providing management assistance and professional learning opportunities.

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