Budget Season Without Burnout

Hey, I’m Burke.

I run school operations for a living — buses, boilers, budgets, and everything in between.

Each week, I share the lessons nobody’s teaching in leadership books — just what works when you’re actually in the building.

If you’re in the trenches too, this is for you.

Let’s jump in.

It’s that time again.

You’re juggling spreadsheets, justifying every line item, and trying to predict the next twelve months with a half-functioning crystal ball.

Welcome to budget season.

If you're not careful, it'll wreck your calendar, drain your energy, and turn into a last-minute scramble that burns you — and your team — out.

But it doesn’t have to.

It’s not because you’re lazy.
It’s because you’re reactive.

You’re responding to new board priorities, cost increases, staffing gaps, and surprise “we forgot to tell you” projects.

So here’s the fix: stop thinking of the budget as an event.
Start treating it like a rolling system.