Introduction
A recent survey of more than 2,500 educators and administrators found that 50 percent of district leaders cite strategic budgeting as a top pain point. Meanwhile, districts must maintain compliance, respond quickly to changing priorities, and preserve financial integrity. In that environment, scattered systems and multiple vendors are more than just “inefficient”—they are liabilities.
District CFOs are navigating an entirely new operating environment. Predictable funding cycles have given way to fiscal uncertainty. Compliance pressures are up, staffing is tight, and boards expect real-time, explainable financial data. All while families and staff demand better, more consistent experiences. The role of the CFO hasn’t changed, but the complexity has.
LINQ dove into what it takes to meet these challenges while delivering more for students. BJ Ryan, CFO at one of Oklahoma’s largest school districts, shared what he’s learned and how the right technology partner can help K–12 CFOs lead with confidence.
1. Operational Efficiency with Fewer Staff Members
The challenge: Staffing shortages and enrollment shifts have made it harder than ever to scale services efficiently. Without modern tools, growing the student population often means growing the administrative burden, too.
What we heard:
“So now, we do the same thing with 5,000 more students but eight less people … a lot of that has to do with your technology.” — BJ Ryan, CFO | Moore Public Schools
What it means for CFOs: BJ’s ability to serve thousands more students with fewer staff is a masterclass in operational efficiency. The key? Automating manual tasks, streamlining back-office workflows, and eliminating redundancy across departments. When the tech works, the savings show up in staff time, audit prep, and better service to families.
How LINQ helps: LINQ’s unified platform reduces friction between departments and eliminates duplicative systems, helping teams do more with less.
2. Year-Round Budget Agility and Stakeholder Engagement
The challenge: Budgeting can no longer be a once-a-year exercise. Today’s volatile environment makes adapting in real time to changing priorities and funding realities crucial.
What we heard:
“Be agile. Resist the urge to treat the budget as a one-time thing … drive engagement to identify what’s truly mission-critical.” — CFO | LINQ
What it means for CFOs: Static budgets don’t stand a chance when needs shift midyear. Agility starts with shared data, cross-departmental transparency, and the ability to reforecast quickly. Proactive planning enables smarter spending and helps avoid internal “unfunded mandates.”
How LINQ helps: LINQ’s dashboards and forecasting tools bring real-time visibility to every corner of the district, enabling finance leaders to make confident, collaborative decisions year-round.
3. Consolidated Payments Drive Clarity, Control, and Collections
The challenge: Multiple systems for collecting and managing payments create unnecessary complexity and risk for finance teams, staff, and families.”
What we heard:
“We used to have … I can’t even remember the number of vendors we were operating with … and we’ve really streamlined that with you all in the past eighteen months.” — BJ Ryan, CFO | Moore Public Schools
What it means for CFOs: Consolidation isn’t just a convenience. It’s a governance strategy. When districts centralize their payments, they gain visibility, improve collections, and reduce confusion for families. One platform. One audit trail. Less to worry about.
How LINQ helps: From field trips to snack bars to lunch balances, LINQ helps districts bring payments under one roof. That minimizes contracts, maximizes clarity, and simplifies reconciliation.
4. Efficiency Hinges on Smart Technology Use
The challenge: Technology isn’t inherently efficient. A trusted partner makes all the difference, from implementation through ongoing supp
What we heard:
“If technology is not utilized properly, you can end up adding more labor to something that is supposed to be a support. We really try to operate as lean as we possibly can from an administrative level so we can put as many hours as possible with direct impact to students.” — BJ Ryan, CFO | Moore Public Schools
What it means for CFOs: Efficiency requires more than new tools. It requires thoughtful implementation and district-wide alignment. Smart technology decisions must be paired with strong leadership and operational discipline.
How LINQ helps: LINQ partners closely with districts to ensure solutions are implemented smoothly and optimized for long-term efficiency and impact. That yields results tailored to strategic objectives.
5. Efficiency = More Dollars for Instruction
The challenge: Administrative waste isn’t just a budget issue. It’s an instructional one. Every dollar tied up in inefficient processes is a dollar not going to the classroom.
What we heard:
“I create as many operational efficiencies as we possibly can because I know that every dollar I spend is a dollar that’s not being spent on teachers in front of students. That’s really what it comes down to sometimes.” — BJ Ryan, CFO | Moore Public Schools
What it means for CFOs: The connection between financial operations and student success is real. When finance leaders optimize their systems, they enable more dollars to flow directly to teaching and learning. That’s the end goal.
How LINQ helps: Every efficiency LINQ delivers is designed to return resources to the classroom—from streamlined procurement to faster payroll to clearer reporting.
Bottom Line for CFOs
Modernizing K–12 operations isn’t about adding more tools. It’s about building infrastructure that eliminates risk, boosts audit readiness, and helps districts do more with less.
As a partner, LINQ helps districts untangle complexity and direct more resources where they matter most. With a single vendor providing an array of tools, teams can do more with less—and CFOs can lead with clarity, control, and confidence.
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