Director of Business and Finance

The Sun Prairie Area School District is looking for an experienced and knowledgeable school business manager to become the Director of Business & Finance in the growing community of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Our Equity Framework drives our staff and school community to ensure we have an equitable and inclusive environment at each of our nine elementary and six secondary schools through appropriate resource allocation.

The Director of Business & Finance will join a seasoned and competent business office staff, with a department atmosphere that is positive, upbeat, and collaborative.  The department’s operations encompass overall administration of the financial and business affairs of the District with responsibility for a $135M general fund budget.  Department functions include overall budgeting, accounting, auditing, payroll, cash management, risk management, contracted services and partnership agreements, facility planning, property inventory, enrollment management/projections, and transportation.  The department is responsible for the successful monitoring of three operational expectation policies under the district’s coherent governance model: OE-5, Financial Planning; OE-6, Financial Administration; and OE-7, Asset Protection.

The Director of Business & Finance will carry forward a tradition of excellence and transparency in the district’s business office.  The Sun Prairie Area School District has a reputation for financial soundness, marked by an AA bond rating and years of clean financial audits.  The district recently completed construction of Sun Prairie West, Bank of Sun Prairie Stadium at Ashley Field, and significant renovations at the secondary level as a part of a $164M capital referendum in 2019.  Since then, the community has supported two recurring operational referendums totaling $34M in 2022 and 2024 that passed with 55-60%.  Over the last 25 years, the district has built six new schools and passed over $400M in building referendums.

In the Sun Prairie Area School District …

• We value the diversity of our community.
• We value the experience and wisdom that each student brings to the learning community.
• We believe in providing a welcoming, safe and nurturing environment.
• We believe in supporting the social, emotional and academic needs of every student to help them reach their full potential.
• We believe in inspiring our students and workforce to be lifelong learners.
• We believe that developing critical thinking and analytical skills will prepare students to become engaged and productive citizens.
• We believe in teaching ethical behavior and modeling character.
• We believe in creating a passion for teaching and learning.
• We believe in preparing students to thrive in a dynamic future.
• We value and support a highly qualified, diverse and culturally responsive workforce.
• We believe that collaborative partnerships with students, parents, teachers, staff, businesses and the greater community lead to educational excellence.
• We believe in continuous improvement in our pursuit of excellence.

The Sun Prairie Experience:

Sun Prairie is a vibrant, growing community in northeastern Dane County, just outside of Madison, with a population of roughly 38,000. Known for its high quality of life, excellent schools, parks, and progressive development, the Sun Prairie Area School District serves over 8,600 diverse students, with over a third identifying as students of color and 10% speaking a language other than English. Our district has been fortunate to have a growing number of students attending our schools over the last decade, and the Sun Prairie community has supported our staff and students through the successful passage of several referenda all along the way. 

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or higher from a four year college or university in School or Business Administration or Educational Leadership
• Wisconsin Certification as School Business Manager (08/5008)
• At least five years’ experience at the management or administrative level

Desired Qualifications

• Multilingual with preference for fluency in Spanish
• Principal license (51/5051) or District Administrator (03/5003) preferred
• The Sun Prairie Area School District actively encourages women and candidates of color to apply.

Do you want to be part of a district working hand in hand with the growing Sun Prairie community to provide high quality, inclusive educational experiences for all students?

Do you want to join a team that is advocating and leading the work to ensure academic and social-emotional success for every child, every day?

If you answered yes to these questions, please apply.

In an effort to provide staffing mirroring student demographics, candidates of color are encouraged to apply.

Are you ready to be a part of the history of Sun Prairie?