Accountant: Budget

Accountant Budget

Wage/Hour Status: Exempt

Reports to: Director of Budget

Pay Grade: BU 3

Position#: 94226008

Dept./School: Business, Finance & Administrative Services

Initiated Date: June 2025

Who We Are

La Joya Independent School District (ISD) is committed to excellence for students and our community. We have a strong, 100-year legacy in the Rio Grande Valley. The district's vision - Educational Excellence: The Right of Every Student - conveys our urgent focus on students.

Our work is rooted in five district priorities, which require collaboration and deep commitment to supporting one another as we serve the community.

1. Customer Service
2. Trust & Transparency
3. High-Quality Instruction
4. Excellence in Leadership
5. Integrity & Accountability

We are focused on ensuring every student in La Joya ISD has access to high-quality, best-fit schools as we work to improve from a B-district to an A-rated district. We serve more than 22,000 students in more than 30 schools and span six municipalities, covering more than 220 square miles.

Who We Are Looking For

We are seeking a detail-oriented, analytical, and collaborative Accountant for Budget and Position Control. A strategic thinker with a strong understanding of school finance and personnel budgeting who can ensure alignment between district staffing and board-approved allocations, while ensuring compliance with budgeting laws and regulations, monitor budget-to-actuals, maintain strong internal controls, and provide data-informed insights to enhance efficiency and support student success.

This role requires someone who can manage complex financial data with accuracy and integrity, build productive partnerships across departments—especially with Human Resources and Payroll—and proactively support district leadership in developing fiscally responsible budgeting and staffing plans. This position requires precision, confidentiality, and cross-functional coordination.

Why La Joya ISD

You will be joining a district that is building on a legacy of achievement while rapidly improving and creating systems to reach new heights for student outcomes and improving the District's overall operational efficiency and effectiveness. You will receive intentional, targeted support in your essential role in serving the Business, Finance and Administrative Services Department of the District. We are also a district focused on continuous improvement and rigorous analysis of the policies and procedures we have in place to ensure that the financial and business operations of the District are transparent to the public and in keeping with generally acceptable accounting principles.

Minimum Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field required.
• Experience: Experience in school finance, budgeting, or governmental accounting preferred. Experience with TEA's Financial Accountability System Resource Guide (FASRG) and position control systems strongly preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills;
• Ability to participate in finance and management audits;
• Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles;
• Familiarity with the Financial Accounting System Resources Guide;
• Strong knowledge of computers and associated software.
• Commitment to transparency, accuracy, and fiscal accountability
• Strong Excel/Google Sheets skills (pivot tables, formulas, data validation).

Major Responsibilities and Duties

General:

1. Assist the Director of Budget in preparing annual budget development timelines, staffing models, and salary projections.
2. Support Campuses and departments on their budget management, including guidance in best practices and allowability.
3. Support the analysis of transfers and amendments and support the tracking of such activities.
4. Maintain and monitor the district's Position Control system to ensure accurate tracking and alignment of full-time equivalent (FTE) positions with approved budgets and staffing allocations.
5. Run regular variance reports to monitor budget-to-actuals for payroll and staffing lines and flag discrepancies.
6. Serve as a liaison between Human Resources, Budget, and Payroll to coordinate and validate personnel-related transactions.
7. Ensure all permanent FTEs are aligned with board-authorized staffing levels and comply with funding availability and organizational structure.
8. Analyze and provide financial impact assessments of staffing changes across multiple funds including General Fund, Food Service, Special Revenue, and Grant Funds.
9. Review and assign appropriate budget codes for all personnel action requests to ensure compliance with financial structures and funding sources.
10. Enter, update, and remove positions in the district's financial accounting system upon receiving supervisory and budgetary approval.

1. Allocate FTEs across programs, campuses, departments, and divisions in accordance with staffing plans and budget priorities.
2. Provide Position Control background reports and data analytics upon request to support leadership decision-making.
3. Support the budget development process by collecting, analyzing, and reporting on historical and current year staffing data.
4. Coordinates with Purchasing and Accounts Payable to support the use of funds.
5. Ensure compliance with district policies, state regulations, and federal guidelines regarding all areas of budgeting.
6. Provides backup support to the Director of Budget in preparing budget workshops and board presentations.
7. Cross-train with other team members to ensure adequate back-up support and balance during high-volume periods.
8. Maintain confidentiality of sensitive personnel and financial information at all times.
9. Perform other duties as assigned.

Safety

• Performs preventive maintenance on tools and equipment and ensures equipment operates safely.
• Follows established safety procedures and techniques to perform job duties, including lifting and climbing; operates tools and equipment according to established safety procedures.
• Corrects unsafe conditions in the work area and promptly reports any conditions that are not immediately correctable to the supervisor.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• None

Personal Work Relationships

• All La Joya ISD employees must maintain a commitment to the District's mission, vision, and strategic goals.
• Exhibits high professionalism, standards of conduct, and work ethic.
• Demonstrates high-quality customer service; builds rapport/relationship with the consumer.
• Demonstrates cultural competence in interactions with others; is respectful of co-workers; communicates and acts as a team player; promotes teamwork; responds and acts appropriately in confrontational situations.

Travel Requirements

• Travels to school district buildings and professional meetings, as required.

Physical & Mental Demands, Work Hazards

• Tools/Equipment Used: Standard office equipment, including computer and peripherals.
• Posture: Prolonged sitting and standing; occasional stooping, squatting, kneeling, bending, pushing/pulling, and twisting.
• Motion: Frequent repetitive hand motions, including keyboarding and use of mouse; occasional reaching.
• Lifting: Occasional light lifting and carrying (less than 15 pounds).
• Environment: Works in an office setting; may require occasional irregular and/or prolonged hours.
• Attendance: Regular and punctual attendance at the worksite is required for this position.
• Mental Demands: Maintains emotional control under stress; works with frequent interruptions.

Position Working Days: 226 Days

Note: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive description of all work requirements and responsibilities, and management reserves the right to revise the job description or require that other responsibilities be performed when the job changes. Additionally, the minimum level of education notated as a requirement could be supplemented by