OCTOBER 1, 2010
Corner Notes with Lisa Balga
Our school’s financial specialist speaks out about her job and what it’s like handling our school’s finances
Q: What does your job consist of? A: Accounts payable, accounts receivable, (I pay bills for the school, produce bills that go out to members of our community and district), count money, make deposits, monitor cash flow, reconcile bank accounts (make sure financial accounts match up), write purchase orders, sell ASB cards, PE clothes, PSATs, AP tests, manage facility rentals, make and reconcile cash boxes for games, order workbooks and equipment, prom orders, delinquencies, help with committees and budget their funding and track and develop the budget for the entire school. Q: What time does your day start? When does your day end? A: I work from 8 to 4:30. I stay late if there’s a football game or dance. It changes. I stay sometimes until 6, sometimes 7, sometimes 10. Q: What’s your favorite part of your job? A: Working with the kids. Q: How many kids do you see on an average day? A: Sometimes I can see 300 kids a day, especially when I’m selling PSAT tests and tickets to a dance or something. But I would say close to 75 to 100 kids a day. Q: What’s your least favorite part? A: Delinquencies. I hate delinquencies. The lines are incredibly long; the kids get grouchy and irritable. Q: Why did you choose this job in particular as a financial specialist?
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top of that, I still have to do all my daily duties too, which at time can become extremely stressful. Q: And what would be the most satisfying part? A: When I get little notes from the kids, or they come in and tell me, “Thank you so much for everything.” This year, there was a group of kids that actually made me dog tags for their dance group. That’s the most rewarding thing. Q: Why did you choose to work at Cupertino? A: You know, when I first applied for this job, I had no idea it would be at Cupertino. I didn’t even know this school existed during my interview! And when I got here and met the people and started working with them, I just fell in love with it. It’s an awesome place to work, with great people to work with. We truly are like a family. I never want to leave. Q: Where did you get your financial skills from? A: My mom. When we were growing up, she taught us about finances, how to bargain, how to pay a WILLIE WANG little and get a lot, how to balance your checkbook and manage our household, all that stuff. I never reQ: What is the most stressful part of ally took too many classes... Well I did take your job. Isn’t dealing with so much some classes because I wanted to be a cormoney a bit scary? porate lawyer. But it really was all my mom. A: [Handling money] can be, but I would Q: Now you are a big country fan, so say the scariest part is when I have a long who is your favorite country singer? line. You want to help the kids as fast as A: It would have to be Zach Brown. I want possible, but it takes a long time. And on to see him in concert so bad.
Lisa Balga
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A: I didn’t really choose it, I kind of just fell into it. I’ve always done financing stuff. I previously did a combination of financing, graphic design, part counseling, part student functions. I started here as a college and career counselor in 2002. I had done that for so long and I wanted something different, so when this job was open in 2004, I applied for it!
total income - $155000.00 / $159402.23
COMPILED BY JACKIE BREUER ALL ARTWORK BY EMILY CHENG