Last summer Ohio Association of School Business Officials (OASBO) launched its inaugural School Finance Internship Program. Designed to strengthen the pipeline for school finance professionals while providing meaningful hands-on experience, the pilot program brought together 14 Educational Service Centers (ESCs) from across the state, including mine, to create new opportunities for aspiring school business professionals.
Recognizing the growing need for recruitment in school finance as treasurer/CFOs retire, OASBO developed the internship model to provide ESCs and their participating school districts with a low-risk way to host paid finance interns.
The pilot was designed as a collaborative effort among OASBO, ESCs, and local school districts. ESCs worked with districts to identify opportunities for interns to contribute to financial operations while learning firsthand about budgeting, forecasting, payroll, financial reporting, compliance, and other critical functions that support Ohio's public schools. A total of 15 interns participated.
Through the pilot, OASBO funded hourly intern wages while participating ESCs served as the employers of record, enabling districts and ESCs to focus on delivering valuable learning experience for students both at the ESC and in its member districts.
To support implementation, OASBO created set of resources, including startup guides, recruitment materials, internship handbooks, experience trackers, and tools that align internship activities with school treasurer licensure requirements. These resources supported the ESCs in launching internships while ensuring interns gained meaningful experience in school finance.
The response to the program was positive. Fourteen ESCs participated during the inaugural year, demonstrating a strong statewide commitment to investing in the next generation of school finance professionals. Participating ESCs recruited and selected candidates locally, while OASBO provided statewide support, including a coordinated training experience for interns before they began their summer placements.
Interns typically worked 20 to 25 hours per week over a 12- to 15-week period, allowing them to develop practical skills while making meaningful contributions to school district finance offices. At the same time, districts benefited from additional support during busy operational periods and gained the opportunity to introduce future professionals to careers in school business management.
Based on intern survey feedback, the School Finance Internship Program provided participants with valuable hands-on experience and meaningful exposure to public school finance. Interns reported gaining skills in Excel and Google Sheets, budgeting, financial systems, data analysis, communication, and collaboration, while developing a deeper understanding of school district operations, state funding, fiscal year-end processes, and the role of school treasurers. Many worked on large-scale projects such as compiling statewide district finance data, managing budgets, closing accounts, and creating tools to improve financial reporting efficiency.
Overall satisfaction with the program was high, with most interns rating their experience as satisfied or very satisfied and noting strong support from their ESC mentors and district treasurers. Interns especially valued the opportunity to apply classroom learning in a real-world setting, build professional relationships, and explore future career paths in school finance. Several participants shared that the internship significantly expanded their knowledge of Ohio school funding and strengthened their interest in pursuing careers in educational finance.
Beyond the immediate benefits, the program represents an important long-term investment in Ohio's education workforce. As school districts across the state continue to face challenges related to recruitment, retention, and succession planning, initiatives like the Finance Internship Program help create awareness of career pathways in school finance and build connections between students, educational institutions, and employers.
The success of the inaugural year reflects the dedication and partnership of OASBO, participating ESCs, and member school districts that embraced the opportunity to think creatively about workforce development. By providing paid, structured experiences and professional mentorship, the program is helping ensure that Ohio's schools will have a strong pipeline of qualified finance professionals for years to come.
OASBO looks forward to building on the pilot's success and continuing to expand opportunities that support the future of school finance across Ohio.