It may be a rare occasion that someone would stop to ponder all of the wheels that must be in motion in order for students to learn. Adults have to be fast at work in order to transport students to school, care for them, educate them, feed them, provide opportunities for them, and then return them home, prepared to do it all again the next day. When you consider everything that must take place in order for a school system to function, what seems to be an ordinary school day transforms into an absolute masterpiece of adults working together in order to do what is best for children.
One critical component of the daily masterpiece of a school district is school finance. In Woodford County Public Schools, our finance department is comprised of diligent, driven individuals who work tirelessly to ensure the financial success of the district.
When considering the unique nature of school finance, Stephanie Smith, Account Clerk, smiles and says, “It’s a different world. It’s a beast.” Her words are quite true. School finance consists of complexities and regulations that are far different from other sectors. For 12 years, Ms. Smith has worked with this “beast” every day, and for 12 years she has demonstrated excellence, dedication, and an incredible work ethic. It is for these reasons and many others that Stephanie Smith is the recipient of the 2021-2022 Woodford Outstanding Service Award for district-wide financial services.
As skilled as Ms. Smith is in her area of work, one might fail to realize there was a time when she was learning it all from scratch. Stephanie began working for WCPS in 2011, and it was her first experience with school finance. During this time, the incredible relationships with her colleagues started to form as they helped her navigate her new role. Stephanie says, “Everyone at Central Office is amazing, and I love working with them. I enjoy working closely with the bookkeepers and the principals, as well.”
Ms. Smith is quick to praise her coworkers, and they have the same response in return. Michelle Roy, a colleague of Stephanie, says, “Stephanie has the best work ethic of anyone I know, and I am glad that she is not only my colleague but my best friend.” She adds, “Stephanie is loyal not only to this district but to all of her colleagues.”
As Michelle suggests, Stephanie is known to be a hard worker. The role she fills is one with many responsibilities. Stephanie says, “I wear a lot of hats and touch a lot of different things.” A large part of her job is to pay the bills. The process of paying the bills within the district is involved, to say the least. She explains, “It all starts with a requisition. It goes from creating the requisition to turning it into a purchase order. It then gets pushed out to the school level. I receive it back from them with their authorization to issue payment. I match an invoice to that and process the invoice. I then issue a check or an electronic payment to get the vendor paid.” And this is just an overview.
What began as “a different world” has now become Stephanie’s second nature, and it shows. Shane Smith, Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer for WCPS, says, “Stephanie Smith is the epitome of outstanding. Her dedication and hard work for the district are demonstrated on an ongoing basis!”
Stephanie’s efforts are essential in getting teachers, administrators, and other staff members the things they need in order to support students. All of her work comes back to the primary focus of the school district: children. Stephanie may not have a student-facing job but that does not mean it’s not a student-impacting job. Perhaps the most wonderful thing about working in a school district is that every single adult works for the betterment of students. Stephanie says, “I know that at the end of the day, I’ve helped get the ball rolling so that bookkeepers, principals, and staff can purchase the materials they need for their classrooms and schools. I know it’s benefitting those kids.”
When thinking about receiving the Woodford Outstanding Service Award, Stephanie says, “It was a total surprise!” She continues, “I felt honored to receive it. It was very sweet and touching.” Stephanie reflects on her colleagues and working environment and adds, “Woodford is a special place, and we have special people.”
Likewise, Stephanie is very special to us. Thank you for everything, Stephanie! Congratulations on receiving the Woodford Outstanding Service Award!
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