An exploration of ethical beliefs in the development of school budgets from the perspective of small, rural school superintendents

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore ethical beliefs in the development of school budgets from the perspective of small, rural school superintendents. The eight participants had developed budgets in their current school districts a minimum of two years. The participants were interviewed directly to capture the rich dialogue of their story. Individual manuscripts were coded to identify points of emphasis by the participants. All narratives were then coded to identify common themes and priorities. Results of the study indicate that though external factors exist, superintendents draw upon their own ethical belief systems to meet the constraints of school boards, community demands, and other external factors for the betterment of the district and students.