The Business, Finance & Planning Department, under the guidance of the Deputy Superintendent/Chief Administrative Officer, is responsible for all non-instructional components of the district, including:

• Budgeting
• School facility planning
• Enrollment analysis and forecasting
• Maintenance, payroll
• Accounts payable
• Purchasing
• Transportation
• School operations and grants
• Food service and
• Legal compliance with state reporting requirements 

In addition to managing the day-to-day operations of the school department with an annual budget of $200 million, the district employs over 2,000 people, transports thousands of students to school each day, and safely maintains 22 school buildings with over 12,000 students – an enrollment which has grown by over 1,200 students in ten years. Although short-term classroom space planning has been an on-going challenge for the department, in recent years, Business, Finance & Planning has focused on the long-range facility planning process.

In conjunction with the school committee, the Mayor of Newton, and City department heads, the district has recently completed or is currently undergoing three major elementary school building projects at Angier, Zervas and Cabot schools.