A. The department shall:

(1)     on or before July 1 of each year, approve and certify to each local school board and governing body of a charter school an operating budget for use by the school district or charter school;

(2)     ensure that each program in a school district or charter school’s operating budget meets the requirements of law and the department’s rules and procedures and that no school district or charter school generates program units for a program not meeting the requirements of law and the department’s rules or procedures;

(3)     make corrections, revisions and amendments to the operating budgets fixed by the local school boards or governing bodies of charter schools and the secretary to conform the operating budgets to the requirements of law and to the department’s rules and procedures; and

(4)     ensure that a local school board or governing body of a charter school is prioritizing resources toward proven programs and methods that are linked to improved student achievement.

B. No school district or charter school or officer or employee of a school district or charter school shall make any expenditure or incur any obligation for the expenditure of public funds unless that expenditure or obligation is made in accordance with an operating budget approved by the department. This prohibition does not prohibit the transfer of funds pursuant to the department’s rules and procedures.

C. The department shall not approve and certify an operating budget of any school district or charter school that fails to demonstrate that parental involvement in the budget process was solicited.

D. The department shall not approve and certify an operating budget of any school district or charter school that the secretary determines has failed to provide sufficient data and information to determine if the school district or charter school is meeting the requirements of law or the department’s rules and procedures.