This study is guided by a theoretical framework based on the concepts of ‘order’ and ‘trust’ in the structure and processes of school-based financial decision making. The notion of ‘ordering’ in a financial context implies there are decisions(second order) that cannot be made until other decisions (first order) have been determined. 403 questionnaires were distributed among 141 government primary, secondary and special schools in New South Wales, Australia. The study investigated the hypothesis that the higher the level of teachers’ trust in their school’s financial decision makers and financial decision-making processes, the lower will be teachers’ desire to be involved in first-order financial decision making. Although the hypothesis was not supported, a number of significant issues emerged, suggesting that the role of ‘trust’ in school financial decision making may need to be reconceptualized.
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