DEARBORN — Dearborn Public Schools has been recognized for excellence in how it presents its budget, for the third year in a row.
The Association of School Business Officials International recently awarded the district a Meritorious Budget Award for the current 2020-21 fiscal year. The group’s MBA and Pathway to the MBA promote and recognize the best budget presentation practices in school districts.
The budget is handled by Tom Wall, executive director of Business and Operations, and his staff.
“We are grateful to receive this recognition,” Wall said. “While financial information for such a large district is inherently complicated, we work to make our information and processes understandable and available to our community, including the Board of Education.”
DPS has a combined annual budget of $312 million and approximately 20,700 students. An overview of the district’s financial records is available on the district website, https://dearbornschools.org, under Transparency Reporting.
MBA participants submit their applications and budget documents to a panel of school financial professionals who review the materials for compliance with the MBA Criteria Checklist and other requirements and provide expert feedback that districts can use to improve their budget documents.
“Districts that apply to the MBA or Pathway to the MBA programs recognize the importance of presenting a high-quality, easy-to-understand budget internally and to the community,” ASBO International Executive Director David Lewis said. “By participating in the programs, not only do districts have access to the tools and resources they need to communicate the district’s goals and objectives clearly, they demonstrate their commitment to upholding nationally recognized budget presentation standards.”