June 5, 2023

School District U-46’s Financial Services department will be honored with an “Accent on Achievement” during Monday night’s Board of Education meeting. The department recently earned two awards for producing clear and transparent financial reports.

The Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) awarded the District with a Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting for Fiscal Year 2022 and a Meritorious Budget Award for Fiscal Year 2023. U-46 has won the two awards for seven consecutive years. 

“U-46 is dedicated to sound fiscal management and budgetary policies. Our Financial Services department produces high-quality, accessible tools to allow our community to understand how the District manages its finances to best support our students and schools,” said U-46 Deputy Superintendent for Operations Dr. Ann Williams. “I appreciate the team’s expertise and dedication.” 

Development of the Annual Budget Book, which is a plan for the upcoming fiscal period, requires not only excellent accounting skills but deep collaboration among all District departments. At ASBO, a committee of professional accountants and government auditors judge the entries, thoroughly reviewing the material against best practices and standards before determining if a Meritorious Budget Award is warranted.  

The Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting is awarded to the District for its Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports (ACFRs), which must comply with accounting requirements established by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board. A ACFR contains the results of the prior year’s financial activities. A team of school finance professionals at ASBO reviews the submitted ACFRs and supporting documents to ensure they clearly communicate the governmental entity’s financial story.   

Financial Operations Director Dale Burnidge leads the department’s work on financial reports, and will receive the “Accent on Achievement” from the Board of Education at 7 p.m. Monday, June 5, in room 140 of the Educational Services Center. The U-46 Board of Education meeting will also be streamed live on the District’s YouTube channel.