Lake Washington School District Budget Earns Meritorious Budget Award For Fifth-Straight Year

Press release from the Lake Washington School District:

January 14, 2022

Award reflects District’s goal of fiscal responsibility

Redmond, Wash. – Lake Washington School District’s (LWSD’s) 2021-22 Budget has earned the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) Meritorious Budget Award (MBA). This award promotes and recognizes excellence in budget presentation in school districts. LWSD has received this award five years in a row. LWSD is the only district in the state of Washington to receive this award.

ASBO International’s MBA and Pathway to the MBA promote and recognize best budget presentation practices in school districts. 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 successfully demonstrate they have met the necessary program requirements may earn either the MBA or Pathway to the MBA, an introductory program that allows districts to ease into full MBA compliance.

“We’re proud to receive this award for a fifth year as we continue to focus on effective ways to communicate with our community,” stated Dr. Jon Holmen, Superintendent. “The importance of this award for us is that it recognizes a sustained commitment to fiscal stewardship while ensuring a complex budget process is transparent and accessible for our community.”

“This budget document helps us to be transparent to our community about how we use their tax dollars,” said Associate Superintendent of Business and Support Services, Barbara Posthumus. “We have a commitment to ensuring that we are good stewards of public resources so that our public can see how their resources are being used to support students.”

“Districts that apply to the MBA or Pathway to MBA programs recognize the importance of presenting a high-quality, easy-to-understand budget internally and to the community,” ASBO International Executive Director David J. Lewis explains. “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.”

You can view the 2021-22 budget on the LWSD website.

For more information about the Meritorious Budget Award or Pathway to the MBA, visit Meritorious Budget Award & Pathway to the MBA (asbointl.org).

About Lake Washington: Lake Washington School District is a high-performing public school district serving Kirkland, Redmond, and Sammamish, Washington. It is the second-largest district in the state of Washington, with over 30,000 students in 57 schools.

This press release was produced by the Lake Washington School District. The views expressed are the author's own.