VUSD Receives Award for Excellent Budget Presentation

VUSD Receives Award for Excellent Budget Presentation

Visalia, CA — Visalia Unified (VUSD) recently received recognition from The Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) for excellence in budget presentation with the Pathway to the Meritorious Budget Award (MBA) for the 2024-2025 budget year. This is the second year in a row Visalia Unified has shown its commitment to communicating its fiscal responsibility. In 2023-2024, VUSD was the only school district to receive the award in the state of California.

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.

“Presenting a budget that is both accessible and accurate is crucial for school districts to clearly communicate and build trust with their communities,” explains Jim Rowan, CAE, SFO, ASBO International Executive Director. “The Meritorious Budget Award program provides districts with the resources and tools to do just that, and the districts that receive the award are recognized for their commitment to upholding nationally recognized budget presentation standards.”

“The budget is one of a few items our board has direct influence over, and there’s a reason why our board is consistently on the same page when it comes to our budget – it’s because we are informed,” said Board President Joy Naylor. Our team takes the time to provide us with presentations that are both filled with information and digestible for not only the board, but for the community as well.”

For the 2024-2025 school year, Visalia Unified total budget was $693.5 million with 76.11% spent on circulating the Visalia economy through salaries and benefits; 13.43% in services and operations; 4.53% on books, materials, and supplies; and 5.93% on other items such as capital outlay, other outgo, indirect cost. This award is a testament to VUSD’s commitment for clarity and transparency when it comes to fund generation and allocation.