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Fresno District Receives National Award For 'Excellence in Financial Management'

FOR RELEASE                                                                                CONTACT:  Henry Duvall
                 May 3, 2017                                                                               (202) 393-2427 or hduvall@cgcs.org 
 

Fresno District Receives National Award
For 'Excellence in Financial Management'


WASHINGTON -- The Council of the Great City Schools today recognizes California’s Fresno Unified School District for reaching the highest standards in financial management, accountability and fiscal control.

The leading coalition of the nation's large urban public school systems presented the Award for Excellence in Financial Management to the Fresno school district for enhancing, safeguarding and protecting the financial integrity of the district.

“The Fresno Unified School District has demonstrated an extraordinary dedication to excellence in financial management and integrity in the stewardship of taxpayer dollars,” said Council Executive Director Michael Casserly in presenting the award in Fresno.

This is only the fifth time since the Council launched the award program in 2009 that it has honored a school district with its highest national award for sound financial management. The last award was given to the Atlanta Public Schools in 2015. Other big-city school districts recognized have been the Miami-Dade County Schools, Houston Independent School District and Florida’s Broward County Public Schools in Fort Lauderdale. 
 
To receive the Award for Excellence in Financial Management, an urban school district must demonstrate it complies with a series of management practices that represent the highest standards in financial accountability and control in nine categories: general financial management, internal controls, budget, strategic planning and management, internal and external financial auditing, capital asset management, debt management, risk management and purchasing.
 
The Council convenes a panel composed of respected senior financial executives from major school systems across the nation to conduct the review process, which includes an assessment of the district's management practices, an extensive review of documents, and a lengthy site visit. 

 

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