From Harford County Public Schools:
The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) recently announced that Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) has received the GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its annual budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014. This is the 12th year this honor has been earned by HCPS.
The award represents a significant achievement by HCPS, reflecting the commitment of the school system’s leadership team to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, HCPS had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for an effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an organization’s budget serves as:
– a policy document,
– a financial plan,
– an operations guide, and
– a communications device.
Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories, and the 14 mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.
As part of achieving the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, the HCPS Finance Department was also presented a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation.
For budgets beginning in 2013, 1,424 participants received the Award. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.
The Government Finance Officers Association is a major professional association servicing the needs of more than 18,000 appointed and elected local, state, and provincial-level government officials and other finance practitioners. It provides top quality publications, training programs, services, and products designed to enhance the skills and performance of those responsible for government finance policy and management. The association is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with offices in Washington, D.C. The GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting.
Billy Bob from Bumbuck says
Great but what about teacher turnover at Harford Tech with teachers still quitting. For example the Cyber Security Program teacher retired at the beginning of the year so they hired a replacement. She is already quitting! Why because she can make a lot more money in the private sector, can anyone blame her? No. This county is just watching the education system flush down the toilet and they just keep pulling the handle. SMH
Spoon me says
I seem to recall if a new Have De Grace high school was to be built, there was a “cyber security” magnet program to be implemented there. Not sure if an old school cancels that plan or not.
Either way it sounds liks that particular tech trade was one foot put the door and the other on a banana peel with this magnet program idea anyway.
hmmm.. says
Most of this reads like it was lifted right off the GFOA literature… ok. So, the folks put together a budget that met the criteria of let’s say, a properly formatted and documented budget. Isn’t that someone’s job? No wonder the kids all expect a trophy for showing up – the school system that’s supposed to teach them does too. What do you want to bet that the research GFOA did to establish this certification cost and keeps costing the taxpayers millions? Gee, congratulations y’all.
Jim in Hickory says
It’s how the government works. Mostly Blue might happen by with all the awards and recommendations he has gotten from his bosses for doing the job he is paid to do for the taxpayers and citizens.
They are basically clueless how the real world operates.
Reality says
Jim the only one clueless here is you. Everyone knows those who work for the government are like 2 year olds being potty trained. If you don’t clap and make a big deal every time they poop they will just go right back to chitting themselves and playing with their turds.
H in Aberdeen says
On my website at
http://www.complexpolitics.wordpress.com
I do a detailed critique of how HCPS budgets for “new money” costs for providing staff increments.
Ted Davis says
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzLo32onVaA
Typical day at school.
The Onion says
Surely this is a joke. HCPS spends our tax dollars for membership to this bogus organization. And on top of that commits scarce school resources to “competing” for this “prestigious” “award”. Surely their time and our money could be better spent. The reason they are able to meet a budget is due to the fact that they do not honor contracts with their employees. Anybody can meet a budget if you can completely disregard contractual obligations without consequence. Do they tell the GFOA this fact? What would deserve an award is if HCPS met its obligations to their teachers AND followed a budget. Bottomline pay the teachers and then pat yourself on the back. Until then stop wasting efforts on this kind of nonsense!!