District 728 finance department. earns national certificate of excellence

The finance department at Independent School District 728 has earned accolades from the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) again in 2024.

The Elk River Area School District was awarded the ASBO’s certificate of excellence for financial reporting for the fiscal year ending 2023. While the district’s finance team has already celebrated one local award this year, earning the Minnesota Department of Education certificate of excellence in April for its excellence in school finance, this award recognizes the district amongst the best in the nation.

“The association holds all school districts to a strict set of criteria when deciding to award the certificate of excellence, so this recognition is special and indicative of a lot of hard work,” explained Holly Thompson, board chair.

District 728 Superintendent Dan Bittman said the district’s business office strives for excellence and does its work with a sense of responsibility.

“We are proud to celebrate this effort and dedication to fiscal responsibility with our financial team and entire community, while keeping an eye on our mission to provide inspirational and empowering educational services to all children in ISD 728,” Bittman said. “When we provide amazing opportunities for our children in a fiscally responsible manner, the entire community wins.”

The association also provides feedback in its report to the district, which will help it continue to improve the finance team’s reporting for the next fiscal year, as ISD 728 looks to maintain its award-winning status in business management.

More on the audit reports annually submitted by the district’s finance office can be found on the district’s website, https://www.isd728.org/services/finance-payroll/audit-reports.