Rockwood Earns Meritorious Budget Award from ASBO for 26th Straight Year

The Rockwood School District earned the 2025-2026 Meritorious Budget Award (MBA) for excellence in budget presentation from the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO). This is the 26th straight year that Rockwood has earned an MBA from ASBO. 

“This achievement reflects the hard work and dedication of our Finance Department and the unwavering support of the Rockwood School District administration and Board of Education,” said Chief Financial Officer Cyndee Byous. "Thanks to the exceptional leadership of Director of Finance Dan Steinbruegge, we continue to set the standard for budgetary excellence. Earning the Meritorious Budget Award for the 26th consecutive year underscores our commitment to transparency, accountability and responsible financial stewardship, as we strive to meet the needs of our students and community.”

ASBO International’s MBA program promotes and recognizes excellence in school budget presentation. Program participation enhances school business officials’ skills in developing, analyzing and presenting a school system budget. Participants submit their 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.

“An effective school budget is more than just numbers — it’s a vital tool for building trust and engaging the community,” said Jim Rowan, executive director of ASBO International. “The Meritorious Budget Award recognizes districts like Rockwood School District that prioritize financial clarity and accountability. We commend their dedication to upholding nationally recognized budget presentation standards.”

The Rockwood Finance Department regularly earns top honors for its excellent financial management. This includes a AAA rating from Standard & Poor’s and 20 straight years of earning the ASBO and Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Certificate of Excellence (COE) in financial reporting. 

Rockwood is one of only three school districts in the state to hold the S&P AAA rating and the only district in the state to currently hold a AAA rating as well as ASBO's MBA and COE and GFOA's COE.