Members of our school board and other volunteer budget committee members applauded Rachel Lopez Hopper, our district's chief financial officer, after they unanimously approved the upcoming school year's budget during a May 1 meeting.
Gladstone was one of the three school districts in the state of Oregon recognized by the Association of School Business Officials International for 2023-24 budgets. In receiving a Meritorious Budget Award, we reaffirmed our commitment to providing a high-quality budget that is accessible, accurate and easy to understand, to build trust and clearly communicate with stakeholders.
Budget committee members noted how they could readily understand the purpose of each fund that was under consideration for approval during the meeting. "The goal is to budget a plan, not to plan a budget," Hopper told the committee.