Atlanta Public Schools Earns 15th Consecutive Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting

Atlanta Public Schools (APS) has been awarded the Certificate of Excellence (COE) in Financial Reporting by the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) for the 15th consecutive year in recognition of its commitment to financial transparency and excellence.

The award, announced in September, honors the district’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for the fiscal year ending in 2023.

The COE, sponsored by ASBO International’s Strategic Partner, American Fidelity, is a prestigious accolade that acknowledges school districts’ high financial reporting and transparency standards. It assures the community that districts like APS are committed to accurate and comprehensive financial communication.

“For over half a century, ASBO International’s Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting has been the gold standard in promoting and recognizing excellence in financial reporting,” according to ASBO International Executive Director Jim Rowan. “Communicating the financial and economic state of a district is so important when engaging with the school community and building their trust. Districts that receive the COE Award have demonstrated their ability to do that at the highest level.”

The APS Accounting Services team compiled and submitted the ACFR in collaboration with other departments and external auditors. In receiving the award, their work on the report emphasized their attention to detail and facilitated critical processes like bond rating and continuing bond disclosure.

“We want the APS community to know that we’re in compliance, that we’re doing what we’re supposed to do, and that we’re being transparent,” APS Executive Director of Accounting Tanisha Oliver said.

“It’s a team effort,” added APS Senior Analyst Jerry Hill, Jr. “It’s not required that you apply for it, but to me, it gives an extra level of assurance to people looking at the financials that we’re following the rules that are internally set and also externally set by nonprofit accounting standards.”

Through rigorous reviews by financial professionals, APS has demonstrated that its financial records meet or exceed the program’s stringent requirements— a tradition the district plans to maintain year after year.