Hilliard City Schools has earned a national recognition for how it presents its budget to the public, landing the 2026–2027 Meritorious Budget Award from the Association of School Business Officials International.

The district announced the award Aug. 9, calling it a reflection of staff dedication to managing resources "responsibly and strategically."

ASBO International, a nonprofit representing roughly 30,000 school business professionals worldwide, describes the MBA as a "gold star-level designation" for a district's budget process. To earn it, districts submit their budget documents to a panel of financial professionals who evaluate them against a detailed criteria checklist measuring clarity, accuracy and effectiveness in presenting financial information.

The bar is specific. Districts must include eight years of financial data — three prior years of actual results, the current year, the proposed budget year and three years of forecasted data — along with plans to address any negative trends in fund balances.

That last requirement is particularly relevant for Hilliard. The district's own FY2026 budget document, prepared by Treasurer and CFO Melissa Swearingen, projects that deficit spending in the General Fund begins in FY27, which runs from July 2026 through June 2027. The all-funds ending balance is forecast to decline from $162 million at the end of FY26 to $134 million in FY27, $120 million in FY28 and $114 million in FY29.

The budget document describes the drawdown as part of a planned levy cycle: Hilliard voters approved a 6.9 mill operating levy and a $142 million bond issue in November 2024, and the district is building its cash balance now so it won't need to return to the ballot for several years.

Superintendent David Stewart and Swearingen lead a district covering roughly 60 square miles, serving students across Hilliard, Columbus, Dublin and portions of Brown and Norwich townships.

The MBA recognition signals that outside reviewers found the district's financial reporting meets national best-practice standards, even as the budget itself shows tighter years ahead. Construction funded by the 2024 bond issue is estimated to wrap up in 2028, and the district's General Fund deficit spending is now underway for the current fiscal year.