Dist. 300 finance chief wins prestigious award

A professional association has named Community Unit District 300's finance chief one of the nation's top school business officials.

District 300 Chief Financial Officer Cheryl Crates was one of four school business officials to receive this year's Eagle Award, a recognition of leadership in the field of school business management.

The Association of School Business Officials International, which awards the honor, cited Crates' budgetary planning and her "significant role in promoting passage of a 2006 referendum that acquired $185 million of bonds."

The District 300 school board recognized Crates, one of four women to receive the award this year, at Monday night's board meeting.

"The work that these women have done for public education is phenomenal," Superintendent Ken Arndt said. "Cheryl is truly the best of the best."

For winning the award, Crates will get to present a $2,500 college scholarship to a high school senior in District 300. Crates has asked the district's educators to award the scholarship to a Hispanic student who plans to become a bilingual teacher in District 300.

Crates shared the limelight Monday with District 300 Chief Operations Officer Mike Prombo, who has also been recognized by the Association of School Business Officials.

Prombo, who started as operations chief in April, was among 20 new or aspiring school business officials who won the Bridges to the Future Scholarship this year.

Prombo has received $2,000 to attend the association's annual meeting, held earlier this year in Denver, as well as the association's 2009 Leadership Conference in Chicago.