School district Chief Financial Officer Claire Spinner. (Photo: Ceilidh Yurenka)

The school department won a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award last year from the United States-Canada Government Finance Officers Association. This is a well-deserved award. I can’t overstate how useful and interesting this document is if you want to understand anything about the Cambridge Public Schools district or one of its institutions.

It’s incredibly well-organized and easy to read, and it often gives background and rationale for programs and initiatives. This year in particular there is good multiyear comparison information. There’s detailed information for each school on numbers of classrooms and students and staff.

I wouldn’t normally send lay readers to a budget, but if you have any questions about why or how, check here first to see if it gives you answers. The online resource here includes budgets and Powerpoint presentations going back to 2011. Kudos go to district Chief Financial Officer Claire Spinner and her staff who, unlike many budget authors, think clearly and know how to write in English.