The Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO) inaugurated the Meritorious Budget Awards Program (MBA) in July 1995. ASBO specifically created this program to help school business administrators achieve a standard of excellence in budget presentation. This book is intended to serve as a practical guide to the MBA program and help school business officials prepare an outstanding budget document. The book explains how to apply the MBA criteria and offers real-life examples from exemplary school system budget documents. The first chapter provides background information on the program and offers tips for preparing a successful document and submitting it. Chapter 1 explains the program's general requirements. The remaining four chapters are devoted to each of the four major groupings of award criteria--the introductory, the organizational, the financial, and the informational sections. Each chapter is followed by a checklist and examples from actual budget documents that satisfy those specific criteria. Forty exhibits are included. Appendices list criteria for the meritorious budget award. (LMI)