, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to government transparency, released the winners of the fourth annual Sunny Awards. The award, which honors the most transparent government websites in the nation, went to 247 government entities with Florida receiving the most Sunny Awards.
“The Sunny Awards recognize governments that make transparency a priority. The winners of the Sunny Awards are cities, counties and school districts that proactively share the public information that empowers citizens and keeps government accountable to the people,” said Michael Barnhart, President of Sunshine Review.
For the 2013 awards, Editors at Sunshine Review analyzed more than 1,000 qualifying government websites and graded each on a 10-point transparency checklist. Editors looked at content available on government websites against what should be provided. They sought information on items such as budgets, meetings, lobbying, financial audits, contracts, academic performance, public records and taxes. The winners of the Sunny Award all received an “A” grade during the extensive grading process.
Eight states earned nearly half of the 247 Sunny Awards given. The leading states were Florida (25), Virginia (19), Illinois (19), California (12), Georgia (12), Kansas (11), Oklahoma (10) and Colorado (9). In addition, 35 counties, 22 cities and 42 school districts from all over the country earned the coveted “A+” grade. Sunshine Review also analyzes official state government websites. However, no state received an “A” grade due to Sunshine Review’s 2013 “raising the bar” initiative, which includes additional budget requirements, online checkbook register and a FOIA compliance report.
Since beginning the Sunny Awards in 2010, Sunshine Review has given 613 awards to local and state governments. In 2012, Florida once again took home the most awards with other leading states including Texas (21), Illinois (19), Virginia (14), Ohio (10) and Pennsylvania (10). Florida won more Sunny Awards than any other state in 2011 and 2010 as well.
“Sunshine Review applauds the 247 winners of the Sunny Award and encourages every government to allocate the resources to improving their website transparency,” said Barnhart.
| Winner
|
State
|
Grade
|
| Anchorage, Alaska |
AK |
A+
|
| Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, Alaska |
AK |
A+
|
| Anchorage School District, Alaska |
AK |
A-
|
| Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska |
AK |
A-
|
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, Alaska |
AK |
A-
|
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska |
AK |
A-
|
| Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska |
AK |
A-
|
| Sitka, Alaska |
AK |
A-
|
| Fayetteville Public Schools, Arkansas |
AR |
A+
|
| Chandler, Arizona |
AZ |
A+
|
| Pinal County, Arizona |
AZ |
A+
|
| Surprise, Arizona |
AZ |
A+
|
| Mesa, Arizona |
AZ |
A-
|
| Peoria, Arizona |
AZ |
A-
|
| Phoenix, Arizona |
AZ |
A-
|
| Pima County, Arizona |
AZ |
A-
|
| Tucson, Arizona |
AZ |
A-
|
| Costa Mesa, California |
CA |
A+
|
| Huntington Park, California |
CA |
A+
|
| San Francisco Unified School District, California |
CA |
A+
|
| San Juan Unified School District, California |
CA |
A+
|
| Bell, California |
CA |
A-
|
| Berkeley, California |
CA |
A-
|
| Los Angeles County, California |
CA |
A-
|
| Nevada County, California |
CA |
A-
|
| Sacramento, California |
CA |
A-
|
| San Diego, California |
CA |
A-
|
| San Francisco County, California |
CA |
A-
|
| San Francisco, California |
CA |
A-
|
| Adams County, Colorado |
CO |
A+
|
| Douglas County, Colorado |
CO |
A+
|
| El Paso County, Colorado |
CO |
A+
|
| San Juan County, Colorado |
CO |
A+
|
| Arapahoe County, Colorado |
CO |
A-
|
| Denver County 1 School District, Colorado |
CO |
A-
|
| Jefferson County, Colorado |
CO |
A-
|
| San Miguel County, Colorado |
CO |
A-
|
| Wilmington, Delaware |
DE |
A-
|
| Duval County Public Schools, Florida |
FL |
A+
|
| Escambia County School District, Florida |
FL |
A+
|
| Hillsborough County Public Schools, Florida |
FL |
A+
|
| Indian River School District, Florida |
FL |
A+
|
| Okeechobee County, Florida |
FL |
A+
|
| Orange County Public Schools, Florida |
FL |
A+
|
| Palm Beach County School District, Florida |
FL |
A+
|
| Pinellas County, Florida |
FL |
A+
|
| Polk County School District, Florida |
FL |
A+
|
| Seminole County Public Schools, Florida |
FL |
A+
|
| St. Lucie County, Florida |
FL |
A+
|
| Duval County, Florida |
FL |
A-
|
| Indian River County, Florida |
FL |
A-
|
| Leon County, Florida |
FL |
A-
|
| Manatee County, Florida |
FL |
A-
|
| Marion County Public Schools, Florida |
FL |
A-
|
| Miami, Florida |
FL |
A-
|
| Oakland Park, Florida |
FL |
A-
|
| Polk County, Florida |
FL |
A-
|
| Sarasota County, Florida |
FL |
A-
|
| St. Johns County School District, Florida |
FL |
A-
|
| St. Johns County, Florida |
FL |
A-
|
| St. Lucie County School District, Florida |
FL |
A-
|
| Sumter County School Board, Florida |
FL |
A-
|
| Sumter County, Florida |
FL |
A-
|
| Canton, Georgia |
GA |
A+
|
| Cherokee County, Georgia |
GA |
A+
|
| Clayton County, Georgia |
GA |
A+
|
| Cobb County Public Schools, Georgia |
GA |
A+
|
| Cobb County, Georgia |
GA |
A+
|
| Coweta County, Georgia |
GA |
A+
|
| Fulton County Public Schools, Georgia |
GA |
A+
|
| Henry County, Georgia |
GA |
A+
|
| Fulton County, Georgia |
GA |
A-
|
| Gwinnett County, Georgia |
GA |
A-
|
| Richmond County, Georgia |
GA |
A-
|
| Rockdale County, Georgia |
GA |
A-
|
| Savannah, Georgia |
GA |
A-
|
| Kauai County, Hawaii |
HI |
A+
|
| Maui County, Hawaii |
HI |
A-
|
| Ankeny Community School District, Iowa |
IA |
A-
|
| Davenport, Iowa |
IA |
A+
|
| Des Moines Public Schools, Iowa |
IA |
A-
|
| Iowa City, Iowa |
IA |
A+
|
| Sioux City Community School District, Iowa |
IA |
A+
|
| Johnson County, Iowa |
IA |
A-
|
| Scott County, Iowa |
IA |
A-
|
| West Des Moines Community Schools, Iowa |
IA |
A-
|
| Boise School District, Idaho |
ID |
A+
|
| Canyon County, Idaho |
ID |
A+
|
| Blaine County School District, Idaho |
ID |
A-
|
| Caldwell School District, Idaho |
ID |
A-
|
| Carbondale, Illinois |
IL |
A+
|
| Evanston, Illinois |
IL |
A+
|
| Lake County, Illinois |
IL |
A+
|
| McHenry County, Illinois |
IL |
A+
|
| Naperville, Illinois |
IL |
A+
|
| New Trier High School, Illinois |
IL |
A+
|
| Springfield School District 186, Illinois |
IL |
A+
|
| Township High School District 211, Illinois |
IL |
A+
|
| Wheaton Warrenville Community School District 200, Illinois |
IL |
A+
|
| Will County, Illinois |
IL |
A+
|
| Wilmette, Illinois |
IL |
A+
|
| Champaign County, Illinois |
IL |
A-
|
| Community Consolidated School District 54, Illinois |
IL |
A-
|
| DuPage County, Illinois |
IL |
A-
|
| Kane County, Illinois |
IL |
A-
|
| Madison County, Illinois |
IL |
A-
|
| Rockford School District 205, Illinois |
IL |
A-
|
| Township High School District 214, Illinois |
IL |
A-
|
| Village of Barrington Hills, Illinois |
IL |
A-
|
| Indianapolis, Indiana |
IN |
A-
|
| Marion County, Indiana |
IN |
A-
|
| Johnson County, Kansas |
KS |
A+
|
| Overland Park, Kansas |
KS |
A+
|
| Shawnee, Kansas |
KS |
A+
|
| Bel Aire, Kansas |
KS |
A-
|
| Kansas City, Kansas |
KS |
A-
|
| Lawrence, Kansas |
KS |
A+
|
| Sedgwick County, Kansas |
KS |
A-
|
| Topeka, Kansas |
KS |
A-
|
| Wichita Public School District, Kansas |
KS |
A-
|
| Wichita, Kansas |
KS |
A+
|
| Wyandotte County, Kansas |
KS |
A-
|
| Jefferson County Public Schools, Kentucky |
KY |
A-
|
| Lafourche Parish, Louisiana |
LA |
A+
|
| Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana |
LA |
A+
|
| St. Charles Parish, Louisiana |
LA |
A-
|
| Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Maryland |
MD |
A+
|
| Gaithersburg, Maryland |
MD |
A+
|
| Allegany County, Maryland |
MD |
A+
|
| Carroll County, Maryland |
MD |
A-
|
| Frederick, Maryland |
MD |
A-
|
| Garrett County, Maryland |
MD |
A-
|
| Howard County Public Schools, Maryland |
MD |
A+
|
| Rockville, Maryland |
MD |
A-
|
| Aroostook County, Maine |
ME |
A+
|
| Lewiston, Maine |
ME |
A-
|
| Waldo County, Maine |
ME |
A-
|
| Ann Arbor Public Schools, Michigan |
MI |
A-
|
| Ann Arbor, Michigan |
MI |
A-
|
| Lansing, Michigan |
MI |
A-
|
| Portage, Michigan |
MI |
A-
|
| Anoka County, Minnesota |
MN |
A+
|
| Carver County, Minnesota |
MN |
A-
|
| Minneapolis Public Schools, Minnesota |
MN |
A-
|
| Clay County, Missouri |
MO |
A-
|
| Francis Howell School District, Missouri |
MO |
A-
|
| Independence, Missouri |
MO |
A-
|
| Rockwood School District, Missouri |
MO |
A+
|
| Springfield, Missouri |
MO |
A-
|
| Gaston County Schools, North Carolina |
NC |
A+
|
| Buncombe County Schools, North Carolina |
NC |
A-
|
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, North Carolina |
NC |
A-
|
| Johnston County Schools, North Carolina |
NC |
A-
|
| Raleigh, North Carolina |
NC |
A-
|
| Union County Public Schools, North Carolina |
NC |
A-
|
| Wake County, North Carolina |
NC |
A-
|
| Adams County, Nebraska |
NE |
A-
|
| Hall County, Nebraska |
NE |
A-
|
| Sarpy County, Nebraska |
NE |
A-
|
| Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska |
NE |
A-
|
| Nashua, New Hampshire |
NH |
A-
|
| Sussex County, New Jersey |
NJ |
A+
|
| Albuquerque Public Schools, New Mexico |
NM |
A+
|
| Albuquerque, New Mexico |
NM |
A+
|
| Santa Fe Public Schools, New Mexico |
NM |
A+
|
| Bernalillo County, New Mexico |
NM |
A-
|
| Santa Fe County, New Mexico |
NM |
A+
|
| Santa Fe, New Mexico |
NM |
A-
|
| Greece Central School District, New York |
NY |
A+
|
| Buffalo City School District, New York |
NY |
A-
|
| Rochester, New York |
NY |
A-
|
| Fulton County, Ohio |
OH |
A+
|
| Columbus, Ohio |
OH |
A-
|
| Hamilton County, Ohio |
OH |
A-
|
| Lorain County, Ohio |
OH |
A-
|
| Montgomery County, Ohio |
OH |
A-
|
| Broken Arrow, Oklahoma |
OK |
A+
|
| Enid, Oklahoma |
OK |
A+
|
| Oklahoma County, Oklahoma |
OK |
A+
|
| Owasso, Oklahoma |
OK |
A+
|
| Tulsa County, Oklahoma |
OK |
A+
|
| Tulsa, Oklahoma |
OK |
A+
|
| Edmond Public Schools, Oklahoma |
OK |
A-
|
| Norman, Oklahoma |
OK |
A-
|
| Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
OK |
A-
|
| Wagoner County, Oklahoma |
OK |
A-
|
| Albany, Oregon |
OR |
A+
|
| Eugene School District, Oregon |
OR |
A-
|
| Salem-Keizer School District, Oregon |
OR |
A-
|
| Salem, Oregon |
OR |
A-
|
| Erie City School District, Pennsylvania |
PA |
A+
|
| New Hope-Solebury School District, Pennsylvania |
PA |
A+
|
| New Kensington-Arnold School District, Pennsylvania |
PA |
A+
|
| Allegheny County, Pennsylvania |
PA |
A-
|
| Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania |
PA |
A-
|
| Upper Dublin Township, Pennsylvania |
PA |
A-
|
| West Chester Area School District, Pennsylvania |
PA |
A-
|
| Newport, Rhode Island |
RI |
A-
|
| Aiken County, South Carolina |
SC |
A+
|
| Pickens School District, South Carolina |
SC |
A+
|
| Rock Hill, South Carolina |
SC |
A+
|
| Anderson County, South Carolina |
SC |
A-
|
| Beaufort County School District, South Carolina |
SC |
A-
|
| North Charleston, South Carolina |
SC |
A-
|
| Rock Hill Schools 3, South Carolina |
SC |
A-
|
| Brandon Valley School District, South Dakota |
SD |
A-
|
| Knox County, Tennessee |
TN |
A-
|
| Shelby County, Tennessee |
TN |
A-
|
| Wilson County, Tennessee |
TN |
A-
|
| McKinney Independent School District, Texas |
TX |
A+
|
| Burleson, Texas |
TX |
A-
|
| Houston, Texas |
TX |
A-
|
| Huntsville, Texas |
TX |
A-
|
| Keller, Texas |
TX |
A-
|
| Laredo, Texas |
TX |
A-
|
| New Braunfels, Texas |
TX |
A-
|
| Canyons School District, Utah |
UT |
A+
|
| Provo School District, Utah |
UT |
A+
|
| West Jordan, Utah |
UT |
A+
|
| Davis School District, Utah |
UT |
A-
|
| Jordan School District, Utah |
UT |
A-
|
| Salt Lake City School District, Utah |
UT |
A-
|
| Salt Lake City, Utah |
UT |
A-
|
| Arlington County, Virginia |
VA |
A+
|
| Chesterfield County, Virginia |
VA |
A+
|
| Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia |
VA |
A+
|
| Gloucester County, Virginia |
VA |
A+
|
| Hampton City Schools, Virginia |
VA |
A+
|
| Henrico County Public Schools, Virginia |
VA |
A+
|
| James City County, Virginia |
VA |
A-
|
| Mathews County, Virginia |
VA |
A+
|
| Montgomery County, Virginia |
VA |
A+
|
| Prince George County, Virginia |
VA |
A+
|
| Richmond Public Schools, Virginia |
VA |
A+
|
| Washington County, Virginia |
VA |
A+
|
| Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools, Virginia |
VA |
A+
|
| Arlington Public Schools, Virginia |
VA |
A-
|
| Loudoun County Public Schools, Virginia |
VA |
A-
|
| Prince William County Public Schools, Virginia |
VA |
A-
|
| Richmond, Virginia |
VA |
A-
|
| Virginia Beach, Virginia |
VA |
A-
|
| Williamsburg, Virginia |
VA |
A-
|
| York County, Virginia |
VA |
A+
|
| South Burlington, Vermont |
VT |
A-
|
| Seattle Public Schools, Washington |
WA |
A+
|
| Spokane Public Schools, Washington |
WA |
A+
|
| Kennewick School District, Washington |
WA |
A-
|
| Seattle, Washington |
WA |
A-
|
| Tacoma Public Schools, Washington |
WA |
A+
|
| Milwaukee Public Schools, Wisconsin |
WI |
A+
|
| Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
WI |
A-
|
| Lincoln County School District Number 2, Wyoming |
WY |
A+
|
