The details
David Johnson, assistant superintendent for financial services and operations, delivered the news that the district received a score of 96 of a possible 100—therefore achieving a “superior” rating for the 2023-24 school year—to board members. A superior rating is the highest possible achievement the state of Texas can bestow on a district’s financial management and reporting system.
The backstory
District documents state FIRST is a state financial accountability rating system that holds school districts accountable for the quality of their financial management practices and that they improve those practices.
“The goal is to provide more transparency to taxpayers,” Johnson said.
According to district documents, school districts are evaluated on 21 indicators, then are given a grade of A-F based on the following levels:
- A: superior (90-100)
- B: above standard (80-89)
- C: meets standard (70-79)
- F: substandard achievement (69 and below)
The district fell short on only one item, which centered on the ratio of long-term liabilities to total assets. Johnson said the ratio, which was 0.7616 in 2023 and 0.7316 in 2024, shows the percentage of assets financed with long-term debt.
