The Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas, also called FIRST, is issued by the Texas Education Agency, and provides accountability for Texas public schools, said Dennis Womack, assistant superintendent of business operations, during an Oct. 28 meeting. The FIRST rating is considered lagging data as the score for the 2023-24 school year is based on financial data from the 2022-23 school year.
The background
MISD has received a superior rating since the 2014-15 school year, except for last year’s rating of C due to a reporting error of federal emergency funds for the COVID-19 pandemic, according to district data.
The district appealed the score, but was denied and did not receive any communication from the TEA as as to why the appeal was denied, district officials said.MISD received a 100 out of a possible score of 100. The TEA’s scoring levels include:
- A, superior: 90-100
- B, above standard: 80-89
- C, meets standard: 70-79
- F, substandard: 0-69