The district’s board of trustees reviewed the rating with Chief Finance Officer Amber Pennell during a Dec. 18 board meeting. Out of a possible score of a 100, CISD received a 92. The TEA’s scoring levels include:
- A, superior: 90-100
- B, above standard: 80-89
- D, meets standard: 70-79
- F, substandard: 0-69
The overview
The Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas, also called FIRST, is issued by the TEA. It measures the quality of a district’s reporting and management of finances to hold the district accountable for its financial management.
The rating is based on a number of factors, including:
- Revenue against expenses
- Financial documents made public
- Cash on hand
- Administrative costs
Within the 20 indicators scored, CISD received a 2 out of a possible score of 10 for its correlation between future debt requirements and the district’s assessed property values. Pennell explained neighboring districts, such as Prosper ISD, Frisco ISD and Allen ISD, have been losing points in this category due to the fast growth in Collin County.
Celina ISD’s complete FIRST report can be found here.
