Celina ISD officials have received an A from the Texas Education Agency for their financial management and transparency during the 2023-24 school year.
The district’s board of trustees reviewed the rating with Chief of Business Resources Melissa Kelly during a Jan. 20 board meeting. The rating uses lagging data, so the score for the 2024-25 school year is based on data from the 2023-24 school year, Kelly said during the board presentation.
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
- C, 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
The specifics
Within the 20 indicators scored, CISD lost points for its correlation between future debt requirements and the district’s assessed property values and on the number of days of cash the district had in its fund balance. Similar to a savings account, a district’s fund balance is meant to hold the amount of money necessary to run the district for 75 days, according to TEA. Kelly explained the district had about 57 days when submitting the district’s data, but CISD officials continue to add to its fund balance every year.
