Check out two education updates from Hays CISD and San Marcos CISD, including financial rating system scores and campus improvement plans.
Hays CISD passed the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas, or FIRST, with a ‘C,’ earning 78 out of 100 possible points.
How it works
The FIRST system is how the Texas Education Agency rates the financial accountability of all public school districts in the state. Scores are based on 21 indicators that measure metrics such as fund balance, debts, student attendance and communication with the public.
District officials said they expected scores to dip this year, and that such a dip is not uncommon for high-growth districts like HCISD.
The 2026 report found that HCISD failed indicators 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12, which analyzed changes in fund balance, ability to pay short-term debt and the ratio of revenue to expenditures.
Looking ahead
Chief Financial Officer Deborah Ottmers anticipates that scores will continue to improve over the next few years because FY 2026-27 budget cuts will decrease expenditures and increase the fund balance.
Continue reading.
On Oct. 19, the principals of San Marcos High School and Mendez Elementary School presented targeted improvement plans aimed at increasing graduation rates at the high school and raising the elementary school’s rating from the Texas Education Agency, or TEA.
The overview
In 2022, San Marcos High School had a graduation rate of 39.2%, said Principal Eileen Grose. The rate rose to 83.8% in 2023. The campus is working toward a rate of 90.5% to 95% by spring 2027.
The school will implement six action steps to help raise the overall graduation rate.
Mendez Elementary School received a 63, or 'D,' rating in the 2026 A-F Accountability Scores, a 26-point, two-letter-grade decrease from the school’s overall score of 89 in 2025, according to the TEA.
The school is working to reach an overall 'C' or higher rating by 2027 while closing achievement gaps. The campus is targeting STAAR testing scores for improvement through specific growth goals.
