District perfect in financial integrity rating

The Lockhart school district earned a “superior” rating from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for financial integrity for the 17th year in a row, coming in this year with a perfect score of 100.
The score was presented to LISD board members by Chief Financial Officer Tina Knudsen during the trustee’s regularly scheduled meeting Monday evening.
The state’s school financial accountability rating system, known as the School Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST), was put into place to help ensure Texas public schools are held accountable for the quality of their financial management practices and that they improve those practices.
The system is designed to encourage Texas public schools to better manage their financial resources to provide the maximum allocation possible for direct instructional purposes.
“Excellence in financial management has been a long-established standard and expectation in LISD,” said Superintendent Mark Estrada.
“While many districts strive to achieve the superior rating, our finance department and business office have successfully achieved this rating for 18 consecutive years.
“By scoring a 100 this year, they have made LISD a standout in the region for school district financial management.”
Financial integrity reports for the Lockhart school district and all other school districts are available through the main website of the Texas Education Agency at www.tea.texas.gov. Access the report under the “Reports and Data” tab and search for it under the “Financial Report” heading.

To read more, see this week’s edition of the Post-Register.