Plano ISD Earns 7th Consecutive 'Superior' Rating in Schools FIRST Financial Accountability Program

October 9, 2009

For the seventh consecutive year, Plano ISD has earned a "superior achievement " rating through the Schools FIRST (Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas). The district was graded on 24 financial accountability indicators.

Richard Matkin, associate superintendent for business services, and Linda Madon, executive director for financial service, presented the report to the Plano ISD Board of Trustees on October 6.

Ms. Madon explained that, "The Schools FIRST report is based upon a set of 24 uniform indicators that all school districts in the state are measured against. "For several years now, financial accountability has been as important as academic accountability. This system provides a tool to manage financial resources in the district and provides a rating against those indicators."

School trustees heard the report, based on the 2007-08 school year - staff, student and budget data that the financial services team submitted to the Texas Education Agency in the fall 2007 PIEMS report and is based on the district's annual audit report for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2008.

The rating is a numeric score, with four ratings on standards that can be given on the numeric score. Six of the 24 indicators are considered "critical" indicators. Plano ISD scored 84 out of a possible 85 maximum score. The one point subtraction was based upon the ratio of students to teachers. Our ratio is 13.35, and the required minimum for the standard is 13.5.

Mr. Matkin weighed in on the presentation, emphasizing to the board that over 80 percent of our budget is for payroll cost. "We work hard to meet staffing ratios that are among the best in the state," he reported. "We require certified teachers in areas that other districts might not fill positions with certified teachers. So, although we lose a point on this rating, I think that we gain a lot."

Ms. Madon addressed the critical indicators in which Plano ISD passed with the highest number of points possibel.

• General fund balance - positive $131 million
• Unrestricted net asset balance - $158 million
• Never defaulted on bonded indebtedness
• Annual financial report consistently filed on time and ahead of schedule with an unqualified opinion and no material weaknesses

"For the seventh consecutive year, since the inception of the Schools FIRST reporting program, Plano ISD has received a superior achievement rating," reported Ms. Madon.

Ms. Madon explained to trustees that, the state legislature made changes this year to the Schools FIRST reporting for the future. House Bill 3 (also known as the accountability bill) included a section on financial accountability. The 65 percent rule (staff budgeting) has been eliminated and will not be part of the new system moving forward.

In future reports (likely to be put in place for the 2011-12 school year), the state comptroller will combine the school district's financial and academic data and evaluate and assign rankings rate the district and schools based on that data. Operating costs and staffing costs for each student will be rated.

The report will continue to evaluate financial stability, staffing ratio trends, fund balance trends and independent audit trends. However, TEA will analyze revenues for the preceding year, the current year and projections for two years going forward. "The state is developing a new electronic reporting system to gather this information from school districts," Ms. Madon said.

View the presentation and related documents on BoardBook

View the meeting video (beginning at the 11:40 mark).