Irving ISD receives ‘superior’ rating on financial integrity
Written by Phil Cerroni
By Amanda Casanova
The Irving Independent School District earned a “superior” rating from the state’s Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas, which measures school districts’ management of finances.
This was the 10th year that the district has received the highest rating from the state, a district associate superintendent announced at a school board trustee meeting on Oct.16.
Using 20 indicators that analyzed the district’s budget, debt and investment for the 2010-2011 school year, FIRST is meant to help districts better manage their resources – especially amid tough budget cuts from the state.
Of a maximum of 70 points, the school district earned a perfect score.
The rating system measured fiscal management and looked at districts’ fund balance, tax collection rates, expenses, academic rating and student-to-teacher ratios.
Districts can earn one of four possible ratings — superior achievement, above standard achievement, standard achievement and substandard achievement. The 77th Legislature enacted the rating system in 2001.
“Nine hundred of 1,029 school districts earned superior rating in Texas,” Debbie Cabrera, Irving ISD's associate superintendent of business services, said. “The importance of that is that we’re not in the 13 percent that did not receive superior. That would be a grave concern for the school board.”
