The Houston Independent School District earned an “A” rating for “Superior Achievement” for the fourth consecutive year under the state’s school financial accountability rating system for demonstrating high-quality of financial management of taxpayer resources.

The state’s school financial accountability rating system, known as the School Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST), ensures that Texas public schools are held accountable for the quality of their financial management practices. The system is designed to encourage Texas public schools to better manage financial resources to provide the maximum allocation possible for instructional purposes.

The district’s rating highlights the fact that HISD is allocating a greater percent of its resources to classrooms versus administrative costs compared to other large school districts. The district maintains an administrative cost ratio of 4.92 percent, which is lower than the state standard of 8.55 percent.

“Providing a high-quality education depends greatly on the use of our dollars,” said Glenn Reed, HISD General Manager of Budgeting and Financial Planning. “We are committed to achieving efficient and cost-effective results in our finances and properly managing taxpayer resources to ensure success in our classrooms every day.”