1. FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM RESOURCE GUIDE (FASRG) AND CHARTER FIRST ROBIN ALDRIDGE AND YOLANDA WALKER TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 1

2. DIVISION CONTACT INFORMATION Robin Aldridge Financial Accountability robin.aldridge@tea.state.tx.us (512) 463-3940 Yolanda Walker Financial Accountability yolanda.walker@tea.state.tx.us (512) 463-0947 TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 2

3. FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM RESOURCE GUIDE (FASRG) ►Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §109.41 ►Describes the rules for financial accounting ►Currently using Version 15.0 o The only changes made in version 15.0 of the FASRG are minor changes made to Module 4. The remaining modules remain unchanged from Version 14.0 ►http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=1222http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=1222 TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 3

4. SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS In addition to Modules 1 through 9, charter schools also use: ►Charter Modules – Special Supplement o Module 10 – Special Supplement – Charter Schools o Module 11 – Special Supplement – Non-profit Charter School Chart of Accounts TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 4

5. CHANGES TO THE FASRG ►The FASRG is currently being revised starting with Module 1. ►Stages of Revisions: o Tier 1 – Rule Adoptions (currently underway) o Tier 2 – Supporting Documents o Tier 3 - Guidance/Best Practice TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 5

6. CHANGES TO THE FASRG ►For historical versions of the FASRG and Charter School Supplements, please contact the Division of Financial Accountability at financialaccountability@tea.state.tx.us financialaccountability@tea.state.tx.us TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 6

7. CHARTER FIRST AND FINANCIAL SOLVENCY TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 7

8. Charter FIRST and Financial Solvency are two separate financial accountability tools used by the TEA to measure a charter school’s current and future financial stability. Charter FIRST is a financial accountability rating system holds the charter school accountable for the quality of their financial management practices and achieved improved performance in the management of their financial resources. Financial Solvency determinations anticipate the future solvency of a charter school and alerts the charter schools to circumstances that could lead to financial insolvency in future years. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 8

9. CHARTER SCHOOL – SCHOOL FIRST (CHARTER FIRST) ►Statutory Authority o Texas Administrative Code (TAC), Title 19, §109.1001-1004 and 19 TAC §97.1055 o Texas Education Code (TEC), §39.201-39.204 TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 9

10. PURPOSE OF CHARTER FIRST ►The purpose of the financial accountability rating system is to ensure that open-enrollment charter schools are held accountable for the quality of the financial management practices and achieve improved performance in the management of their financial resources. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 10

11. PURPOSE OF CHARTER FIRST ►The system is designed to encourage Texas public schools to manage their financial resources better in order to provide the maximum allocation possible for direct instructional purposes. ►The system will also disclose the quality of local management and decision making processes that impact the allocation of financial resources in Texas public schools. An evaluation of the long-term effectiveness of the system should disclose a measurable improvement in the quality of Texas public schools’ financial decision making process. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 11

12. CHARTER FIRST RATINGS Preliminary Ratings Preliminary ratings are issued within 150 days of the charter school’s complete financial data being made to the TEA staff. Financial accountability ratings for a particular year will always be based on complete and audited financial data from the previous fiscal year given the availability of the data. (ex. 2012 ratings based on audited data from fiscal year 2010-2011) The ratings will not be delayed if a charter school fails to meet the statutory deadline for submitting the annual financial and compliance report. A rating of Suspended –Data Quality will be issued if the annual financial and compliance report is not received. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 12

13. CHARTER FIRST RATINGS Appeals A charter school may submit a written appeal requesting the TEA staff to review a preliminary rating if the preliminary rating was based on a data error solely attributable to the TEA’s review of the data for any of the indicators. If a charter school wishes to appeal a preliminary rating the appeal must be received no later than 30 days after the TEA’s release of the preliminary rating, and the appeal must include substantial evidence that supports the charter school’s position. Only appeals that would result in a change of the preliminary rating will be considered. TEA staff will review the information submitted by the charter school to validate the statements made to the extent possible. All relevant data will be reviewed by TEA staff. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 13

14. CHARTER FIRST RATINGS Appeals cont’d TEA staff will prepare a recommendation and forward it to an external panel for review. The review panel will provide independent oversight to the appeals process. The external review panel will examine the appeal, supporting documentation, staff research, and the staff recommendation. The review panel will determine its recommendation. The external review panel’s recommendation will be forwarded to the commissioner. The commissioner will make a final decision in accordance with the timeline specified by statute (no later than 45 days after the appeal has been received by the TEA). TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 14

15. CHARTER FIRST RATINGS Appeals cont’d: Appeals received 31 days or more after the TEA issues a preliminary rating will not be considered. Errors by a charter school in recording data or submitting data through the TEA data collection and reporting system do not constitute a valid basis for appealing a preliminary rating. If the TEA receives an appeal of a preliminary rating, a final rating will be issued to the charter school no later than 45 days after the appeal has been received by the TEA. If the TEA does not receive an appeal of a preliminary rating, the preliminary rating automatically becomes a final rating on the 31 st day after the issuance of the preliminary rating. A final rating issued by the TEA pursuant to this section may not be appealed under the TEC §7.057, or any other law or rule. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 15

16. CHARTER FIRST RATINGS Types of Accountability Ratings (§109.1003) Superior Achievement – classified as Superior Achievement if it scores within the applicable range of (>=60 <=65). Above Standard Achievement – classified as Above Standard Achievement if it scores within the applicable range of (>=55 <60). Standard Achievement – classified as Standard Achievement if it scores within the applicable range of (>=50 <55) Substandard Achievement – classified as Substandard Achievement if it scores within the applicable range of (<50 or answered NO to indicators 1,2,3, or 4, or both 5 and 6). Suspended Data Quality - rating assigned to the charter school if serious data quality issues are disclosed. The rating will be assigned until the charter school successfully resolves the data quality issues. The commissioner of education may apply sanctions to a charter school that is assigned a Suspended Data Quality rating and may require other corrective action. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 16

17. CHARTER FIRST RATINGS Types of Accountability Ratings Cont’d The commissioner of education may lower a financial accountability rating based on findings of an investigation conducted under Texas Education Code (TEC), Chapter 39. Unless revised as a result of investigative activities by the commissioner of education as authorized under TEC, Chapter 39, or other law, a financial accountability rating remains in effect until replaced by a subsequent financial accountability rating. A financial accountability rating shall be revised after initial assignment when circumstances require such revision in order to achieve the purposes specified in §97.1053(a) of Title 19. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 17

18. CHARTER FIRST RATINGS Criteria for Financial Accountability Ratings (§109.1004) The criteria for financial accountability ratings will be based upon indicators established by the commissioner of education and reflected in §109.1002 of this title (relating to Financial Accountability Ratings), in accordance with requirements in state law and after consultation with the comptroller of public accounts. The commissioner of education shall evaluate the rating system annually and may modify the system in order to improve the effectiveness of the rating system. Changes to criteria for ratings and their effective dates will be communicated to school districts and open-enrollment charter schools. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 18

19. CHARTER FIRST RATINGS Criteria for Financial Accountability Rating Cont’d The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) requires not-for-profit entities such as charter holders to present financial statements showing an aggregate view of the entity as a whole. The Financial Accountability System Resource Guide, Module 10, Special Supplement-Charter Schools, Section 1.7.2, under §109.41 of this title (relating to Financial Accountability System Resource Guide), states that the charter holder is required to submit audited financial statements for the charter holder entity as a whole (both for charter and non-charter operations) as well as additional exhibits for each individual charter (determined by county-district number). For purposes of comparability among schools, all financial calculations for the indicators under §109.1002(g) of this title use the financial statements for a charter school; however, in the case of consolidated financial statements, any indicators relating to the auditor's opinion on the financial statements, material weaknesses in internal controls, or material noncompliance will be judged on the financial statements for the entity as a whole. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 19

20. CHARTER FIRST RATINGS Reporting Requirements (§109.1005): Each charter school is required to report information and financial accountability ratings to parents and taxpayers by implementing the following reporting procedures. Each charter school is required to prepare and distribute an annual financial management report. The public must be provided an opportunity to comment on the report at a public hearing. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 20

21. CHARTER FIRST RATINGS Reporting Requirements cont’d: The annual financial management report prepared by the charter school must include: A description of its financial management performance based on a comparison, provided by the TEA, of its performance on the indicators established by the commissioner of education and reflected in §109.1002 of title 19. The report will contain information that discloses: State – established standards; and The charter school’s financial management performance under each indicator for the current and previous year’s financial accountability ratings. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 21

22. CHARTER FIRST RATINGS Reporting Requirements cont’d: Descriptive information required by the commissioner of education, including: A copy of the superintendent’s current employment contract or other written documentation of employment where no contract exists; A summary schedule for the fiscal year (12 month period) of expenditures paid on behalf of and/or total reimbursements received by the superintendent and each board member, including transactions resulting from use of the charter school’s credit card(s) to cover expenses incurred by the superintendent and each board member; A summary schedule for the fiscal year of the dollar amount of compensation and/or fees received by the superintendent from another school district or charter school or any other outside entity in exchange for professional consulting and/or personal services; A summary schedule for the fiscal year of the total dollar amount by the executive officers and board members of gifts that had an economic value of $250 or more in aggregate in the fiscal year; A summary schedule for the fiscal year of the dollar amount by board member for the aggregate amount of business transactions with the charter school (or charter holder); A summary schedule of the data submitted using the electronic – based program developed under the financial solvency provision of TEC, §39.0822; and Any other information the board of trustees of the charter school determines to be useful. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 22

23. CHARTER FIRST RATINGS Reporting Requirements cont’d: The board of trustees of each charter school shall hold a public hearing on the annual financial management report within two months after receipt of a final financial accountability rating (including a final rating of Suspended--Data Quality). The public hearing is to be held at a location in the charter school's facilities. The board shall give notice of the hearing to owners of real property in the geographic boundaries of the charter school and to parents of charter school students. In addition to other notice required by law, notice of the hearing must be provided: to a newspaper of general circulation in the geographic boundaries of each campus of an open-enrollment charter school once a week for two weeks prior to holding the public meeting, providing the time and place where the hearing is to be held. The first notice in the newspaper may not be more than 30 days prior to or less than 14 days prior to the public meeting. If there is not a newspaper published within the geographic boundaries of a campus of a charter school, then the notice is to be published in the county nearest the county seat of the county in which the campus of the charter school is located; and through electronic mail to media serving the charter school. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 23

24. CHARTER FIRST RATINGS Reporting Requirements cont’d: At the hearing, the annual financial management report shall be disseminated to the charter school's parents and taxpayers that are in attendance. The annual financial management report is to be retained in the charter school for at least a three-year period after the public hearing and will be made available to parents and taxpayers upon request. A corrective action plan is to be filed with the TEA by each charter school that received a rating of Substandard Achievement or Suspended--Data Quality. The corrective action plan, which is to be prepared in accordance with instructions from the commissioner of education, is to be filed within one month after the charter school's public hearing. The commissioner of education may require certain information in the corrective action plan to address the factor(s) that may have contributed to a charter school's rating of Substandard Achievement or Suspended—Data Quality. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 24

25. FINANCIAL SOLVENCY ►Statutory Authority o Texas Administrative Code (TAC), Title 19, §109.1101 o Texas Education Code (TEC), §39.0822, Financial Solvency Review Required o Texas Education Code (TEC), §39.0823, Projected Deficit TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 25

26. PURPOSE OF FINANCIAL SOLVENCY The purpose of the financial solvency review is to anticipate future financial solvency of Texas public school districts and charter schools. The review is designed to alert school districts and charter schools to circumstances that could lead to financial insolvency. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 26

27. FINANCIAL SOLVENCY Financial Solvency Review Data used in the financial solvency review: Annual financial audit report submitted by the charter school for the past two school years; Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) financial actual data for the past two school years; PEIMS financial budget data for the current year and the past two school years; PEIMS staff data for the current year and the past two school years; PEIMS student data for the current year and the past two school years; and School district tax rate data (not applicable to charter schools). TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 27

28. FINANCIAL SOLVENCY Financial Solvency Review The following additional information will also be used in the financial solvency review: The first quarter charter school financial data for the current school year; and the charter school’s comments. Charter schools that the TEA selects for additional review may be required to submit other additional information. Charter schools that the TEA projects to have a general fund deficit within the next three school years will be required to submit interim financial reports supplemented by staff and student data. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 28

29. FINANCIAL SOLVENCY Financial Solvency Review For the financial solvency review, the TEA will use the methodology described in 19 TAC §109.1101(d)(1). An analysis of the following will be performed during the review: The charter school’s revenues and expenditures for the past school year; and The projected charter school’s revenues and expenditures for the current school year and the next two school years. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 29

30. FINANCIAL SOLVENCY Financial Solvency Review In analyzing the information the TEA may consider, for the past school year, the current school year, and the next two school years, as appropriate, the following: student-to-staff ratios relative to expenditures; average staff salaries; the rate of change in the unreserved (assigned and unassigned, effective beginning with fiscal year 2010-2011 data) general fund balance; the number of students enrolled in the district or open-enrollment charter school; the adopted tax rate of the school district; any independent audit report prepared for the school district or open-enrollment charter school; and actual school district or open-enrollment charter school financial information for the first quarter. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 30

31. FINANCIAL SOLVENCY Financial Solvency Review The TEA will notify any charter school for which the financial solvency review shows one or more of the following: a student-to-staff ratio that is significantly outside the norm; a rapid depletion of the general fund balance; or a significant discrepancy between submitted budget figures and projected revenues and expenditures. The TEA may extend the financial solvency review and require additional documentation of a charter school that has been notified of solvency issues following an initial review. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 31

32. FINANCIAL SOLVENCY Financial Plans If the TEA determines that a charter school is required to submit a financial plan, the TEA will provide written notification of this requirement to the charter school. On receiving the notification described in paragraph (1) of this subsection, a charter school must develop and submit to the TEA for approval a financial plan for avoiding the projected insolvency. If the TEA determines that a submitted financial plan will permit a charter school to avoid projected insolvency, the TEA will provide written notification of its approval of the financial plan to the charter school. If the TEA determines that a submitted financial plan will not permit a charter school to avoid projected insolvency, the TEA will require the charter school to modify the financial plan submitted to the TEA. The TEA will provide written notification of this requirement to the charter school. The TEA may monitor the implementation of a financial plan or modified financial plan that is based on a financial review for a period of up to three years after TEA approval of the financial plan or modified financial plan, as applicable. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 32

33. FINANCIAL SOLVENCY Financial Plans Financial plans and accreditation. The commissioner of education will assign an Accredited-Warned status to a charter school that is required to develop and submit a financial plan as provided by subsection (e) of this section if: The charter school fails to submit a financial plan to avoid a projected deficit; The charter school fails to get approval from the TEA for a financial plan or modified financial plan; The charter school fails to comply with a TEA-approved financial plan; or the TEA determines in a subsequent school year, based on financial data submitted by the charter school, that the approved plan for the charter school is no longer sufficient or is not appropriately implemented. Decisions by commissioner final. All financial plan approval decisions made by the commissioner in regard to the financial solvency review are final and cannot be appealed. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 33

34. USEFUL LINKS FASRG http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=1222 Charter FIRST http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=6491 Charter FIRST Rating Worksheet http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter109/19_0109_1002-6.pdf Financial Solvency http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=2147487027&menu_id=645&menu_id2= 789 Financial Solvency Review Methodology http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter109/19_0109_1101-1.pdf TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 34

35. UPCOMING CHANGES NEW - Charter schools will be required to submit their financial statement electronically for the information contained in the audit report for the year ended 2014. The NEW electronic format submission for charter schools consists of the financial statements in Microsoft Excel workbook which will be accessible from the TEA website. Each year, charter schools, must have their annual financial and compliance report audited by an independent auditor. The resulting annual financial and compliance report must then be submitted to TEA for review. Charter schools must submit a copy of the Annual Financial and Compliance Report (AFR) with accompanying audit reports in electronic format to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) no later than 150 days after the close of their respective fiscal year. TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 35

36. UPCOMING CHANGES TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 36 Samples of the NEW Financial Data Templates for Charter Schools – Cover Page

37. UPCOMING CHANGES Samples of the NEW Financial Data Templates for Charter Schools – Statement of Financial Position and Statement of Activities TEA, CHARTER SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION ©2013 37