1. All Things Transparency
The drive for disclosure and accountability

2. Today’s Presenters
Mr. James Schiele Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD CFO Dr. Jamie Wilson Denton ISD Superintendent Dr. Doug Killian Hutto ISD Superintendent For documents, go to Advocacy >>> Interest Areas

3. Why the Attention
Generally, ISD’s have the largest tax rate of any local government
ISD’s are visible
ISD’s deal with the community’s most precious resource — our children
ISD’s have substantial debt
We are our own worst enemies when we don’t:
Tout our successes
Showcase our talents
Celebrate our achievements

4. Current Attitudes
We don’t “sell” ourselves. As a result there is a negative view of public schools as:
Inefficient
Ineffective
Lazy
Godless
Money squandering
What could be further from the Truth?!?

5. What is Society Going to “Do” About Us?
High stakes testing – grading schools
Prudent financial management
Reduction in debt load
Linking of spending to results – efficiency studies
Directed/programmatic funding
Unfunded mandates

6. Tools to Achieve Oversight
FIRST
FAST
Standardized Facilities
Transparency Stars
Debt/Ballot Disclosures
The questions we need to answer are:
How are these tools developed?
Are they truly reflective of reality?
What do they mean to my district?
How do I communicate these tools within my community?

7. Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST)
From the TEA website: “…ensures that 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.”
Series of questions, some of which are “critical indicators, others which carry a point value

8. Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST)
Most recent scores
Superior – 911 districts
Above Standard – 83 districts
Standard – 16 districts
Sub Standard – 12 districts
Suspended – 2 districts
Guess we are doing pretty well….

9. Financial Allocation Study for Texas (FAST)
From the Texas Comptroller’s website:
“..provides a unique model for measuring how relative spending in Texas public school districts and campuses compares to student academic progress.”
”..identifies school districts and campuses that produce high academic achievement while maintaining cost effective operations.
“..factors, such as geography and demographics, are beyond school districts’ control. FAST measures of academic growth take these into account….level playing field”

10. Financial Allocation Study for Texas (FAST)
The methodology is explained on the website under “The FAST methodology”. To understand what you are looking at you need to read this.
You do not have input into this system.
It has recently been revamped and you need to be aware of the results, what is on the web and what remains to be seen.

11. Welcome…to the Texas Comptroller’s Transparency Website
TexasTransparency.org - Rebuilt from the ground up and
your bookmarks will no longer work
Check register search tools Tools > Search Tools
Where the Money Goes  State Finance > Spending
Where the Money Comes From  State Finance > Revenue
Budget and Expenditure Search Tools  State Finance > Budget and Finance
The new Transparency Stars program  Local Government
Texas, It’s Your Money and Debt at a Glance Special Features
Open Data Center Data Center > Search Datasets
Agency grant list State Finance > Spending
All published financial reports are being gathered under State Finance > Budget and Finance > Financial Reports and Forecasts

12. The New Transparency Stars Program
Significantly more robust than the Leadership Circle
Still optional
Includes a short web application but the info is housed on your district website
5 Star areas: traditional finances, contracts and procurement, economic development, public pensions, and debt obligations
Will require a dedicated page on your website that includes visual representations, documents dating back five years and downloadable data

13. School Building Costs
School Construction Table (next slide) contains data submitted on 873 new school campuses opened by 369 Texas public school districts between 2007 and 2013.
Purported to be adjusted for:
Inflation
Regional labor and materials price variations

14. School Building Costs

15. Ethics and Conflicts of Interest
Recent changes to the law require government employees (that means us) to file conflict of interest statements when we accept gratuities above limits established by the Board of Trustees.
CBB(Legal)
No employee, officer, or agent may participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract supported by a federal award if he or she has a real or apparent conflict of interest. A conflict of interest would arise when the employee, officer, or agent, any member of his or her immediate family, his or her partner, or an organization that employs or is about to employ any of these parties, has a financial or other interest in or a tangible personal benefit from a firm considered for a contract. The officers, employees, and agents of the district must neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from contractors or parties to subcontracts.
CB (Local)

16. Ethics and Conflicts of Interest
CB (Local)
If you don’t have one – You need one.
Relevant language:
An employee, Board member, or agent of the District who is required to disclose a conflict in accordance with the provisions above shall not participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract supported by a federal grant or award.
GIFTS AND GRATUITIES
Employees, Board members, and agents of the District shall not solicit any gratuities, favors, or items from a contractor or a party to a subcontractor for a federal grant or award and shall not accept:
1. Any single item with a value at or above $50; or
2. Items from a single contractor or subcontractor that have an aggregate monetary value exceeding $100 in a 12-month period.

17. Debt/Ballot Disclosures
Bills filed in the prior year.
HB 134, HB1182, HB1283, HB1380
These may apply to one or all of the following: ISD’s, Counties, Cities and other political subdivisions that issue debt.
Proposed changes in the law and additional disclosures:
November general election is only date for holding bond elections

18. Debt/Ballot Disclosures
Ballot to include:
Total amount of the political subdivision’s outstanding debt
Total amount of current debt payments – Principal and Interest
Principal amount of bonds to be authorized – if approved
Estimated tax burden per capita of the bonds to be authorized – if approved
Purpose of the Bonds
Tax burden per capita of the imposition of or increase of the tax rate.
Estimate tax burden for “average-priced” home
Certification of these estimates

19. So, what can we do?
Communicate! Develop tools and take the steps to tap into:
Your community
Your elected officials (throughout the year, not just before a legislative session)
TEA and State Comptroller’s Office
Talk to your neighbors (not just the ones in education) and celebrate all the great things happening in our schools.
Train your staff in programs like Friends of Texas Public Schools Ambassador Training so they can (and will) share positive stories

21. Now is the time to engage your community and legislators!
Mr. James Schiele
Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD CFO
Dr. Jamie Wilson
Denton ISD Superintendent
Dr. Doug Killian
Hutto ISD Superintendent
For documents, go to
Advocacy >>> Interest Areas
For more information, contact:
Michelle Smith, Executive Director
Fast Growth School Coalition
(512)

22. All Things Transparency
The drive for disclosure and accountability