Mansfield ISD business department receives honors

Mansfield ISD’s Business Services Division has demonstrated its commitment to excellence in financial accountability and transparency. The team recently earned multiple state and national recognitions commending their outstanding work.

For the 20th straight year, Mansfield ISD has earned the top grade in the School Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST).

School FIRST was developed by the Texas Education Agency to ensure public schools effectively manage their financial resources to provide the maximum allocation possible for direct instructional purposes.

MISD has earned a Superior or "A" grade since the inception of the state’s financial accountability system.

The FIRST ratings are calculated using 20 financial indicators, such as the accuracy of information, administrative cost expenditures, long-term solvency and any financial vulnerabilities or material weaknesses in internal controls as determined by an external auditor.

Texas school districts and open-enrollment charters are required to prepare an annual financial accountability report for School FIRST.

The Business Services team was one of just 24 districts who received the Meritorious Budget Award from the Association of School Business Officials International.

This award recognizes best practices for budget presentations in school districts. To be eligible for the award, participants must apply and submit their documents for the budget year to a review panel of school business officials. The district budget should reflect a technically well-prepared budget, clear and logical in its narration of facts and data, mathematically accurate and free of spelling and grammatical errors, and have consistent formatting throughout including writing style.

David J. Lewis, ASBO International executive director, said by participating in the organization’s program, districts demonstrate their commitment to upholding nationally recognized budget presentation standards.

“ASBO International’s MBA program provides school districts with tools and resources to develop a high-quality, easy-to-understand budget to share the district’s goals and objectives internally and with the community,” Lewis said.

The department also received the ASBO Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting award.

Last month at the Texas Association of School Business Officials Conference, MISD’s Business Services team took home additional awards.

The Purchasing department was recognized with Award of Merit for Purchasing which is awarded to Texas school districts, open-enrollment charter schools and education services centers that are committed to following professional standards in the acquisition of goods and services.

Kristi Russell, buyer in MISD’s purchasing department, was also recognized by the Texas Assocation of School Business Officials Board of Directors as the 2023 TASBO RISE Recipient.

The RISE Award is given annually to TASBO members who are viewed as the future leaders of both the profession and TASBO.

The Business Services team also received the TASBO Certificate of Excellence in Financial Management award.

Mansfield ISD’s Standard & Poors Bond Ratings also increased to AA+ from AA. This improvement is a reflection of the district's consistently positive operations and the maintenance of strong available reserves.

MISD also continues to experience strong property tax growth, and ongoing development within the district is expected to continue that trend. The increase to the district’s assessed value allowed MISD to lower its debt service tax rate, which S&P indicated demonstrates the district is flexible to handle future capital needs.

In addition, MISD adopted a balanced budget and, with its reserves, is expected to face any recessionary pressures from a position of budgetary strength.

The entire Business Services team will be recognized for their outstanding achievement at the March School Board Meeting.

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