Trustees review financial standing
Monday night, the San Marcos CISD board of trustees held a public meeting regarding the district’s financial accountability with the state. SMCISD got a perfect score of 100 and a rating of “A - Superior Achievement” from the Texas Education Agency for financial integrity.
“This is the second year in a row that we did receive a 100 on our financial report,” Assistant Superintendent of Business and Support Karen Griffith told the board.
The state’s Schools FIRST (Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas) system is meant to encourage quality performance in school districts’ financial management practices. There are 15 different indicators used to rate school districts.
There were no comments from the public during the financial report meeting.
In other business Monday night, the board heard a report on the district’s bilingual program. The report stated that there were 633 elementary students and 300 secondary students enrolled in the program in 2017-2018. Trustee Anne Halsey noted that in discussions she has had with parents whose children are in the bilingual program, the parents “really sing the praises of the program.”
The trustees also heard updates on the numerous construction projects taking place around the district, including the new elementary school in the Trace. The new campus is on schedule for substantial completion by the end of June 2019.
The board also voted to identify hazardous conditions within 2 miles of school campuses. That identification allows the district to get funds from the Texas Education Agency for including students within 2 miles of campus on bus routes. Hazardous conditions include heavily used roadways, such as State Highway 123 or the interstate, as well as high-crime areas, Griffith explained to the board — “anywhere where a child is in danger.”
Trustee John McGlothlin said that although the district identifies those conditions every year, “I’m always concerned that we just identify hazardous conditions and don’t do anything to make them less hazardous.”
McGlothlin told Griffith he would like to supply information on hazardous conditions at the SMCISD’s November meeting with city representatives.
