School FIRST

Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas Reports

The School FIRST rating system was implemented in 1999 by the Texas Education Agency. The primary goal of School FIRST is to achieve quality performance in the management of school districts’ financial resources, a goal made more significant due to the complexity of accounting associated with Texas’ school finance system. The School FIRST accountability rating system assigns one of four financial accountability ratings to Texas school districts, with the highest being “Superior Achievement,” followed by “Above-Standard Achievement,” “Standard Achievement,” and “Substandard Achievement.” Ratings issued in 2024 are based on financial, student, and staff data submitted for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.