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Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas Reports (Schools FIRST)
The Schools FIRST rating system was implemented in 1999 by the Texas Education Agency. The primary goal of Schools 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 Schools 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 2023 are based on financial, student, and staff data submitted for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.
