La Porte ISD trustees review December 2024 financials; fund balance down to about $44 million

La Porte ISD's finance team presented a line-by-line review of the district's December 31, 2024 financial statements at the board workshop on Feb. 4, with CFO Stacy McDowell walking trustees through the balance sheet, revenue-and-expenditure report, capital-project statements for the 2014 and 2023 bonds, the tax collection report, the quarterly investment report and recent budget amendments.

McDowell framed the session as an orientation for trustees: "So our workshop tonight, the goal of this workshop is to offer a high level overview of La Porte ISD's financial statements to assist the board, the trustees at our monthly board meetings," she said. She noted the district provides December statements in February because of the time needed to close and reconcile monthly books.

Why it matters: the presentation showed the district's fund balance had declined from $61 million at the end of the prior fiscal year to about $44 million as of Dec. 31, reflecting normal timing differences before tax revenue arrives in January and February. That shift matters for short-term liquidity planning and for trustees' discussions about operating-day reserves.

Key points from the presentation

• Balance sheet and fund balance: McDowell explained assets equal liabilities plus fund…