Greenville ISD earns perfect 100 on TEA School FIRST financial rating for third straight year

Greenville ISD presented its annual School FIRST financial report in a public hearing and reported a perfect score of 100 for the 2024–25 evaluation period, the third consecutive year the district has received a top rating.

The School FIRST public hearing, opened by a district finance presenter, explained that the rating is derived from the district's annual financial report (AFR) and external audit of fiscal-year 2023–24 data. "The FIRST report... is one of the strongest indicators of school district's financial health and accountability," the presenter said while walking trustees through the 21 rating indicators and the district's results.

The nut of the hearing was the district's financial metrics: Greenville ISD reported 129 days of cash on hand in the general fund, well above TEA's 90‑day expectation; a current‑assets‑to‑current‑liabilities ratio of about 4.73 (meeting TEA thresholds); long‑term liabilities and per‑$100 assessed‑value debt ratios within expected ranges; and compliance findings that produced no material weaknesses or material noncompliance in the AFR. The presenter also noted that TEA excluded one indicator from evaluation this year and that the School FIRST score reported tonight is calculated from FY 2023–24 audit data.

Trustees asked about the external auditor and about the audit timeline. When asked, the presenter named Rutherford and Taylor as the external auditors contracted to perform the AFR audit. The presenter also said auditors had notified districts that final single‑audit reports may be delayed because the 2025 OMB compliance supplement remains unreleased; the revised submission deadline cited in the notice is Feb. 27, 2026, instead of the district's usual Nov. 27 deadline.

Why this matters: School FIRST provides a statewide, comparable measure of fiscal management and compliance. A perfect score signals that the district met TEA's fiscal and reporting expectations across solvency, compliance, and reporting indicators. At the hearing the presenter credited the district finance, accounting, payroll and grants teams for strengthening policies and maintaining compliance during a period when many districts face fiscal pressure.

The board had no public comment on the report. Trustees thanked the finance team and asked follow‑up questions about the AFR timing and auditor communications; the presenter said the district will continue to monitor guidance and publish required documents on schedule.

The public hearing was informational; no formal board action on the School FIRST rating was taken beyond the required public hearing.