Dana Shaw Moseley, presenting staff financial information at Lancaster Independent School District's Dec. 18 public hearing, told the board the district scored 92 out of 100 on the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (School FIRST) for fiscal year 2024 and earned a superior achievement rating (A).

"Out of the 100 points, Lancaster received 92 out of the 100 points, and we passed with a superior achievement rating of an A," Moseley said, and she told the board the district submitted its annual financial report to the Texas Education Agency on 01/28/2025.

The School FIRST framework, authorized by Senate Bill 218 of the 77th Texas Legislature, applies a mix of pass/fail checks and point-based indicators across compliance, liquidity and solvency measures. Moseley summarized the district's results across several indicators: the district passed the complete annual financial report deadline (Indicator 1); met debt payment and timely-payment obligations (Indicators 3 and 4); reported a positive net pension balance of $38,708,504; and met fund-balance and revenue/expenditure thresholds.

On liquidity, Moseley said Lancaster had roughly 205 days cash on hand at the audit date and received full points for the current-assets-to-current-liabilities ratio. The district also earned points for long-term solvency measures, including a solvency correlation figure of 3.323 that yielded full points on that matrix. Moseley noted the district received 4 points on the administrative-cost-ratio measure and said legal and conservatory-related expenditures were "a little high" this year; staff have moved expenditures to better align functional activities for next fiscal year.

Moseley reported the district's external independent audit found no material weaknesses in internal controls over financial reporting and no substantial doubt about the district's ability to continue as a going concern. She also said auditors reported no instances of material noncompliance related to grants or contracts and that required financial disclosures and posting obligations were met.

Board member Miss Morris publicly thanked Moseley and the superintendent's office. "Miss Moseley, thank you so very much for your hard work," Morris said, praising superintendent Dr. Pereira's leadership and staff efforts that produced the rating.

President Hamilton opened the public-comment portion of the hearing and recorded that no members of the public wished to speak. The hearing closed at 5:44 p.m.; President Hamilton then called for adjournment and the board voted by voice to adjourn.

The School FIRST report and the district's financial management report are included in the board packet and are available on request, the presenter said. The district did not report any superintendent outside compensation or reportable business transactions between board members and the district for fiscal 2024.