Lever 6
Finance and Operations
Lever 6: Finance and Operations
The district strategically aligns resources with their desired student experience, emphasizing safety, security, and operational efficiency. The district empowers parents to ensure access to all school options while prioritizing student support across all systems.
Board of Trustees Commitments:
Board commitments describe what the governance teams do to ensure that local education agency systems are set up for success. These commitments are under review and will be available soon.
6 . 1
Teacher and Student Time
Ensure sufficient time in the calendar year and school day for impactful student experiences, as well as staff preparation and development
6.1.1: School Year Calendar – District develops and approves campus calendars that meet all Texas Education Code requirements and provide strategic decisions to incorporate expanded learning opportunities to meet student and family needs. +
Success Criteria
District has established a process to ensure alignment between the district-wide calendar and campus-specific calendars, meeting minimum operational minutes and instructional day requirements for additional state funding, while also ensuring sufficient time for teacher professional development, district-level assessments, and student holidays, with approval by the board.
District calendar includes adequate days to support the scope and sequence of high-quality instructional materials, with allocated time for conducting formative, interim, and summative assessments.
District calendar development considers student, community, and district needs, including considerations like childcare, holidays, maintenance work, and developmentally appropriate daily schedules for students.
District utilizes existing structures to implement expanded learning, such as research-based summer programming and 210-day calendars through existing funding sources, such as Additional Days School Year.
District has developed clear guidelines on where decision-making authority lies between district and campuses.
6.1.2: School Day Master Schedule – District master schedules optimize student learning time and are centered on the envisioned student academic experience, including opportunities for enrichment. +
Success Criteria
District schedule development starts with instructional materials timing requirements for each grade and subject.
District schedule development identifies all available time and optimization of time, including expanded learning opportunities in after-school settings and instructional models such as tutoring and blended learning.
District schedule development process incorporates staffing plans and models as a key input to ensure all staff have ample daily individual planning time and weekly collaborative planning time.
6 . 2
Budget and Finance
Strategically plans for and allocates resources in alignment with the envisioned student experience and compliance needs
6.2.1: Accurate Revenue Projections – District develops, implements, and continuously improves processes to project revenues from enrollment and non-enrollment-based sources. +
Success Criteria
District implements a process for forecasting student enrollment by projecting population trends and makeup of projected students (i.e., % special education, etc.) for revenue projection purposes.
District projects revenue from non-enrollment sources such as federal and state grants, non-enrollment-based allotments, PTA and booster club revenues, and other sources.
District conducts revenue projections during the school year such that there is sufficient time to:
Ensure budgeting is in line with projections
If relevant – Drive recruitment/marketing actions to increase enrollment where possible
District leadership develops and implements processes to ensure that key stakeholders (i.e., board members) provide input at key points in the projection process.
6.2.2: Strategic Budget Allocation – District aligns the budget with highest needs to enhance the envisioned student experience and improve student outcomes.
6.2.3: Compliant Budgeting, Accounting, and Financial Practices – District maintains sound accounting practices in accordance with statutes and local requirements to support fiscal transparency and responsibility. +
Success Criteria
District financial statements conform to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) established by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB).
District has annual financial statements audited by a licensed independent certified public accountancy (CPA) firm.
District submits annual financial and compliance report (AFR) and additional data to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for review.
District’s financial accounting practices align to rules within TEA Financial Accountability System Resoure Guide.
6.2.4: Active Revenue and Cost Monitoring and Analysis – District develops and implements a process to monitor revenue and cost projections on a reasonable basis, ensuring compliance and their impact on student outcomes. +
Success Criteria
District establishes a process for the adjustments of staff allocations to meet changing needs throughout the school year, while maintaining support for top priorities.
District establishes a process for the redistribution/reallocation of resources throughout the school year to meet changing needs throughout the year.
District leadership proactively notifies and engages board in the event of a significant change in budget and fund use projections.
6 . 3
Enrollment and Access
Empowers parents by helping them understand, enroll in, and attend their desired school, while also establishing enrollment policies and practices that provide students access to all the district’s school options
6.3.1: Student-focused Enrollment Systems – District develops and implements enrollment systems that prioritize students and families in areas of unmet need and prioritizes the highest quality options for students with the greatest need. +
Success Criteria
District regularly communicates enrollment process, timelines and requirements in community-responsive languages and modalities and provides multiple accessible and family-friendly participation options (online, mobile, paper-based).
District identifies and leverages opportunities to align community resources to support students and families during enrollment and registration events.
District aligns enrollment timelines with budget forecasting and resource allocation timelines, including staffing, food service, transportation, etc.
If applicable, district leaders ensure all high-performing campuses reach full capacity through targeted enrollment and student recruitment strategies, conducting lotteries when demand exceeds available seats at a specific school.
6.3.2: Student Recruitment and Marketing – District develops and implements an effective family and student marketing strategy to fill all quality seats within available campuses, focusing on community needs and how the school or campus is responsive to those needs. +
Success Criteria
Districts annually publish all school options in accessible formats and provide in-person or virtual opportunities for families to learn about public-school options.
District and campus leaders coordinate to proactively recruit and support families, especially those that are socioeconomically disadvantaged or with limited access to high-quality schools.
6 . 4
Technology and Data Systems
Strategically plans for and allocates resources that are compatible and support both academic and non-academic structures as well as meet all data security and protection requirements
6.4.1: Infrastructure and Networks – District acquires, deploys, and maintains sufficient technology infrastructure and network connectivity capabilities to support the academic and non-academic strategy of the district. +
Success Criteria
District maintains robust, secure systems for:
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- Managing employee data that maintains data integrity and efficiency throughout the employee life cycle
- Managing student data, inclusive of critical demographic and descriptive data, academic performance data, special populations data
- Managing data on classroom, grade level, subject area, and campus level performance
- Managing staff performance, coaching, and evaluation data
District can collect and report on data through one or more Texas Student Data System (TSDS) subsystems: student information, human resources, finance, and assessment.
District ensures appropriate training is in place for relevant staff to be able to understand, access, and analyze data.
6.4.2: Data Systems – District acquires or develops data systems that safely and securely gather and allow for representation of student, teacher, and administrator information for performance management and informational purposes (and, at a basic level, compliance and required reporting). +
Success Criteria
Districts annually publish all school options in accessible formats and provide in-person or virtual opportunities for families to learn about public-school options.
District and campus leaders coordinate to proactively recruit and support families, especially those that are socioeconomically disadvantaged or with limited access to high-quality schools.
6.4.3: Hardware – District acquires and maintains sufficient hardware to support the academic and non-academic strategy of the district. +
Success Criteria
District has a defined process to identify, upgrade and/or replace old or damaged hardware.
District ensures that devices are accessible to students and staff throughout the day (at school and at home).
6.4.4: Non-curricular Software Systems (i.e., LMS,SIS,HR mgmt., etc.) – District acquires or develops information systems to support non-curricular actions within the district and each campus that limit extraneous actions from teachers and administrators and maximize learning time for students. +
Success Criteria
District implements a centralized learning management system (LMS) easily accessible to appropriate staff and students.
District implements efficient and streamlined tools for administration with stakeholders, such as digital grade books, attendance, etc.
6 . 5
Site Operations
Strategically plans for and allocates resources in alignment with the envisioned student experience and compliance needs
6.5.1: Adequate Campus Facilities and Maintenance – District acquires or builds and maintains facilities that will support the district in meeting the district vision and support a safe, welcoming, and effective learning environment. +
Success Criteria
District conducts space analyses on an ongoing basis to ensure adequate classroom allocations according to student and campus needs.
District facilities allow for the full scope of academic requirements (e.g., CTE spaces).
District ensures campuses include procedural planning grounded in existing facilities to minimize disruption of learning (e.g., student flow during transitions).
District establishes clear performance metrics for custodial services and has a system in place for operational continuous improvement (e.g., classroom cleanliness walkthroughs).
District implements clearly defined custodial staffing allocations by facility size that meets comparable industry standards and district needs.
6.5.2: Secure Facilities – District ensures facilities meet security requirements. +
Success Criteria
District ensures facilities meet all existing security requirements, both mandated and locally required, and conducts regular audits on systems.
District ensures all staff and students know fire, weather, and lockdown procedures and regularly practices procedures to ensure expedient completion in the event of an actual emergency.
6.5.3: Transportation – District hires, develops, and manages staff or procures and manages contracts for student transportation that, if implemented effectively, will support the district in meeting the district vision and enable all students to attend their best-fit school. +
Success Criteria
District establishes a route system that maximizes route efficiency while minimizing student time on a bus.
District establishes clear performance metrics for the transportation system and has a system for route and service updates.
Student pickup and drop-off policies are clearly established, communicated, and continuously improved to minimize student and family pickup and drop-off wait times.
District provides safe and effective transportation to families.
6.5.4: Food Services – District hires and develops staff or procures and manages contracts for food services that, if implemented effectively, will support the district in meeting the district vision. +
Success Criteria
District establishes clear performance metrics for food services and has a system in place for operational continuous improvement (e.g., student time in lunch line).
District utilizes National School Lunch Program funding to the fullest extent and utilizes additional funding sources where relevant in things like expanded learning time (e.g., Child and Adult Food Care Program during summer programming).
District provides family-friendly food services payment methods where appropriate to minimize lapsed balances and family confusion.