District receives top marks in Schools FIRST rating
The Wills Point ISD Board of Trustees received some good news this week, learning that the district had received the highest possible rating in the Texas Education Agency developed Schools Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas accountability system.
In a presentation made by Mary Ann Sanderson, WPISD director of finance, trustees were told that the system uses seven indicators focusing on audit results, district debt payments, administrative costs ratio and data quality.
Wills Point ISD received the highest possible point total in the evaluation, 30 out of a possible 30 points. The passing standard for this year was set at 16 out of 30 points.
In years past, the system included various rankings including Superior Achievement, Above-Standard Achievement, Standard Achievement and Substandard Achievement. The system was simplified this year, with just two designations: passed or substandard. Wills Point ISD easily earned the “passed” designation.
In September, trustees finished a bookkeeping item by finalizing a contract with WRA Architects (a motion had previously been approved at a past meeting) for any potential future building projects the district might conduct moving forward. Trustees also tasked Interim Superintendent Randy Hancock with bringing a potential option for a construction manager to the district.
On Monday night, Lisa Gallagher of Gallagher Construction offered the district a presentation on potentially serving as the district’s construction manager.
Gallagher explained that her company had been in business since 1968, and that their primary focus was working with school districts before listing the benefits of hiring a construction manager.
Hancock stressed that the hiring of Gallagher didn’t specifically mean that the district would be undergoing any construction projects or bond measures, noting that “nothing may happen.” Hancock added that it wouldn’t cost the district anything up front.
