Money Matters: School district talks financial rating, insurance

By DINA ARÉVALO
Port Isabel-South Padre Press
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com

The Point Isabel Independent School District (PIISD) has once again received a superior rating, according to a report released by the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

Such was the news reported by Johnny Pineda, the district’s new deputy superintendent of business and operations, in his first presentation of the district’s finances to the school board of trustees Tuesday evening.

Each year, the TEA grades the financial health and stability of school districts across the state using the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas, or FIRST. PIISD has achieved a “superior” rating — the highest possible rating — for 15 out of the last 16 years, Pineda said. The new deputy superintendent credited much of that success to his predecessor, Henry LeVrier, who retired just before the 2018-19 school year began.

The district scored top marks in all but one category, Pineda said. That category judges a district by how much money it carries in its fund balance for district operations.

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