Lockhart Independent School District Management and Performance

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Lockhart Independent School District Management and Performance Review PREPARED BY LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD STAFF DEBORAH OWENS CONSULTING LANGLINAIS FRAUD & AUDIT SERVICES, LLC MOSS ADAMS, LLP PALMER CONSULTING SERVICES, LLC RESOURCES FOR LEARNING, LLC WWW.LBB.STATE.TX.US SEPTEMBER 2018 Lockhart Independent School District Management and Performance Review PREPARED BY LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD STAFF DEBORAH OWENS CONSULTING LANGLINAIS FRAUD & AUDIT SERVICES, LLC MOSS ADAMS, LLP PALMER CONSULTING SERVICES, LLC RESOURCES FOR LEARNING, LLC WWW.LBB.STATE.TX.US SEPTEMBER 2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1. District Organization and Community Involvement .....................................................9 Chapter 2. Educational Service Delivery ......................................................................................19 Chapter 3. Human Resources Management .................................................................................31 Chapter 4. Business Services ........................................................................................................37 Chapter 5. Transportation ............................................................................................................45 Chapter 6. Facilities Management ................................................................................................57 Chapter 7. Safety and Security .....................................................................................................69 Chapter 8. Food Services ..............................................................................................................79 Chapter 9. Technology Management ...........................................................................................91 LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD STAFF – ID: 4562 TEXAS MANAGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW – SEPTEMBER 2018 i LOCKHART ISD EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Th e Texas Legislature established the Texas School FIGURE 1 Performance Review in 1990 to “periodically review the LOCKHART ISD TOTAL STUDENT ENROLLMENT eff ectiveness and effi ciency of the budgets and operations of SCHOOL YEARS 2013–14 TO 2017–18 school districts” (the Texas Government Code, Section PERCENTAGE PERCENTAGE 322.016). Th e Legislative Budget Board’s (LBB) School INCREASE FROM INCREASE FROM YEAR STUDENTS PRIOR YEAR 2013–14 (1) Performance Review team conducts comprehensive and targeted reviews of school districts’ and charter schools’ 2013–14 5,113 3.1% 0.0% educational, fi nancial, and operational services and programs. 2014–15 5,351 4.7% 4.7% Th e review team produces reports that identify 2015–16 5,377 0.5% 5.2% accomplishments, fi ndings, and recommendations based 2016–17 5,661 5.3% 10.7% upon the analysis of data and onsite study of each district’s 2017–18 (2) 5,901 4.2% 15.4% operations. A comprehensive review examines 12 functional N඗ගඍඛ: areas and recommends ways to cut costs, increase revenues, (1) The percentage increase for each year is based on the reduce overhead, streamline operations, and improve the diﬀerence between enrollment for each year and enrollment for school year 2013–14. delivery of educational, financial, and operational services. (2) Preliminary totals for school year 2017–18 as of October School districts typically are selected for management and 2017. S඗ඝකඋඍඛ: Texas Education Agency, Texas Academic Performance performance reviews based on a risk analysis of multiple Report, school years 2013–14 to 2016–17; Lockhart ISD, school educational and fi nancial indicators. year 2017–18. To gain an understanding of the school district’s operations particularly in the areas of educational service delivery, before conducting the onsite review, the LBB review team facilities, and transportation. requests data from the district and from multiple state agencies, including the Texas Education Agency (TEA), the Th e district has 10 instructional campuses. Th e secondary Texas Department of Agriculture, and the Texas School campuses include Lockhart High School, Pride High School, Safety Center. In addition, LBB staff may use other methods Lockhart Junior High School, and Lockhart Discipline to obtain feedback on district operations, including surveys Management Center. The district’s elementary campuses of parents, community members and district and campus include Alma Brewer Strawn Elementary School, Bluebonnet staff . While onsite in the district, the review team gathers Elementary School, Carver Early Education Center, Clear information through multiple interviews and focus groups Fork Elementary School, Navarro Elementary School, and with district and campus administrators, staff , and board Plum Creek Elementary School. For school year 2016–17, members. Lockhart ISD had 5,661 students enrolled in prekindergarten to grade 12. The student population was 73.7 percent Lockhart Independent School District (ISD) is located in Hispanic, 20.7 percent White, 3.4 percent African American, Lockhart. The district is served by Regional Education 0.5 percent Asian and Pacific Islander, and 0.3 percent Service Center XIII (Region 13), located in Austin. Th e state American Indian. Approximately 68.2 percent of students legislators who represent the district are Senator Judith were categorized as economically disadvantaged, greater than Zaffi rini and Representative John Cyrier. the state average of 59.0 percent. The district identifi ed 19.9 TEA has categorized Lockhart ISD as a fast-growth district. percent of students as English Language Learners, which was Figure 1 shows the student enrollment growth from school greater than the state average of 18.9 percent. Th e district years 2013–14 to 2017–18. also identified approximately 60.7 percent of students as at risk of dropping out, which was greater than the state average As Figure 1 shows, Lockhart ISD’s student enrollment of 50.3 percent. increased by 15.4 percent from school years 2013–14 to 2017–18. Rapid growth of the student population has aff ected the district’s provision of programs and services, LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD STAFF – ID: 4562 TEXAS MANAGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW – SEPTEMBER 2018 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY LOCKHART INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT EDUCATIONAL OVERVIEW than the EWL property wealth level to assist in fi nancing Lockhart ISD has a history of variable academic achievement. public education in other districts. Th is primary EWL applies Within the state accountability system, the district was rated to a district’s tax rates up to $1.00 per $100 of valuation. Th e Met Standard for school years 2015–16 to 2016–17. For state’s school finance system has a secondary EWL that school year 2016-17, the most recent state accountability applies to certain enrichment tax effort greater than $1.00. data available at the time of the review, Alma Brewer Strawn For fiscal year 2017, Lockhart ISD’s total actual expenditures Elementary School and Bluebonnet Elementary School were were approximately $78,153,146. Lockhart ISD’s per-pupil rated Improvement Required, and all of the district’s other actual operating expenditures for fi scal year 2017 were campuses were rated Met Standard. Figure 2 shows state $8,762, compared to the state average of $9,503. For fi scal accountability ratings from school years 2013–14 to 2016– year 2017, Lockhart ISD spent approximately 57.0 percent 17 for the district and the individual campuses in accordance of total actual operating expenditure on instruction, with the system that was implemented during school year compared to the state average of approximately 56.2 percent. 2012–13 (Met Standard, Improvement Required, or Not Th e instructional expenditures percentage was calculated Rated). using the district’s total actual operating expenditures that Lockhart ISD’s academic performance is less than regional funded direct instructional activities, including budgetary and state averages in some areas and greater than these Function 11 (Instruction), Function 12 (Instructional averages in other areas. Figure 3 shows various academic Resources and Media Sources), Function 13 (Curriculum measures of Lockhart ISD compared to the average of other Development and Instructional Staff Development), and school districts in Region 13 and the state. Function 31 (Guidance, Counseling, and Evaluation Services). FINANCIAL OVERVIEW For school year 2016–17, Lockhart ISD’s property wealth ACCOMPLISHMENTS per student was $148,527. Th is places the district at less During the onsite review, the LBB’s School Performance than, and thus not subject to, the state’s primary equalized Review Team identifi ed noteworthy accomplishments in wealth level (EWL) of $514,000. The state recaptures a some of the district’s practices. portion of wealthy school districts’ local tax revenue at greater FIGURE 2 LOCKHART ISD STATE ACCOUNTABILITY RATINGS SCHOOL YEARS 2013–14 TO 2016–17 CAMPUS 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 District Met Standard Met Standard Met Standard Met Standard Lockhart High School Met Standard Met Standard Improvement Required Met Standard Pride High School Met Alternative Met Alternative Met Alternative Met Alternative Standard Standard Standard Standard Lockhart Junior High School Met Standard Met Standard Met Standard Met Standard Alma Brewer Strawn N/A N/A N/A Improvement Required Elementary School Bluebonnet Elementary Met Standard Met Standard Met Standard Improvement Required School Carver Early Education

Load more