Irving ISD School Review
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Irving Independent School District LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD SEPTEMBER 2007 Irving ISD.pub Tuesday, September 18, 2007 10:26 page 1 MagentaYellowBlacCyank Irving Independent School District LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD SEPTEMBER 2007 Cover Photo Courtesy of House Photography TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................1 EDUCATIONAL SERVICE DELIVERY .............................................................................................11 DISTRICT LEADERSHIP, ORGANIZATION, AND MANAGEMENT ...............................................35 ASSET AND RISK MANAGEMENT ..............................................................................................49 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT .......................................................................................................59 PURCHASING AND WAREHOUSING ..........................................................................................71 HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ........................................................................................87 FACILITIES USE AND MANAGEMENT ......................................................................................109 TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT ................................................................................................123 TRANSPORTATION ...................................................................................................................135 FOOD SERVICES .......................................................................................................................143 SAFETY AND SECURITY............................................................................................................149 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ...................................................................................................157 APPENDICES.............................................................................................................................167 TEXAS SCHOOL PERFORMANCE REVIEW LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD i TABLE OF CONTENTS IRVING ISD MANAGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW iI LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD TEXAS SCHOOL PERFORMANCE REVIEW EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Irving Independent School District’s (Irving ISD’s) school board reviews the district’s investment offi cer’s quarterly performance review notes 30 commendable practices and fund balance projection report to ensure budget targets makes 52 recommendations for improvement. Th is Executive are met. The board requires that at least 15 percent Summary highlights the district’s signifi cant accomplishments, of operating expenditures be maintained in reserves. and presents the review team’s findings and recommendations. By effectively managing its fund balance, the district A copy of the full report is available at www.lbb.state.tx.us. establishes and maintains a healthy fund balance which reduces risks stemming from uncertainties from state SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS and local revenues and increases favorable bond interest • Irving ISD’s implementation of laptops at all high ratings. school campuses has made the district a national leader • Irving ISD disposes of its out-of-adoption textbooks in the use of one-to-one computing. In 2001–02 the in an effi cient and cost-effective manner, while also first laptops, funded through the passage of a $249.5 providing benefits to underdeveloped countries. Th e million bond referendum, were issued to students district donates its used textbooks that are no longer attending the Academy of Irving ISD. During the needed to a charitable organization that picks up the next two school years, wireless laptops were issued to books from the district at no charge and delivers and all students in grades 9–12, and in 2004–05, Texas distributes them to schools overseas that are in need Immersion Pilot (TIP) grant monies were used to of the books. In 2006–07, the district donated its out- provide wireless laptops to students at Lorenzo de of-adoption secondary math books to an organization Zavala Middle School and Lively Elementary School. called Books for Africa who collects, sorts, ships, and The number of wireless laptops currently in use by the distributes books to classrooms and libraries in African district’s students totals 9,604. Students in both core countries. Texas Education Code Chapter 31 states that and elective classes use laptops to follow along with districts may recycle or donate their used textbooks, but the teacher during instruction, for research, and to they are not allowed to sell or donate them to someone complete independent and group assignments. who is expected to sell them. By donating the textbooks, • T.J. Lee Elementary has incorporated practices that the district is not only saving storage and handling have resulted in this Irving ISD school winning the fi rst costs, but it is being environmentally effi cient, as well Healthier US Schools Challenge Silver Award in Texas. as providing a valuable resource to underprivileged These practices include enrollment as a USDA Team children in other countries. Nutrition Elementary School, reimbursable lunches • Irving ISD has developed and implemented an excellent through targeted menu planning to meet federal crisis response training program focused on preparing nutrition standards, nutritional information being Irving ISD schools for a spectrum of on-campus crises. disseminated at a parent fair, and monthly food product By conducting “table top trainings” the district has profiling to show the nutritional values of commercial prepared school leaders and teachers in general crisis items as compared to items offered in the cafeteria. response strategies as well as specific actions to be • Th e district uses several strategies including careful taken according to their position. In 2006–07, over 80 management of expenditures, prudent investment percent of the district’s school leaders and teachers have practices, conservative budget practices, regular fund been trained. balance projections, and fund balance management policy to effectively manage its funds. Th e district’s SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS fund balance dropped 20.6 percent in Fiscal Year 2003 • Irving ISD does not utilize maintenance and custodial due to teacher pay increases and supplemental health staffing standards in order to maintain adequate staffing insurance fund payments. However, the district’s fund levels when making staffing decisions for maintenance balance has steadily increased since Fiscal Year 2003. Th e and custodial services. TEXAS SCHOOL PERFORMANCE REVIEW LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY IRVING ISD MANAGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE REVIEW • Th e district does not use an enrollment based formula • Irving ISD does not enforce its purchasing procedures to determine staffing for assistant/vice principals. requiring all planned purchases to be pre-approved. • Th e current organizational location of the Irving ISD • Th e district is not monitoring the efficiency and Technology Services Department prevents it from effectiveness of its central warehouse operations and conducting its function in an effective and efficient cannot ensure that it is providing the most cost-eff ective manner. services to its user departments and campuses. • Th e district does not have a designated instructional • Irving ISD does not adequately manage its contract for program evaluator and has not established a formal outsourced transportation services and is operating the process for program evaluation. program under vague contractual terms. • Th e Irving ISD School Resource Officers (SRO) • Irving ISD does not require DCS to use the district’s program is not efficiently aligned with the function of student residence data to design the most effi cient bus the district’s Security and Operations Department. routes. • Irving ISD has implemented strategies for improving • While the district has implemented a successful breakfast its academic performance, but lacks an integral and in the classroom program in eight elementary schools, ongoing process for teachers to continuously assess this practice is not required of other campuses. areas of student needs and refine their strategies to meet • Irving ISD’s energy management program has not those needs. updated its standards and guidelines since the early • Irving ISD lacks a process that would allow the district 1990s. an opportunity to compare the most current strategies • Irving ISD lacks a process to assist district stakeholders and best practices for increasing teacher retention and address issues that have arisen with changing reducing turnover. demographics in the district. • Th e low average salary of Irving ISD campus technicians contributes to a high turnover rate for the position and SIGNIFICANT RECOMMENDATIONS adversely affects technical support on the campuses. DISTRICT STAFFING GUIDELINES • Irving ISD lacks a comprehensive long-range strategic • Establish district maintenance and custodial staffing plan that provides for a seamless approach regarding the guidelines based on industry standards for making district’s instructional and operational needs. appropriate staffi ng level decisions. Irving ISD does not utilize maintenance and custodial staffi ng standards • Irving ISD’s policies address the issues of board and staff in order to maintain adequate staffi ng levels when travel and reimbursements but lack specifi city regarding making staffing decisions for maintenance and custodial eligible travel expenses and reimbursement procedures. services. For 2006–07, the district