JACKSONVILLE — The Jacksonville Independent School District finance department reported the district won the gold award for the Texas Comptroller Leadership Circle.
Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Lindy Finley said the award marks a high level of transparency in how the finance department operates.
“I participated in a teleconference the comptroller put out on transparency,” Finley said. “I sat through that because I think we do a good job of having our books open and responding to questions, but we can always get better.”
She said while she participated in the telephone conference in October she heard about the leadership circle program. Of the things the voluntary scoring system graded for, all of them were already out in the open, Finley said, but she rearranged them on the district’s Web site so they were centralized.
The gold award, a perfect score for the school, means the state recognizes JISD makes its financial information available to the public.
“We can say all day long we have an open-door policy,” Finley said, “but when an outside organization recognizes that, it’s excellent.”
The district heard it won the award in December 2009, when the district was recognized for “setting the bar for financial transparency and opening its books to the public,” Finley said.
She also said she has since been requested to speak at schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area about what JISD’s finance department does.
Superintendent Dr. Joe Wardell said the results show the quality level of the business services portion of the Jacksonville schools.
“The fact that it is a voluntary program and the fact that they got a perfect score on the rating system shows we’re at the very top we can be in that particular area,” he said.
The school has a financial transparency Web site located through a link on the school’s main page at www.jisd.org.
Local News
Related Photos
-
JISD Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Lindy Finley checks out the JISD Web site Wednesday. Finley’s work to centralize finance information on the site was key to earning the district the Gold Award from the Texas Comptroller Leadership Circle. Progress photo by Nathan Straus
Discussion
JISD finances take the Gold
District’s ‘open-door’ policy earns award from Texas Comptroller
- Local News
-
-
Agencies gearing up for Memorial Day weekend
The school year is wrapping up, and summer is almost here, but officials have some holiday safety tips to ensure the Memorial Day weekend is safe and fun for everyone.
-
Street blocked for sewer work
A portion of Bolton Street was blocked off Thursday as public works crews worked to find the source of a sewer stoppage.
-
Fourth-graders give scholarships, learn about college
As Tomato Fest approaches, officials with West Side Elementary school will have a booth to raise money for their West Side Elementary Alumni Scholarship given to graduating seniors.
-
Bullard council tables website decision
The Bullard city council tabled a decision on moving forward on a project for a new website design due to a lack of information.
-
LMC employees receive furlough notice
All but a core minimum group of Lon Morris employees received furlough notices Wednesday morning, and college President Miles McCall handed in his letter of resignation Tuesday, officials said Wednesday.
-
JISD alters graduation requirement for pair of subjects
Seniors at Jacksonville ISD will no longer have to take technology and health as a graduation requirement.
-
Rusk ISD lunch prices to rise 25 cents
A rise in school lunch prices is among several changes slated for Rusk ISD cafeterias.
-
County boasts 'pretty good' turnout
At the half-way mark of early voting for the May 29 primary, 1,485 Cherokee County voters turned in their ballots at the polls.
-
Organizations provide summer lunches for students
As schools approach summer vacation, Jacksonville has four locations offering free meals to students through the Summer Food Program.
-
Dome homes
Within the gated community of Lakewood in Cherokee County, homes are being built, ones so unique realtors can count how many they have seen on one hand.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Agencies gearing up for Memorial Day weekend
Beryl Makes Landfall on Florida Coast
Service Dogs Help Wash. Soldiers Battling PTSD
Raw Video: Heckler Bursts in on Blair Testimony
Japan Farmers Plant, Seek Radiation-free Rice
UN Blames Syrian Forces for Shelling Houla
Raw Video: Gay Protest Blocked in Moscow
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
