Finance department earns state and national recognition

The Northwest ISD Financial Services Department has earned several state and national recognitions, signifying the district’s commitment to financial best practices and transparency. Notably, three of the awards Northwest ISD has earned annually for more than two decades.

For the district’s annual budget, both the Association of School Business Officials and the Government Finance Officers Association have awarded Northwest ISD with their certificates for Meritorious Budget awards. NISD has received the ASBO Meritorious Budget Award a total of 22 times since the 2001-2002 school year, only missing out on the honor for a single year.

For the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, Northwest ISD has earned the ASBO Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting for 20 consecutive years and the GFOA Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for 22 consecutive years. These awards are considered the “gold standard” of financial compliance for K-12 school districts, as they require reports that are easy to read yet detailed and accurate.

From the state government, Northwest ISD earned the comptroller office’s Transparency Star commendation as well as the Texas Education Agency’s “superior” rating in the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas, or FIRST. The former accolade recognizes government entities that go “above and beyond in their transparency efforts,” while the latter holds school districts “accountable for the quality of their financial management practices. Northwest ISD has earned an “A” FIRST rating – or “superior” – for 22 consecutive years.

In addition to overall financial services recognitions, the district’s purchasing team earned the Texas Association of School Business Officials’ Purchasing Award of Merit the past 9 consecutive years for following professional standards when acquiring goods and services. TASBO awarded the honor, which requires the submission of documents for procurement policies as well as a purchasing audit, to just 77 of the state’s more than 1,200 school districts.