Lewisville ISD earned a perfect 100 on the Texas Education Agency's 2026 Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas, the highest score among southern Denton County's four school districts and a sharp contrast to the preliminary "F" grade the district appealed in 2022.
The TEA released its annual FIRST ratings on Monday, Aug. 24, and every district serving Flower Mound and Highland Village families passed. A score of 70 is passing; 90 or above earns the state's "Superior Achievement" designation.
LISD's perfect mark stands out because in August 2022, the district received a preliminary "F" and launched an appeal, saying the failing grade resulted from clerical errors rather than actual fiscal mismanagement. The district's own records show it held "Superior Achievement" ratings from 2002 through 2020 before the 2022 stumble. LISD's appeal was resolved that December — not left publicly unconfirmed, as this article originally stated. TEA granted the appeal for the clerical error in the district's audit submission, but still deducted 15 points for the error itself, producing a final "B" (Above Standard Achievement) rating of 81, according to the district's own public hearing report presented Dec. 12, 2022.
The Cross Timbers Gazette reported that Northwest ISD and Denton ISD each scored 98, extending their streaks to 24 consecutive years at the state's top tier. Argyle ISD scored 92.
Denton ISD Superintendent Dr. Susannah O'Bara, whose district scored 98 for its 24th consecutive year at the highest mark, said the ratings reflect year-round discipline. "Our Board of Trustees and our financial services team hold themselves to a standard that goes beyond what the state asks of us, and our students feel the difference in the teachers we are able to keep, the programs we are able to sustain, and the confidence our community can have in how its tax dollars are used," O'Bara said.
No public statement from LISD Superintendent Dr. Lori Rapp or the LISD Board of Trustees on the district's perfect score was available as of Aug. 25.
What the rating measures
Districts are judged on criteria drawn from their annual financial reports: accuracy and timeliness of data submitted to the state, administrative cost ratios, debt management, fund balance strength and whether an external auditor flagged any material weakness in internal controls.
What's next for LISD finances
LISD trustees are scheduled to vote on the district's 2026-27 budget and tax rate at a special board meeting on Thursday, Aug. 27, at 6 p.m. at the LISD Administrative Center. The district's adopted tax rate for 2025-26 was $1.1178 per $100 of assessed valuation.
