Skip to content
Quick Start for:
Laredo Independent School District

When I took office in January 1999, I set new criteria for school audits giving priority to districts with poor academic or financial performance and/or where the greatest number of students would benefit from an audit. The Laredo Independent School District (LISD) is among the 40 largest school districts in the state, serving a population of more than 22,500 students, more than 91 percent of which are economically disadvantaged. The district is facing both financial and academic challenges, including the fact that LISD is a property-poor district, ranking within the lowest 5 percent of school districts in the state.

The district has made significant gains in student performance in the last five years and has no low-performing schools, however, student scores remain ten percentage points below state averages.

My Texas School Performance Review (TSPR) team and I found that the district is well managed and that in most areas the district is running in a cost effective and efficient manner. But, as with most larger districts in the state, I found that LISD is facing a number of challenges including:

  • accelerating improvements in student performance;
  • ensuring that board members understand their policy-making role;
  • reorganizing the district’s management structure; and
  • improving operating efficiency.

First and foremost, the district should create curriculum guides for all LISD courses and subjects. At present, LISD does not have curriculum guides to support most of the courses offered in grades 9-12 or academic standards to standardize course offerings and improve student performance.

Further, my report recommends revising campus administrative staffing guidelines. By applying industry standard staffing guidelines, the district can not only save nearly $7.8 million over the next five years, but can also equitably and efficiently distribute staff to each school and ensure that every possible dollar is driven directly into the classroom where it belongs.

Another concern is that LISD’s organizational structure suffers from unclear lines of authority and accountability. Many aspects of the district’s operations are not assigned to report to a specific position, creating gaps and overlapping responsibilities. By logically grouping functions and ensuring all districtwide programs are appropriately coordinated, LISD can increase the effectiveness and accountability of central administration.

Finally, the district has invested heavily in its technology infrastructure but does not have a management structure that provides proper oversight and support for the system. This district needs a chief information officer, and better support and coordination, which will require some initial investments, but will improve operations and save money in the long run.

My performance review makes 101 recommendations that, if implemented, would save Laredo ISD taxpayers more than $17.1 million over a five-year period while reinvesting more than $4 million to improve educational services and other operations. Net savings are estimated to reach more than $13 million. By addressing these issues, I believe Laredo will be on track to make its district the best possible. I am confident that school board members, school administrators, teachers and parents are all committed to making the district the best it can be for its students.



(signed)
Carole Keeton Rylander, Texas Comptroller