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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Executive Summary Overview
Summary of Recommendations (Exhibit 5)

In March 2001, Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Rylander began a review of the Wall Independent School District (WISD) as part of a six-district project that also included reviews of the neighboring San Angelo, Veribest, Grape Creek, Water Valley and Christoval school districts. These six districts are located geographically near each other in Tom Green County. Based upon more than six months of work, this report identifies WISD's exemplary programs and suggests concrete ways to improve district operations. If fully implemented, the Comptroller's 41 recommendations could result in net savings of more than $1.4 million over the next five years.

Improving the Texas School Performance Review

Soon after taking office in January 1999, Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Rylander consulted school district officials, parents and teachers from across Texas and carefully examined past reviews and progress reports to make the Texas School Performance Review (TSPR) more valuable to the state's school districts. With the perspective of a former teacher and school board president, the Comptroller has vowed to use TSPR to increase local school districts' accountability to the communities they serve.

Recognizing that only 51 cents of every education dollar is spent on instruction, Comptroller Rylander's goal is to drive more of every education dollar directly into the classroom. Comptroller Rylander also has ordered TSPR staff to share best practices and exemplary programs quickly and systematically with all the state's school districts and with anyone else who requests such information. Comptroller Rylander has directed TSPR to serve as a clearinghouse of the best ideas in Texas public education.

Under Comptroller Rylander's approach, consultants and the TSPR team will work with districts to:

  • Ensure students and teachers receive the support and resources necessary to succeed;
  • Identify innovative ways to address the district's core management challenges;
  • Ensure administrative duties are performed efficiently, without duplication and in a way that fosters education;
  • Develop strategies to ensure the district's processes and programs are continuously assessed and improved;
  • Challenge any process, procedure, program or policy that impedes instruction and recommend ways to reduce or eliminate obstacles; and
  • Put goods and services to the "Yellow Pages Test": government should do no job if a business in the Yellow Pages can do that job better and at a lower cost.

Finally, Comptroller Rylander has opened her door to Texans who share her optimism about the potential for public education. Suggestions to improve Texas schools or the school reviews are welcome at any time. The Comptroller believes public schools deserve all the attention and assistance they can get.

For more information, contact TSPR by calling toll-free 1-800-531-5441, extension 5-3676, or see the Comptroller's Website at www.window.state.tx.us .

TSPR in Wall ISD

WISD is located in Tom Green County approximately 12 miles southeast of the city of San Angelo. The area is a farming community and the district was formed in 1909 from several surrounding school districts. After several changes in schools considered part of the district, the present district boundaries were determined in 1938.

WISD boundaries now cover 497 square miles and for 2000-01, 944 students were enrolled, a decrease from 976 in the previous year. The central Wall campus includes the high school, middle school, elementary school and administration building. The district is served by the Texas Education Agency's (TEA) Regional Education Service Center XV (Region 15) in San Angelo.

The Comptroller contracted with Gibson Consulting Group Inc., an Austin-based firm, to assist with the review. The team interviewed district employees, school board members, parents, business leaders and community members and held a public forum on Tuesday March 27, 2001, at the Wall High School from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. To obtain additional comments, the review team conducted small focus group sessions with teachers, principals and board members. The Comptroller's office also received letters and phone calls from a wide array of parents, teachers and community members.

To ensure that all stakeholders had an opportunity to give comment, surveys were sent to students, parents, teachers, campus and central administration and support staff. A total of 247 respondents answered these surveys: 26 campus and central administrators and support staff, 86 teachers, 15 parents and 120 students completed written surveys. Details from the surveys and focus group comments appear in Appendices A through E.

The review team also consulted two databases of comparative educational information maintained by the Texas Education Agency (TEA)-the Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) and the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS).

WISD selected peer districts for comparisons based on similarities in student enrollment, student performance and community and student demographics. The districts chosen were Bangs, Crockett County, Grape Creek, Holliday and Reagan County.

During its more than six-month review, TSPR developed 41 recommendations to improve operations and save taxpayers more than $1.4 million over the next five years.

A detailed list of costs and savings by recommendation appears in Exhibit 5. Many TSPR recommendations would not have a direct financial impact but would improve the district's overall operations.

Acknowledgments

The Comptroller's office and Gibson Consulting Group Inc. wish to express their appreciation to the WISD Board of Trustees, Superintendent Don Gibson and the former business manager Nona Townley, as well as district employees, students, parents and community residents who helped during the review.

Wall ISD

In 2000-01, the district served a population of 944 students: 77.8 percent are Anglo and 22.2 percent Hispanic. Over 27.3 percent of the student body of the district is considered economically disadvantaged. Exhibit 1 details the demographic characteristics of the WISD, its peer school districts, Region 15 and the state.

Exhibit 1
Demographics of WISD, Peer Districts,
Region 15 and State Student Populations
2000-01
  Enrollment African
American		 Anglo Hispanic Other Economically
Disadvantage
Grape Creek 1,151 2.1% 76.5% 21.1% 0.3% 46.7%
Bangs 1,111 8.4% 77.3% 13.7% 0.6% 44.4%
Holliday 956 0.2% 97.0% 2.6% 0.2% 16.4%
Wall 944 0.2% 77.8% 22.2% 0.0% 27.3%
Reagan County 892 2.7% 38.9% 57.8% 0.6% 46.8%
Crockett County 840 0.2% 35.0% 64.5% 0.2% 51.0%
Region 15 50,694 3.6% 47.8% 47.9% 0.7% 53.5%
State 4,071,433 14.0% 42.0% 41.0% 3.0% 49.2%
Source: TEA, PEIMS 2000-01.

The district's annual budget is $6.8 million for 2000-01. For 2000-01, compared to its peer districts, WISD has the highest property tax rate (Exhibit 2).

Exhibit 2
WISD Adopted Tax Rate and Taxable Property Value
Compared to Peer Districts
1999-2000
District Adopted
Tax Rate		 Taxable Property
Value/Pupil
Wall $1.580 $105,362
Reagan $1.500 $337,603
Holliday $1.424 $122,214
Grape Creek $1.475 $70,406
Crockett County $1.424 $720,191
Bangs $1.427 $102,363
Source: Comptroller's office 1999-2000.

On August 16, 2001 the Texas Education Agency released the TAAS results for the 2000-01 school year. Wall received an overall Recognized Rating, same as the 1999-2000 rating. According to these latest reports, the district now has one Exemplary school and two Recognized schools. Because this information came late in the review process, and because information regarding the cumulative test results will not be available until November 2001, the data presented throughout the rest of this report reflects 1999-2000 information.

The percent of WISD students passing TAAS was highest among all its peer districts in writing and math, second to Bangs in reading and all test taken and above the regional and state averages in reading, writing, mathematics and all tests taken (Exhibit 3).

Exhibit 3
Percent of WISD, Region 15 and State
Students Passing TAAS, All Levels
1999-2000
Entity Reading Writing Math All Tests
Crockett County 88.4% 87.8% 95.2% 83.9%
Grape Creek 93.6% 92.7% 93.6% 89.1%
Holliday 92.5% 88.6% 92.4% 86.1%
Reagan County 90.2% 94.2% 90.3% 83.8%
Bangs 96.4% 95.0% 96.6% 93.1%
Wall 95.9% 95.1% 97.5% 92.5%
Region 15 88.5% 89.3% 89.8% 82.2%
State 87.4% 88.2% 87.4% 79.9%
Source: TEA, AEIS 1999-2000.

As seen in Exhibit 3, WISD had the second highest percent of students passing all test taken at 92.5 percent. This rate is about 10 percent higher than Region 15 and almost 13 percent higher than the state average.

The district serves as the fiscal agent for the Fairview Accelerated Education Cooperative (Fairview). Fairview was founded in 1994 as the Alternative Education facility for the communities surrounding San Angelo, Texas. Member school districts that use Fairview as their Alternative education campus are Bronte, Eden, Grape Creek, Miles, Robert Lee, Sterling City, Christoval, Wall, Water Valley and Irion County. The students who attend Fairview are bused into school each day from distances up to fifty miles. All of the students who attend Fairview are middle and high school students, grades six through twelve. The Fairview Campus is located in Wall.

The district also serves as the fiscal agent for the Small Schools Cooperative (Cooperative). The Cooperative includes 18 school districts in the area. The Small Schools Cooperative is a shared service arrangement designed to assist member districts in serving students with disabilities. The Small Schools Cooperative serves as the "Special Education Department" for 18 member school districts in the area. Belonging to a cooperative allows WISD and the other member districts to access support services that could not otherwise be afforded because of its limited number of students and associated funding.

Although WISD is a district with many exemplary programs, enjoying strong support from area residents, the district is facing some major challenges in the coming year including:

  • regaining control of district finances;
  • maintaining high levels of student performance; and
  • improving planning.

Key Findings and Recommendations

Regain control of district finances.

Develop a fiscal plan of action to replenish the general operating fund balance to optimum levels. The district's undesignated fund balance as of August 31, 2000 was sufficient to support district operations for less than three weeks. The fund balance is the equivalent of the district's savings account. This alarming decline in fund balance was brought about by flat or declining enrollment. To remain financially viable the district must take steps to reduce expenditures in direct proportion to the decline in enrollment and the decline in state aid that is linked to enrollment.

Implement a staffing allocation formula and reduce staffing accordingly. While the district's enrollment of 944 is up by four students from 1997-98, staffing is up by 22.5 positions. This means that for every one student gained, more than 5 staff were hired. This is not a financially prudent action and when coupled with a declining fund balance, the district must take immediate action to avoid financial difficulties in the near future.

Evaluate the fiscal agent fee pricing structure and determine if the district is recouping all its costs. WISD is providing services to other schools in the Small School Cooperative (SSC) and the Fairview Accelerated Education Cooperative Cooperatives. Wall is paid a fee of $15,000 to serve as fiscal agent. This amount has not changed since 1992-93 and may not fully cover the costs of processing payrolls and performing other administrative tasks. To ensure that the cooperatives and the district remain viable, WISD should assess it's fees to ensure that administrative costs are recovered.

Maintain High Levels of Student Performance

Develop and vertically align WISD's curriculum guides and develop a management plan to regularly update all curriculum guides. A lack of curriculum coordination can create a disconnected curriculum plan for students. The district should develop a detailed curriculum management plan that provides a step-by-step plan for developing and updating guides for all grade levels.

Use a pre-referral system to discourage unnecessary student referrals to special education. WISD does not use formal pre-referral intervention strategies, nor do they use campus-level committees to assess student needs. By implementing strategies such as pre-referral checklists and campus-level committees, the district will be better able to serve students with special whether or not they are identified for special education.

Use the Sheriff's Department certified dogs and terminate contracted services with the drug-dog tracking firm. Over 400 parents and community members attended a special board meeting in February 2001 called to address the issue of drug prevention in the school. To address the problem WISD's contracts for drug searches. The sheriff's department however, will soon be able to provide that service free of charge.

Improve Planning

Develop a long range strategic plan that is linked to the budget. While the district has a district and campus improvement plan the plans do not cover business functions such as payroll and personnel management, transportation and food service. And, long term strategies will be critical as the district seeks to restore financial stability.

Involve schools in energy conservation. Utilities cost in WISD are high at $1.56 per square foot. Including students, teachers and staff in conserving energy can help to bring those cost in line.

Establish Meals Per Labor Hour (MPLH) standards to evaluate productivity and modify staffing levels at each campus The WISD food services program is operating at a deficit meaning that local funds must be used to support the food services operation. By bringing staffing in line with industry standards fewer dollars will be diverted from the classroom.

Stagger lunch serving times to accommodate all grade levels. Lunch serving times do not provide sufficient time and space for all students to eat their meals in a comfortable manner. High school students are all served during one lunch period. By staggering lunches, students that would not otherwise eat in the cafeteria will be encouraged to eat nutritious meals.

Exemplary Programs and Practices

TSPR identified numerous "best practices" in WISD. Through commendations in each chapter, the report highlights model programs, operations and services provided by WISD administrators, teachers and staff. Other school districts throughout Texas are encouraged to examine these exemplary programs and services to see if they could be adapted to meet their local needs. TSPR's commendations include the following:

  • The board and superintendent work in an atmosphere of mutual respect, trust and cooperation. All board members view the superintendent as effective in his role and believe that communication among the board members and the superintendent is excellent. The board members take full advantage of continuing education, with all members receiving more than the minimum number of hours required by law.
  • WISD takes full advantage of the comprehensive selection of training offered by the Region 15. Region 15 conducts the majority of the district's professional education training.All training provided through Region 15 is tracked through a database. Employees may request a transcript of completed coursework to meet TEA certification renewal guidelines. In addition, employees may register online through the Region 15's Web site. In 1999-2000, 159 WISD employees participated in 214 Region 15 training sessions.
  • Surveys of graduates help WISD improve educational programs. WISD starts every student with the state recommended high school program plan but allows modifications as dictated by student needs. WISD uses the Life Track service to track student performance after graduation and assess their success. Former students are surveyed and the information is then used by WISD to improve instruction and services.
  • WISD has developed a strategic approach to crisis management. WISD has become increasingly concerned about school violence, particularly in light of Columbine and other similar incidents. Although surveys indicate that most respondents feel safe at WISD, the administration and staff have become more alert to potential hazards. The district is using a strategic approach to crisis management that includes a "flip chart" that is kept handy in each classroom, rehearsed evacuations, cooperation from the sheriff's department and workshops and training for administrators and staff
  • WISD's board, superintendent, business manager and technology coordinator work together to establish a strong technology infrastructure. Based on the technology team's combined vision and cooperation, technology funding for the last two years is averaging more than $125 per student in district funding and an additional $105 per student in grants based on the 1999-2000 enrollment of 976 students. The result is an impressive three-students-per-computer ratio and is based on Pentium 166 or better multimedia computers.

Savings and Investment Requirements

Many TSPR's recommendations would result in savings and increased revenue that could be used to improve classroom instruction. The savings identified in this report are conservative and should be considered minimums. Proposed investments of additional funds usually are related to increased efficiencies or savings or improved productivity and effectiveness.

TSPR recommended 41 ways to save WISD nearly $1.5 million in gross savings over a five-year period. Reinvestment opportunities will cost the district $71,600 during the same period. Full implementation of all recommendations in this report could produce net savings of more than
$1.4 million by 2005-06.

Exhibit 4
Summary of Net Savings
TSPR Review of Wall Independent School District
Year Total
2001-02 Initial Annual Net Savings
2002-03 Additional Annual Net Savings
2003-04 Additional Annual Net Savings
2004-05 Additional Annual Net Savings
2005-06 Additional Annual Net Savings

One Time Net (Costs)/Savings		 $90,428
$332,424
$332,424
$332,424
$332,424

($13,500)
TOTAL SAVINGS PROJECTED FOR 2001-2006 $1,406,624

A detailed list of costs and savings by recommendation appears in Exhibit 5. The page number for each recommendation is listed in the summary chart for reference purposes. Detailed implementation strategies, timelines and the estimates of fiscal impact follow each recommendation in this report. The implementation section associated with each recommendation highlights the actions necessary to achieve the proposed results. Some items should be implemented immediately, some over the next year or two and some over several years.

TSPR recommends the WISD board ask district administrators to review the recommendations, develop an implementation plan and monitor its progress. As always, TSPR staff is available to help implement proposals.