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School funding has never been more complicated and, frankly, hard to come by! All across Texas I’m hearing about school administrators and classroom teachers who are getting super creative about finding ways to keep programs, staff and classrooms operating in full gear. There are grassroots fundraisers, grant applications and countless budget meetings to revisit priorities.
In the midst of all this, our regional education service centers have always been there, offering solutions, support and professional development to administrators and educators in the field. In fact, a recent client satisfaction survey revealed that Texas ESCs offered more than 6 million training hours in one year! Additionally, a little more than 99 percent of school districts and charter schools in Texas are participating in shared service arrangements to maximize their resources and support one another. In this issue, writer Raven Hill explores the history of education service centers, what they offer and how their relationships with school districts have changed over the years.
We also invited Rebecca Estrada, executive director of finance for Lackland ISD, to give some pointers on how to ensure compliance when spending grant money. And we spoke with David Garcia, chief financial officer of Midland ISD, who steps up to serve as the president of the Texas Association of School Business Officials this month. We believe his business acumen and sharp head for numbers will serve the state organization well.
Lastly, we had the pleasure of interviewing LaTonya Goffney, superintendent of Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD. Her story epitomizes how a child’s formative years in school can determine the kind of adult he or she will grow up to be. Read on and be inspired! Please keep the feedback and story ideas coming to katie@texasschoolbusiness.com. Always love to hear from you!
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