Worst is over: Sharp decline in districts in financial straits - by John Fensterwald
The number of school districts in financial distress has fallen significantly after cresting last year, according to a state report released Monday.
Qualified (in yellow) certifications and negative (in red) district financial certifications from 1999-2000 through last year. This year’s totals for the first interim for 2012-13, not shown, are 117 qualified and seven negative. Chart by FCMAT (click to enlarge).
Seven districts received a“negative” certification, the state’s gravest assessment of a district’s financial condition. This means that the state believes these districts will have trouble paying their bills this school year or next. An additional 117 districts received a “qualified” certification – a warning that, based on revenue projections, employee pay obligations and other financial commitments, they may have trouble this year or over the next two years. Together, the 124 districts are one out of eight of the state’s 1,043 districts and county offices.
While down only slightly from the 130 districts on the state’s