Smart Practices
Five-star districts succeed in improving student achievement while keeping spending relatively low. The secrets to their success are practices that:
- have proven to be an effective practice for containing, reducing or avoiding costs;
- improve the efficiency and effectiveness of educational program delivery, including demonstrated improvement in student performance;
- are estimated to produce a significant long-term return on investment for the district;
- have significantly increased purchasing power though the use of purchasing partnerships;
- have realized efficiencies through the use of shared services arrangements with other districts; and/or
- can be implemented by other districts.
These “smart practices” show how other Texas school districts can improve the effectiveness of their operations and educational programs.
Share Your Smart Practice
We will continually update the list, so please visit often to see new ways school districts across Texas are saving costs and improving student achievement through smart practices in facilities, business services, staffing, technology and student services.
You also can share your school’s success. Send us your district’s smart practices for review and possible inclusion on the list.
Watch…
Watch what top districts across the state have to say about their district’s innovative approaches to leveraging financial efficiencies for strong student success.

Read…
One district’s success can spark another’s. Read these financial allocation smart practice tips shared by school districts across Texas on a range of topics: