Wichita Falls ISD board reviews financial rating and more

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) - Several key updates were presented during the Wichita Falls ISD school board meeting Monday night, including improvements in the district’s financial rating, safety concerns at Memorial High School, and developments on the McNiel Elementary project.

The meeting opened with a positive report on the district’s financial standing. WFISD’s financial rating improved from a B last year to an A— one of the highest ratings the district has received in recent years.

“We received a 96. We’re excited about that— one of the highest scores we’ve received in a long time,” said Superintendent Dr. Donny Lee. “We presented that to the board tonight, and it shows that we’re being good stewards of taxpayers’ money. We’re spending the money wisely.”

Following the financial report, Dr. Lee addressed growing community concerns about rattlesnake sightings near Memorial High School. He confirmed that 11 snakes have been found, trapped, or removed since the building opened and said precautionary measures are being taken.

“We’re going to put up signs so people don’t wonder, ‘What are these signs about? Why wasn’t I notified?’ We’ve had a conversation with our high school principal, Lori Kenney, and she’s gotten the memo out to all of the faculty and students.”

Later in the meeting, the board revisited the ongoing discussion about the McNiel Elementary project. The conversation centered around a contractor’s self-reported omission in the bid process, which led to a disqualification.

“But by that point, all the bids had been revealed,” Lee explained. “That contractor was able to see numbers two, three, and four. So my board made the decision to disqualify the winner—number one—and then to go down and look at the next lowest scoring vendor or contractor.”

As WFISD continues to celebrate wins and face challenges, district leadership emphasized their commitment to transparency, safety and long-term planning.