Uplift Education District, Campuses Receive Texas Honors Circle Award from Comptroller for Cost-Efficient Spending and Academic Progress Excellence

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We are extra vigilant about finding the best ways to put our dollars toward instruction and academic success.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) February 03, 2014

The Uplift North Hills charter district, Uplift Peak Preparatory Primary School, and Uplift Summit International Primary School received the Texas Comptroller’s 2013 Texas Honors Circle Award, which recognizes districts and campuses that achieve academic success through cost-effective operations. Award recipients achieve strong academic performance while spending relatively less compared to their fiscal peers and received notification on Jan. 21.

“We are so pleased to receive recognition from the state for our academics and operations. Uplift is focused on providing free high quality public college preparatory education for all scholars and since Texas public charter schools receive on average 20% less funding than traditional districts, we are extra vigilant about finding the best ways to put our dollars toward instruction and academic success,” said Uplift Education Chief Financial Officer, Bill Mays.    

Uplift North Hills, which includes Uplift North Hills Preparatory and Uplift Infinity Preparatory, has been a five-star district for four consecutive years.

Texas Comptroller Susan Combs announced that 55 Texas school districts and 317 school campuses received the Texas Honors Circle Award as a result of their outstanding performance in the 2013 Financial Allocation Study for Texas (FAST).

FAST, mandated by the 2009 Texas Legislature, is an annual study that examines both academic performance and financial efficiency to identify school districts, charter operators and campuses that deliver high-quality education at relatively low costs. Combs created the Texas Honors Circle Award program to recognize districts and schools that receive high marks in the FAST analysis.

“In these challenging times where schools are under pressure to do more with less, it is more important than ever to shine a spotlight on those that are achieving strong student performance with cost-effective spending,” Combs said. “Your efforts to help our state and local governments wisely manage educational spending while preparing students for success in college or the work force is crucial to the future of Texas.”

The Texas Honors Circle program awards certificates based on FAST results. Districts and charters receiving the Texas Honors Circle Award have achieved a Five-Star FAST rating. Elementary campuses receiving the award achieved a five-star FAST rating, while middle and high-school campuses tapped for the honor achieved at least a 4.5-Star FAST rating. (Middle and high schools have a slightly lower threshold because they are less likely than elementary schools to achieve high academic progress scores.)

To view FAST’s results and to see the list of all Texas Honors Circle award recipients, go to http://www.FASTexas.org.

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About Uplift Education

Uplift Education is a is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating a network of 28 tuition-free, college preparatory, public charter schools in Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington and Irving on 13 campuses. Uplift Education schools provide a rigorous, multidisciplinary curriculum, with an emphasis on college preparation – 100% of graduates are accepted to college. Uplift Education educates 9,600 students, with the majority being low-income and minority students who will be the first in their family to attend college. Uplift schools are public schools -- students are selected by a blind lottery with no information collected on their past academic performance. For more information, visit uplifteducation.org or facebook.com/uplifteducation.

Media Contact:

Mike Terry, Director of Communications
Uplift Education
mterry(at)uplifteducation(dot)org
Direct: 469-621-8491

Sara Ortega, Public Relations Coordinator
Uplift Education
sortega(at)uplifteducation(dot)org
Direct 806-786-5006

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