Gunter ISD FIRST Rating: How the District Went From a C to an A
Gunter ISD earned an A (Superior Achievement) in the state’s latest school finance report card, the Gunter ISD FIRST rating for 2025–26. The district scored 92 out of 100, up from 76, a C, the year before, according to the Texas Education Agency’s FIRST district detail page. TEA made the ratings final on Nov. 5, 2026. The jump came almost entirely from two measures that Gunter scored zero on last year: how much cash the district keeps on hand, and whether its general fund took in at least as much as it spent. Below is what the rating measures, exactly where the points came back, how Gunter compares with every other district in Grayson County, and what it means as the district plans for growth and a possible future bond.
Gunter ISD FIRST rating at a glance
- 2025–26 rating: A = Superior Achievement, 92 points (passing score is 70)
- What it grades: the 2024–25 school year, using the district’s annual financial report for fiscal year 2025
- Last year: C = Meets Standard Achievement, 76 points (2024–25 rating, 2023–24 data), per TEA. The district’s October newsletter put last year’s score at 77; TEA’s posted figure is 76.
- Two years ago: B = Above Standard Achievement, 86 points (2023–24 rating), per TEA
- Biggest gains: days of cash on hand (0 to 6 of 10 points) and general fund revenue versus spending (0 to 10 of 10)
- Still short: 6 of 10 points on cash on hand and 6 of 10 on future debt compared with property value
- Next step: the district must present the rating at a public meeting within two months of the Nov. 5 release, under TEA’s rules
What a FIRST rating is, in plain English
FIRST stands for the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas. Every year TEA checks each school district’s audited financial report against 21 indicators. A few are pass-or-fail: Was the annual report filed on time? Did the outside auditor give a clean opinion? Did the district pay the Teacher Retirement System, the IRS and other agencies on time? Fail one of those and the district gets an F no matter how many points it has. The rest are scored, mostly out of 10 points each, on things like cash reserves, debt, budgeting accuracy and attendance projections.
Scores of 90 to 100 earn an A, 80 to 89 a B, 70 to 79 a C, and below 70 an F, according to the scoring rules printed on TEA’s district detail page. The rating looks backward. This year’s grade is based on the 2024–25 school year, so it shows the district’s finances before the most recent budget cycle, not today’s bank balance.
A FIRST rating is not an academic grade. It says nothing about test scores or how good a teacher is. It answers a narrower question that still matters to every taxpayer and parent: is the district managing public money in a way that keeps it stable?
Where Gunter ISD got its points back
Comparing TEA’s detail pages for last year and this year shows the change in two lines.
| FIRST indicator (TEA wording, shortened) | 2024–25 rating | 2025–26 rating |
|---|---|---|
| #7: Enough days of cash on hand and current investments in the general fund to cover operating costs | 0 of 10 | 6 of 10 |
| #9: General fund revenue equal to or more than spending (or at least 60 days of cash) | 0 of 10 | 10 of 10 |
| #12: Future debt payments compared with the district’s assessed property value | 6 of 10 | 6 of 10 |
| Pass-fail checks (on-time report, clean audit opinion, debt payments, timely payments to TRS and other agencies) | Passed | Passed |
| Total score | 76 (C) | 92 (A) |
In other words, in the year TEA graded last time, Gunter earned no points for its cash cushion or for general fund revenue keeping up with spending. For the 2024–25 school year it earned full points on revenue versus spending and rebuilt part of the cushion. The 8 points Gunter still missed this year come from two places: cash on hand (6 of 10) and the debt-versus-property-value measure (6 of 10).
The district has also shared newer numbers that go past what this rating covers. In its October 2026 newsletter, Superintendent Dr. Brandon Enos credited Chief Financial Officer Alyce Greer and wrote that operating reserves grew from 27 days of expenses in July 2025 to 110 days in September 2026, above the state’s recommended minimum of 90 days. The same letter says S&P moved the district from “A with a negative outlook” in June 2025 to an “A positive” rating in September 2026, which the district calls a two-level increase. We could not view the S&P report itself, so those credit-rating details are the district’s description.
How Gunter compares with every Grayson County district
An A is good news, but it is a crowded A. Twelve of Grayson County’s 13 school districts earned an A this year. Here are the 2025–26 scores from each district’s TEA FIRST page.
| District | 2025–26 FIRST score | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Howe ISD | 100 | A |
| S and S Consolidated ISD | 100 | A |
| Whitewright ISD | 100 | A |
| Denison ISD | 98 | A |
| Pottsboro ISD | 98 | A |
| Bells ISD | 96 | A |
| Whitesboro ISD | 96 | A |
| Sherman ISD | 94 | A |
| Gunter ISD | 92 | A |
| Tom Bean ISD | 92 | A |
| Van Alstyne ISD | 92 | A |
| Collinsville ISD | 90 | A |
| Tioga ISD | 70 | C |
Gunter is tied with Tom Bean and Van Alstyne, and only Collinsville and Tioga scored lower. Neighboring Howe ISD posted a perfect 100. For families comparing districts, our Grayson County school districts parent guide and Howe ISD guide cover the rest of the picture, from campuses to calendars.
Why this matters for Gunter’s growth and a future bond
The timing is the reason this grade is worth a closer look. Gunter ISD is planning for a wave of new homes. Bond documents for Platinum Ranch and Taylor Ranch alone describe more than 4,800 planned lots, and the district dropped its long-planned JC Maples Road high school site in July, as we covered in our Gunter ISD new high school story. No replacement site or bond election has been announced.
In the November newsletter, Dr. Enos wrote that the district’s 65-member Bond Advisory Committee “continues to meet and work diligently to map out our district’s future,” adding: “Growth is coming to Gunter, and we cannot wait until our classrooms are overflowing to begin planning.” The newsletter does not say when the committee will finish or whether a bond vote is planned.
If a bond does come, the district’s financial standing is part of what voters and lenders look at. A balanced general fund and a bigger cash cushion are signs a district can absorb surprises without emergency cuts. The one scored measure that did not move, future debt compared with property value, is the one most tied to new borrowing, and it is worth watching as home values and new construction are added to the tax roll.
New-home buyers in Gunter’s planned communities will also pay special district assessments on top of the school tax. Our PID tax guide walks through those numbers. For a look at how a nearby district handled a bond vote, see what happened in Pilot Point ISD after its $295 million plan failed in May.
How to follow up
- Look up the details yourself. TEA’s Gunter ISD FIRST page lists every indicator, with prior years available from the same tool.
- Watch for the public meeting. TEA requires districts to hold a public meeting within two months of the final release to share a financial management report on the rating. The district’s November newsletter did not list a date for it.
- Board meetings. The next Gunter ISD school board meeting is Monday, Nov. 16, at 6 p.m. at the Old Elementary School, according to the November newsletter.
- Bond planning. Only the school board can call a bond election, so board agendas are where any committee recommendation will show up first.
Frequently asked questions
What is Gunter ISD’s FIRST rating? For 2025–26, an A (Superior Achievement) with 92 of 100 points, based on 2024–25 financial data.
Why did it go from a C to an A? The district earned points back on cash on hand (0 to 6) and on general fund revenue versus spending (0 to 10), according to TEA’s indicator detail.
Does an A mean my taxes will go down? No. FIRST grades financial management. It does not set tax rates.
Is the FIRST rating the same as the A–F school ratings? No. Those academic accountability ratings are separate. FIRST covers finances only.
For everything else about the district, from campuses to enrollment, start with our Gunter ISD guide, and for more news along the county line, visit Grayson County Line.
Top photos: Gunter High School and a Gunter ISD classroom. Image source: KTEN and KTEN
