All budget figures in documents, surveys, and media responses now include the source of the data and the date to which the information relates. The district should evaluate the true cost of applying for small-amount grants. Technical assistance is being provided to the schools so they can seek small grants for targeted programs. 146 Schools should move forward with their waiver plans. All funds appropriated to the district through the textbook waiver program were expended by August 31, 1997.
Future allocations are unlikely because the state is moving away from textbook waivers.
The Director of the Accounts Payable Department should strictly enforce HISD policy when paying vendors. By improving its voucher payment procedures and conducting staff training, the district has reduced the aging of invoices from 63.4 to 52 days, with plans to reduce this further to 45 days by the end of the year. Many of the paper processes inherent in the current procedures should be eliminated when the new financial system comes on line later this year. District superintendents are informed of schools that fail to meet required standards. 148 Install an interactive voice response telephone system with an automatic call distributor that is linked to the financial system in the Accounts Payable Department to answer common and repetitive phone queries.