The SFISD Business Department is committed to supporting our district’s mission by managing resources with integrity, transparency, and efficiency. We strive to provide exceptional financial stewardship that ensures every dollar is used wisely to benefit our students, staff, and community. Through careful budgeting, responsible planning, and consistent monitoring, our team works to maintain a strong fiscal foundation that supports high‑quality educational opportunities across the district. We are proud to serve our stakeholders and remain dedicated to upholding the highest standards of accountability and service.
For the 2022-2023 fiscal year, Santa Fe Independent School District received the ASBO Award for Excellence in Budget Presentation, known as the Meritorious Budget Award. ASBO International's MBA program provides school districts with tools and resources to develop a high-quality, easy-to-understand budget to share the district's goals and objectives internally and with the community. To view Santa Fe Independent School District's budget document, select the link Santa Fe Independent School District's ASBO Meritorious Budget Presentation.
On this episode of Recess with Dr. Bott, we visit with Alejandro Sanchez, the SFISD Chief Financial Officer, and Sarah Pfluger, the SFISD Tax Assessor and Sr. Accountant. They wanted to come on the show and help our community understand tax statements, tax rates, and school funding!
The following summary data is from the Governmental Fund Statements in Santa Fe ISD Annual Financial and Compliance Report are labeled for by year end. Governmental Funds include General fund, Debt Service, Nonmajor Governmental Funds.
Section A: Overview provided by our Financial Advisors
An overview provided by our Financial Advisor. It includes information on our ratings, state funding system, graphical historical student enrollment, full-time equivalent personnel, full-time equivalent personnel per student, historical tax rates, historical total property taxes for maintenance and operations and voter-approved bonds, summary of property tax cost per school day; composition of total assessed valuation; historical taxable assessed valuation and taxable value per student enrollment; general fund and debt service fund – revenue by source, total revenues (all governmental funds) by source; total revenues (all governmental funds) per student; total expenditures (all governmental funds) by source; total expenditures (all governmental funds) per student; unrestricted general operating fund balance as a percentage of general operating expenditures; unlimited tax debt service by series-existing bonds approved by voters; unlimited tax debt service by principal and interest – existing bonds approved by voters; savings from districts recent bond refunding programs to lower interest costs; summary of unlimited tax debt outstanding by series; summary of maintenance tax debt outstanding ; tax-supported debt obligations at fiscal year-end and as a percentage of taxable assessed valuation; inflation-adjusted tax-supported debt per capita; inflation-adjusted tax-supported debt cost per capita – principal and interest in each of the last 5 years and contact information.
Section D: Governmental Activities Comparative Schedule of Changes in Net Position
Governmental Activities Comparative Schedule of Changes in Net Position include two years of comparative information and the per student ratio. The revenues and expenditures are included for all governmental activity.
Section G: Total and per capita revenue from property taxes
This information includes the general fund and debt service tax rates, taxable property values, total collections and per student local property values per student.
**Total and per capita revenue from sales tax (not applicable**
Step 1: Complete the protected excel worksheet (enable content). The determination status will either be (IC or EE) independent contractor or an employee.
Step 2: If the worker is an employee, HR needs new hire information completed and it is assumed the worker will be an auxiliary temporary employee who works less than 20 hours a week otherwise the budget manager/organization paying for the services will need to pay TRS and other benefits to the employee. The new hire submission must include the Independent Contractor excel worker status (IC or EE) verification sheet.
Step 3: If the worker is an employee, written pay vouchers need to be submitted to payroll. LUMP SUM amounts will not be accepted on auxiliary temporary employees. The amount of hours worked and rate per hour must be listed on the pay voucher.
Step 4: Independent Contractor: If the contractor has never worked for the district, complete the entire packet for new independent contractor. The protected excel worker status (IC or EE) verification sheet must be attached to the independent contractor form.
Step 5: Independent Contractor: If the contractor is returning, submit the "one" page "returning" contractor form. The protected excel worker status (IC or EE) verification sheet must be attached to the independent contractor form.
Santa Fe ISD has contracted with a check recovery service to collect any insufficient fund checks made out to any district activity, including food services. The recovery service will charge a minimum $30 fee for all checks returned by the bank for insufficient funds. The service will begin by writing letters or telephoning the check writer. Insufficient checks may be paid to the check recovery company by credit card, debit card, money order or by electronic check over the phone.
An executive order was signed by President Trump on August 8, 2020, calling for a deferral of certain payroll tax obligations. These pertain only to the OASDI (Old-age, survivor, and disability insurance), commonly referred to as Social Security. Here at Santa Fe ISD, we do not collect Social Security Tax; therefore, there is no change in the policies and procedures of payroll. You will not see a reduction in income taxes withheld since the Presidential Memorandum does not cover these. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at payroll@sfisd.org.
If the IRS issues additional guidance that clarifies the deferral of taxes, we will keep you abreast of the changes and the impact on your compensation and employment taxes. Click here to read the Tax Deferral Executive Order
We are performing our end of year accounting processes, which include payroll processing. You may see your paycheck stub in Skyward for future payrolls; these are accounting processes and not an early payment process. The funds will be deposited in your financial institution on the designated payroll dates, we appreciate your understanding, and if you have, any questions feel free to contact us.
W2 Information
Santa Fe ISD Business Department is now paperless. Effective January 1, 2017 hard copies of W2's will no longer be mailed. W2's are available online via Employee Access.
Once you log in to Employee Access, select:
Employee Information, then
Payroll, then
W2 Information.
Select the year you would like to print,
Click "View W2". You will be prompted to enter your social security number. Paper copies will be issued upon written request.
For general miscellaneous school supplies, furniture and technology equipment, SFISD takes advantage of purchasing from vendors on the various state approved Interlocal Cooperatives (Coops) such as:
TCPN, National IPA, OMNIA (Region 4)
Allied States Cooperative (Region 19)
TIPS (Region 8)
PACE Purchasing Cooperative (Region 20)
BuyBoard (TASB)
State of Texas Cooperative-TxSmartBuy
Purchasing Solutions Alliance
HCDE (Harris County Dept. of Education) Choice Partners
