Numbers rarely tell the whole story. 

Behind every line of a budget is a classroom, a teacher, a student. For Coppell ISD chief financial officer Dr. Amber Lasseigne, that human impact gives numbers significance. 

“I really like thinking about how we invest our dollars in a way that has the greatest return for our taxpayers,” Dr. Lasseigne said. “If we’re going to have district resources, how do we use that in a way that truly matters?”

In January, Dr. Lasseigne assumed the role of CFO following the retirement of Diane Sircar. She stepped into leadership in a district that is consistently recognized across Texas for academic excellence, but is dealing with declining enrollment and limited funding from the state.

“You have about 1,000 seniors, but maybe 500 kindergarteners,” Dr. Lasseigne said. “Eventually, those numbers don’t balance out. You have to plan ahead and understand what that means for the future.”

Her path to Coppell has been far from typical. It began at Ohio State University, where she worked as a graduate student intern evaluating after-school programs.

“That was my first foray into school funding from a federal perspective,” Dr. Lasseigne said.

Over the next several years, Lasseigne oversaw federal grant funds throughout Ohio, assisted directly with campuses in Fort Worth ISD, and most recently served as MoakCasey’s executive director of finance.

“They were all wonderful positions,” Dr. Lasseigne said. “It was kind of fun because I got to go from a very high level to a very low level. I got to see the complete picture of school funding.”

This hands-on work gives her experience that many in finance do not have.

“A lot of people go straight through accounting,” she said. “They’ve never worked on a campus. They’ve never worked with programs directly.”

Specifically, it is the combination of technical knowledge and people-focused leadership that makes Dr. Lasseigne unique.

“She genuinely cares about what’s going on with you as a person,” MoakCasey chief financial officer Leo Lopez said. “That genuineness allows her to be very effective as a team leader.”

Dr. Lasseigne’s transition into the role was seamless, thanks to prior experience in leading major financial operations.

“You can walk into her office and talk to her, and she’s already thinking about solutions,” CISD chief operations officer Sidney Grant said. “She hit the ground running. It’s almost like there was no transition, she knew exactly what needed to be done.”

In the midst of uncertainty, Dr. Lasseigne sees opportunities. Careful planning allows Coppell to go through natural changes without having to worry about a crisis.

“If we do the hard work in one or two years, it makes things less painful for classrooms later,” Dr. Lasseigne said. “Those shifts over time won’t feel as difficult. That’s the goal, making sure schools feel that stability.”

Her approach is both meticulous and personal.

“I like digging into things other CFOs might shy away from,” Dr. Lasseigne said. “Federal funds, bonds, investments, if we’re going to have district resources, we need to use them in ways that really make a difference for the people.”

For Dr. Lasseigne, each decision comes back to the people.

“Every day, it’s the people getting to work: starting to meet the principals, seeing the individual personalities of campuses, understanding what each community expects and helping schools meet those expectations,” Dr. Lasseigne said. “It’s an interesting challenge.”

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