⏱️Deadlines & Reports
🚌 2025–2026 Transportation Route Services Report
The 2025–2026 School Year Transportation Route Services Report is now open in the web-based Foundation School Program (FSP) Module. Please complete and submit this report as soon as possible.
⏱️Submission Deadline: August 1, 2026
-
Funding Impact: This data is used to finalize your district's 2025–2026 Transportation Allotment (Line 36 on the Summary of Finances). Current amounts are estimates; districts that fail to submit by the August 1 deadline will receive a $0 Transportation Allotment at the September 2026 settle-up.
Required TEAL Roles
To submit data, personnel must have TEAL access to the FSP Application with one of these roles:
-
Transportation User: Enters route data and submits it to the Superintendent/District Approver.
-
District Approver: Reviews, certifies, and submits the final report to TEA.
How to Access & Submit
-
Log in to the TEAL portal and select your district under the Foundation School Program.
-
From the Programs menu, select Transportation.
- Select Enter Contact Information, complete the fields, save, and return to the main page.
-
Transportation Users: Select Enter Route Services to input data, then click "Submit to Superintendent." (Remember to notify your District Approver!)
-
District Approvers: Review the data, check the certification box, and click "Submit to TEA."
⚠️Verify Your Status: Your report status must reflect SUBMITTED (or APPROVED) to be considered successfully sent to TEA. Any other status means actions are still pending.
For help, visit the School Transportation Funding webpage or email schtrans@tea.texas.gov.
🏛️Legislative Updates
State Update: House Committee Testimony on Public Education
Members of the House Public Education Committee recently heard invited and public testimony regarding the state of public education in Texas, highlighting significant demographic and funding shifts.
-
Historic Enrollment Decline: Commissioner Mike Morath and the state demographer presented data showing a decline in public school enrollment of 76,000 students. This marks the first non-pandemic decline in student enrollment in Texas in 40 years. Read more.
-
A Sustained Trend: Testifying witnesses noted that birth rates and other key indicators suggest this declining enrollment is a long-term demographic shift rather than a temporary drop.
-
Recommendations for the Interim: Kelly Rasti (TASB Associate Executive Director) provided written testimony outlining key recommendations for lawmakers to explore during the interim, including:
-
Mitigating the impact of enrollment drops on school systems.
-
Revisiting school safety requirements and related funding.
-
Streamlining existing statutory and regulatory provisions.
You can view Commissioner Morath's presentation and the state demographer's presentation online to review the full data sets.
Federal Update: $144M SPED Investment & FY 2027 Budget Proposal
$144 Million for IDEA & Expanded Early Support
The U.S. Department of Education has announced a $144 million investment to help states expand supports for students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
-
Expanded Guidance: New guidance and FY 2026 appropriations language expand IDEA Part C, allowing states to use these funds to support expectant parents of infants with disabilities. This change is designed to strengthen the continuum of care by connecting families to resources and tools before birth.
FY 2027 Budget Proposal & Congressional Scrutiny
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon recently outlined the administration’s FY 2027 education budget proposal to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee.
-
The Proposal: The administration is pitching a streamlined approach aimed at reducing federal bureaucracy, consolidating programs, and shifting greater control to state and local communities.
-
Congressional Concerns: Bipartisan lawmakers raised concerns over proposed cuts totaling roughly $2.3 billion (about a 15% reduction to the department's budget). Impacted areas would include low-income and first-generation college-access programs, students with disabilities programs, federal student aid administration, civil rights enforcement, and research.
-
Oversight Questions: Senators also questioned plans to relocate or restructure special education oversight and addressed recent delays in the distribution of hundreds of millions of dollars in education funds.
Survey on School District Property Value Study (PVS)
The Texas Taxpayers and Research Association (TTARA) is conducting a brief survey regarding school district experiences with the Texas Comptroller’s School District Property Value Study.
-
The Deadline: The survey closes Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
-
Who Should Complete It: Your district’s Superintendent, CFO, or Business Manager should have already received the survey link via email. It takes approximately 10 minutes to complete, and all responses are strictly confidential.
-
Why It Matters: Results will be used to inform TTARA’s policy recommendations to the Texas Legislature ahead of the 90th Legislative Session, providing critical feedback on how the study impacts school districts, taxpayers, and appraisal districts.
If you have questions or did not receive your link, contact research@ttara.org.
💰Grant Opportunities
CTE Innovative Services for Special Populations
This grant supports school systems in closing gaps in access to Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs for students identified as special populations under the Carl D. Perkins Act.
Purpose: Enables school systems to design and implement innovative services that address disparities identified in their Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA), with a focus on improving outcomes for underserved groups
Eligible Student Groups Include:
- Students with disabilities
- Economically disadvantaged students
- English learners
- Students preparing for nontraditional fields
- Migrant students
- Students experiencing homelessness or foster care
- Other Perkins-identified special populations
How to Apply: To view full details and submit an application, visit the TEA Grant Opportunities page.
📋EMAT Updates
EMAT is the online state ordering system for instructional materials and Instructional Materials Technology Allotment (IMTA) funds. EMAT is scheduled to reopen on Friday, May 15, 2026, and local school systems are encouraged to begin ordering instructional materials for the 2026–27 school year.
EMAT Prerequisites for School Year 2025–2026
Local school systems can submit requisitions and allotment disbursement requests once the following prerequisites are met:
- Complete the Certification of Provision of Instructional Materials for 26-27:
-
Complete the Certification 2026-2027 Prework Form.
- Get this form ratified by your board of trustees or governing body in an open, public noticed meeting.
- Submit the Certification 2026-2027 Survey, ensuring you attach the last page of your ratified Prework Form.
-
Verify District Information: Confirm or update your EMAT contacts and addresses using the Confirm Contacts & Confirm Addresses links on your EMAT district start page.
Review Trainings: It is highly recommended to review the EMAT Overview & Training modules and related training pages.
If you run in into issues or have questions, please submit an Instructional Material & Implementation Held Desk Ticket.
Component Exemption Request Form
Districts may request a waiver to exempt the procurement of certain components of State Board of Education (SBOE)-approved instructional materials if they already possess identical or near-identical materials for every student or teacher.
To simplify the process for the 2026–2027 school year, the requirements have changed slightly:
-
Streamlined Smartsheet Form: School systems will now certify they possess the correct quantity of the component directly via the Component Exemption Request Form (Smartsheet).
-
No Attachments Needed: You are no longer required to submit attachments or additional documentation.
-
Authorized Signature: The form must be signed by a district-level administrator who has signing authority OR ordering authority in EMAT.
-
Eligible Materials: Current eligible components from IMRA cycles 2024 and 2025 can be viewed via the dropdown menus on the request form.
⚠️ Note: TEA must approve your completed exemption form before your associated EMAT requisition can be approved.
If you run in into issues or have questions, please submit an Instructional Material & Implementation Held Desk Ticket.
Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) Orders
To ensure prompt delivery for the upcoming school year, TEA recommends placing your AIM requisitions as early as possible.
❗Key Deadlines:
-
Braille Requisitions: Place by June 6, 2026 (or as soon as possible thereafter).
-
Large-Print or Audio Requisitions: Place by July 16, 2026
Funding & Prerequisites: Standard EMAT prerequisites do not need to be met before placing AIM orders.
Special Requests: If you need an uncontracted braille title that is not currently listed in EMAT, please submit a Help Desk ticket to request that it be added.
For more information and resources, visit the Accessible Instructional Materials webpage.
Instructional Materials Entitlement & High-Enrollment Growth (HEG) Adjustments
Per TEC §31.0214, certain school systems may qualify for HEG adjustments to their Instructional Materials and Technology Allotment (IMTA) to accommodate substantial year-over-year enrollment growth.
-
Updated FY 2026 Entitlements: Updated amounts for SBOE-Approved Instructional Materials and State-Developed OER are now available.
-
EMAT Rollout: These funds are expected to be populated in EMAT in May 2026.
-
Data Source: The updated amounts reflect Fall 2025–26 PEIMS enrollment data.
-
Decreased Entitlements: Any school systems facing reduced entitlement funds will be contacted directly by TEA.
For complete details on eligibility, timelines, and allowable uses, review the 2025-2026 HEG Adjustments and SBOE-Approved Instructional Materials Entitlements To the Administrator Addressed (TAA) correspondence.
🗣️IMRA Updates
Public Access and Comment Period Now Open (IMRA Cycle 2026)
Instructional materials submitted for the Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA) Cycle 2026 are now open for public review. Texas educators, parents, and community members are invited to evaluate these materials and provide feedback.
📅 Review Timeline: Materials are available for public feedback from Friday, May 1, 2026, through Friday, July 31, 2026.
How to submit Feedback:
Next Steps: All public comments will be shared with publishers for a response. The compiled comments and publisher responses will then be provided to the State Board of Education (SBOE) ahead of their final vote scheduled for November 2026.
Access the instructional materials and submit your feedback on the Current IMRA Cycle webpage.
|
