K-12 Education System in Texas

Texas K–12 education operates through a combination of statewide academic rules, locally governed school districts, state-authorized charter schools, and family-selected private or home-school arrangements. The Texas Education Agency sets and administers many statewide requirements, but it does not assign every student to a campus or control every school-day policy. Address boundaries, transfer availability, transportation, calendars, course offerings, and many enrollment procedures are decided locally.

During the 2025–26 school year, Texas public schools enrolled 5,467,642 students. Statewide enrollment fell by 1.4% from the previous year, while enrollment in state-authorized charter schools rose by 2.4% to 446,633 students. Charter students represented 8.2% of the public school population.^{[Enrollment data]}

From Prekindergarten to Grade 12

Texas uses grade-level standards, but school buildings are not required to follow one universal grade configuration. A district may operate elementary schools serving kindergarten through Grade 5, while another may use elementary campuses through Grade 4, intermediate campuses for Grades 5 and 6, and junior high campuses for Grades 7 and 8.

Public Prekindergarten Is Eligibility-Based

Free public prekindergarten is not automatically available to every three- or four-year-old. A child generally must be three or four years old by September 1 and meet at least one state eligibility category. Qualifying categories can include limited English proficiency, educational disadvantage, homelessness, foster care history, certain military-family circumstances, or being the child of an eligible Star of Texas Award recipient.

A district is not required to operate a program for three-year-olds. Districts may also offer tuition-supported prekindergarten or other early education arrangements for children who do not qualify for the free program. Prekindergarten is voluntary, but attendance requirements apply after a child is enrolled.^{[Pre-K eligibility]}

Grade Labels Do Not Guarantee the Same Campus Structure

The words middle school, intermediate school, and junior high describe local campus arrangements rather than separate statewide legal systems. A family moving from a Metroplex district to a rural Panhandle, West Texas, or East Texas district may encounter a different grade span even when the student remains in the same grade.

The campus configuration can affect bus routes, transition dates, athletics, elective access, and the age range sharing one building. Families should verify the assigned campus rather than assuming that Grade 6 always belongs to middle school or that Grade 9 always begins on a separate high school campus.

Who Controls a Texas Public School

Texas public education is not operated as one statewide school district. State law establishes major requirements, the State Board of Education adopts academic standards and related rules, the Texas Education Agency administers state programs, and local school systems make many operational decisions.

Local Boards Govern Independent School Districts

Each Texas public school district is governed by a locally elected board of trustees. The board adopts district policy, approves the budget and local tax rate, and selects the superintendent. The superintendent and administrative staff manage daily operations rather than the trustees individually.^{[Governance role]}

The word independent in an Independent School District name does not mean that the district is exempt from Texas education law. It refers to the district’s governmental and taxing structure. An ISD is separate from a city government even when the district and city share a name.

Statewide Rules and Local Decisions Must Be Separated

District, Charter, Private, and Home-School Options

Texas families can encounter several schooling models. The labels matter because admission, testing, tuition, transportation, accountability, and student-support obligations differ.

Assigned District Schools

A student who lives within a school district is normally entitled to attend the district, subject to residency and enrollment rules. The district may divide its territory into campus attendance zones. A home can therefore be inside a district but assigned to one particular elementary, middle, or high school.

Some districts also operate open-enrollment campuses, magnet schools, dual-language academies, fine arts programs, STEM schools, Early College High Schools, and Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools. Admission to those programs can require a separate application even when the student already lives within the district.

State-Authorized Charter Schools

A Texas open-enrollment charter school is a public school, not a private school. It does not charge tuition for the standard public education program and remains subject to state testing and accountability requirements.

Any eligible student may apply unless a lawful provision in the charter permits a specified exclusion. When applications exceed available seats, the school generally must use a lottery or another legally permitted selection procedure. A charter may request the information needed for the application and obtain broader student records after admission.^{[Charter admission]}

Private Schools

Private schools establish their own tuition, admissions process, calendar, instructional model, and many operating policies. They are not district campuses and do not receive a Texas A–F public school rating in the same manner as public schools.

Accreditation, course transfer, diploma recognition, special education services, transportation, religious affiliation, testing practices, and refund rules should be checked directly with the school. Enrollment in a private school can change the services available under the public special education system.

Home Schooling

Texas recognizes home schooling as a legal alternative to public school attendance. The Texas Education Agency does not approve, register, monitor, or accredit individual home-school programs, and the state does not issue a home-school diploma.^{[Home-school status]}

A home-school curriculum must be genuine rather than a sham and must use a written curriculum covering the subjects required under Texas case law, including reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics, and good citizenship. Families are responsible for records, transcripts, course planning, and diploma documentation.

If a home-schooled student later enters a public school, the district may evaluate the student’s work or use appropriate assessments to determine placement and credit. A home-school transcript should not be assumed to transfer course by course without district review.

Enrollment Starts With the Correct District Boundary

A Texas city limit, postal city name, county boundary, and school district boundary can describe four different areas. A property advertised with an Austin, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, or other city mailing address is not necessarily served by the school district bearing that city’s name.

School district territory can cross municipal or county lines, and more than one district can serve addresses within the same general metropolitan area. Campus assignment must be verified from the exact residence address rather than from a ZIP code, subdivision name, real-estate listing, or nearest school.

How to Identify the Serving District and Campus

1. Confirm the full physical address. Use the street number, street name, unit number when applicable, city, and ZIP code.
2. Identify the school district. Use the Texas Education Agency district locator or a district boundary tool.
3. Verify the campus assignment with the district. District boundary maps or address locators provide the local elementary, middle, and high school assignment.
4. Check the school year. A campus assignment shown for 2025–26 may not be the assignment adopted for 2026–27.
5. Ask whether special programs use separate placement rules. Dual-language, magnet, special education, alternative, or academy programs may serve students at a different campus.

The district determines which residency documents it accepts. Common examples include a lease, mortgage record, property record, utility bill, or another locally approved document. Immunization records or a valid exemption are also part of the enrollment process. Certain students receive enrollment protections when ordinary documents are unavailable, including students experiencing homelessness and students in foster care.^{[Enrollment rule]}

Records Commonly Requested by a District

• Parent or legal guardian identification
• Proof of the student’s residence within the district
• Birth record or another student identity document
• Immunization record or accepted exemption documentation
• Previous report card, transcript, or withdrawal record
• Individualized Education Program, Section 504 plan, evaluation, or related service records when applicable
• Custody, conservatorship, guardianship, or court documents when needed to establish enrollment authority
• Language-program, gifted-and-talented, discipline, or special-program records when relevant

A missing record does not always permit a public school to refuse enrollment. The registrar should identify which documents can be supplied later and whether a federal or state enrollment protection applies. Families should not create substitute documents or alter an address record to satisfy residency rules.

Transfers Are Separate From Attendance-Zone Enrollment

A student may request a transfer to another campus within the district or to a different district, but approval is not automatic. Capacity, staffing, program space, attendance history, discipline rules, grade level, and local board policy can affect the decision.

Transfer approval does not necessarily include transportation. A family accepted outside its attendance zone may be responsible for daily travel. This can be a larger practical issue in geographically broad rural districts, fast-growing suburban districts, and metropolitan areas where peak-hour travel crosses several highway corridors.

A Midyear Move Requires More Than a New Address

Elementary students may enter a different reading or mathematics sequence. Middle school students may find that electives, advanced mathematics, or high-school-credit courses begin in a different grade. High school students need a transcript review to determine how completed courses fit the receiving district’s graduation plan.

Before withdrawal, obtain the latest report card or transcript, attendance record, testing record, course descriptions when available, special education or Section 504 documents, and the withdrawal date. For a high school student, request a written graduation audit from the receiving district rather than relying on a verbal estimate.

TEKS, Course Sequences, and Academic Pathways

The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, commonly called TEKS, state what students should know and be able to do in each subject and grade or course. The State Board of Education adopts the TEKS, and Texas public schools use them as the academic standards for instruction.^{[State standards]}

TEKS are not a single statewide daily lesson plan. Districts and charter schools can select instructional materials, organize intervention periods, design course sequences, and choose teaching approaches within applicable law and standards. Two students taking the same grade-level subject in different districts may therefore use different textbooks, assignments, pacing calendars, and digital platforms.

Core Subjects and Required Learning Areas

• English language arts and reading
• Mathematics
• Science
• Social studies
• Languages other than English
• Fine arts
• Health education
• Physical education
• Technology applications
• Career and technical education

The amount of required instruction and the exact course names vary by grade level and diploma path. Local schools may add enrichment, intervention, religiously neutral character education, or specialized academies, but required public school instruction must remain aligned with Texas law and adopted standards.

Middle School Can Affect the High School Record

Some middle school courses carry high school credit. Common examples can include Algebra I, a language other than English, technology applications, health, communication applications, or selected career and technical education courses. Availability is local, and a course offered for high school credit should be identified as such before enrollment.

Early Algebra I placement can change the later mathematics sequence, potentially allowing access to geometry, Algebra II, precalculus, statistics, or calculus earlier. It can also create pressure if the student is not ready for the pace. Families should review placement criteria, the student’s current performance, tutoring access, and the district’s process for changing levels.

Advanced and Career Pathways Are Campus-Dependent

A district’s website may advertise a pathway at the district level even when only one campus offers the full sequence. Verify the serving campus, grade of entry, application date, prerequisites, and whether transportation is included.

The Texas High School Diploma Path

Most Texas public high school students follow the Foundation High School Program, with course choices shaped by an endorsement and any local graduation requirements. The State Board of Education establishes statewide graduation rules, while districts review individual credits and may add lawful local requirements.

Texas also requires a graduating student to complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, submit a Texas Application for State Financial Aid, or complete the permitted opt-out process. The applicable graduation plan depends in part on when the student entered Grade 9.^{[Graduation rule]}

The Five Endorsement Areas

An endorsement is not the same as a college major and does not guarantee admission to a university program. It organizes high school coursework around an area of study. A student can sometimes earn more than one endorsement when the completed course sequence supports it.

Course Credit, Grade Promotion, and Graduation Are Different Decisions

• Grade promotion determines whether a student advances to the next grade.
• Course credit records successful completion of a credit-bearing high school course.
• Graduation requirements combine required credits, course categories, state assessment obligations, and other state or local conditions.
• Class rank is calculated under district policy and is not the same as diploma eligibility.
• Distinguished Level of Achievement is a graduation designation tied to the required course pattern, including Algebra II and an endorsement.
• Performance Acknowledgments recognize qualifying achievements such as bilingualism and biliteracy, advanced coursework, examination performance, or industry certification.

End-of-Course Assessments Under the Existing System

Under the assessment system applying before the 2027–28 transition, the five high school STAAR end-of-course assessments are Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology, and U.S. History.^{[EOC requirement]}

A student transferring from another state, another country, a private school, or a home-school setting needs an individual review. Previous coursework, testing history, graduation year, and the date of entry into a Texas public school can affect which requirements remain.

STAAR in 2026 and the 2027–28 Assessment Change

The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, measures student performance against the TEKS. The grade and subject tested depend on the student’s enrollment and course placement.

Grades and Subjects Assessed

• Reading language arts and mathematics are assessed across Grades 3–8 under the existing system.
• Science is assessed in selected grades.
• Social studies is assessed in selected grades.
• High school students take the applicable end-of-course assessments.
• STAAR Alternate 2 is available for eligible students with significant cognitive disabilities when the student’s individualized education program team determines that it is appropriate.

Most STAAR assessments are administered online. Testing accommodations depend on student eligibility and documented need rather than parental preference alone.

How the Performance Levels Are Read

The phrase passed STAAR is often used to mean that a student reached Approaches Grade Level or higher. That shorthand should not be treated as a complete school-quality measure or as the only factor in course placement, graduation planning, or instructional support.

Support After a Score Below Approaches

Texas law requires accelerated instruction for students who do not reach Approaches Grade Level on an applicable Grades 3–8 or end-of-course STAAR assessment. Depending on performance and the student’s circumstances, the requirement can involve assignment to a designated teacher or supplemental instruction aligned with the tested subject. Supplemental instruction generally involves at least 15 or 30 hours, is limited to two subjects per year, and uses small-group conditions unless an allowed exception applies.^{[Student support]}

A student who does not reach Approaches Grade Level on two consecutive assessments in the same subject may require an Accelerated Education Plan. The district should explain the instructional schedule, provider, subject, hours, and any applicable waiver.

What the Spring 2026 Results Showed

The Texas Education Agency released the spring 2026 Grades 3–8 results on June 16, 2026. Mathematics and social studies results improved in several grades, while reading language arts results were largely steady. Grade 8 social studies rose from 30% to 32% at Meets Grade Level, and Grade 4 mathematics increased by four percentage points at that level. The state also reported broader participation in advanced middle school mathematics.^{[2026 results]}

The 2026 end-of-course release reported improvement at Meets Grade Level across all five EOC subjects and a 70% Meets Grade Level rate in U.S. History. These statewide figures do not show how one campus serves a particular student group and should be read with local growth, course, and program data.

STAAR Will Change Beginning in 2027–28

House Bill 8 replaces the existing STAAR program with the Student Success Tool beginning in the 2027–28 school year. The planned Grades 3–8 system includes beginning-of-year, middle-of-year, and end-of-year assessments. The 2026–27 school year remains the final full year of the existing STAAR system.^{[Assessment change]}

The change does not eliminate statewide assessment. It changes the testing design and schedule. Families should rely on rules issued for the student’s graduating class rather than applying a 2027–28 change to an earlier class.

How to Read Texas A–F School Ratings

Texas assigns accountability ratings to public school districts and campuses. The system uses three domains: Student Achievement, School Progress, and Closing the Gaps. School Progress examines both academic growth and performance compared with schools serving similar proportions of economically disadvantaged students.^{[Rating method]}

Use the Correct Rating Year

As of July 28, 2026, the 2025 A–F ratings remain the latest completed statewide rating release. TEA released the 2025 ratings on August 15, 2025. The agency’s 2026 accountability page contains calculation materials and implementation resources, but those materials should not be presented as a completed statewide 2026 rating release.^{[Rating year]}

Check whether a displayed letter grade belongs to 2023, 2024, 2025, or a later release. Real-estate portals, school comparison sites, cached search results, and screenshots may show an older year without making the date prominent.

A Letter Grade Is Not a Complete School Evaluation

An A–F rating can help identify tested performance, growth, graduation outcomes, and student-group patterns. It does not by itself establish whether a school is the right placement for one student.

Compare a district rating with the specific campus rating. A highly rated district can contain campuses with different outcomes, and a campus can perform differently from the district average. Elementary, middle, and high school ratings also use measures appropriate to the grades served, so direct comparisons require context.

Special Education, Dyslexia, and Language Services

Texas public schools provide several student-support systems. The correct pathway depends on the student’s disability, academic needs, language status, evaluation results, and eligibility under state or federal law.

Special Education and the ARD Committee

Texas uses the term Admission, Review, and Dismissal committee, or ARD committee, for the group that performs the functions of an individualized education program team. The committee reviews evaluation information, determines special education eligibility, develops or revises the individualized education program, and makes placement and service decisions.^{[Special education]}

• The parent or adult student participates in the ARD process.
• Required school personnel can include general and special education teachers, a district representative, and a person able to interpret evaluation results.
• The individualized education program identifies goals, services, accommodations, placement, and other student-specific provisions.
• Transportation can be a related service when the ARD committee determines that it is required.
• Moving to another Texas district does not eliminate the need to transfer records and establish appropriate services at the receiving district.

A parent who believes a disability may be affecting educational performance can request an evaluation. A school should not require a child to complete an extended intervention program before it considers a legally sufficient evaluation request.

Section 504 Is Not the Same as an IEP

A Section 504 plan addresses access and nondiscrimination for an eligible student with a disability. It may include accommodations such as accessible materials, health-related procedures, testing adjustments, or environmental changes. An individualized education program provides specially designed instruction and related services under special education law.

A student can need accommodations without qualifying for special education. The school should explain whether concerns are being considered under Section 504, special education law, or both evaluation processes.

Dyslexia Screening and Instruction

Texas districts and open-enrollment charter schools must implement dyslexia screening, evaluation, and instruction requirements under the Texas Dyslexia Handbook and applicable state and federal law. The revised handbook took effect on June 30, 2024.^{[Dyslexia rule]}

Dyslexia services should not be treated as a generic reading tutoring program. Screening identifies possible risk; evaluation determines disability-related eligibility; and the student’s plan identifies the instruction, accommodations, progress monitoring, and responsible personnel.

Emergent Bilingual Students

Texas uses the term emergent bilingual student for a student who is in the process of acquiring English and may qualify for bilingual education or English as a Second Language services. A Language Proficiency Assessment Committee, commonly called an LPAC, reviews identification, program placement, assessment, and reclassification information.

For the 2026–27 school year, TEA notified school systems of changes to identification and reclassification practices. American Sign Language alone no longer triggers potential emergent bilingual identification, returning Texas students absent for more than 12 months require an LPAC review of available records, and prekindergarten and kindergarten students receive an annual opportunity to demonstrate English proficiency. TEA also stated that parental approval is no longer required for reclassification when state criteria are met, although parental notice remains required.^{[Language policy]}

Program models differ. A district may offer dual-language, transitional bilingual, English as a Second Language, or another approved arrangement based on student needs, grade configuration, and local enrollment. A program advertised districtwide may be located at selected campuses.

Gifted and Talented Services

Districts establish local referral, screening, identification, and service procedures for gifted and talented students within state requirements. Identification for gifted services is not necessarily the same as placement in an advanced course, honors section, or early Algebra I class.

• Check the annual referral or nomination window.
• Ask whether screening is automatic for any grade level.
• Review the measures used for identification.
• Confirm whether services occur in the regular classroom, a pull-out program, an advanced course, or a separate academy.
• Ask how an identification transfers from another Texas district or another state.

Attendance, Calendars, Phones, Meals, and Transportation

Texas Does Not Use One Statewide School Calendar

Districts and charter schools publish their own instructional calendars. Start dates, end dates, holidays, teacher workdays, intersessions, bad-weather makeup plans, and grading periods can differ between neighboring systems.

Some rural districts use a four-day instructional week, while other systems use traditional, year-round, or intersession calendars. A calendar model advertised for one school year should not be assumed to continue the next year. Families with children in different districts or charter networks should compare calendars directly.

Attendance Affects Credit, Intervention, and Funding

Enrollment counts the students registered in a school. Attendance records whether those students are present. Average Daily Attendance is an attendance-based measure used in the Texas school funding system and is not the same as the number of enrolled students.

Compulsory attendance law, excused-absence rules, truancy prevention, and the attendance required to receive course credit operate together but are not identical. A medically excused absence can still affect instructional time, and an absence accepted for attendance purposes may still require missed work to be completed.

• Report absences through the district’s required method.
• Submit medical or legal documentation within the local deadline.
• Ask whether an absence is coded as excused, unexcused, or exempt from a particular calculation.
• For high school courses, monitor attendance by class period rather than only by full day.
• Request a written attendance record before a transfer or withdrawal.

Personal Communication Devices During the School Day

House Bill 1481 took effect on June 20, 2025. Texas school systems were required to adopt written policies prohibiting student use of personal communication devices on school property during the school day. Covered devices can include cellphones, tablets, smartwatches, and other devices capable of digital communication.^{[Device rule]}

The statewide requirement does not create one storage method for every school. A district or charter may prohibit students from bringing devices, require secure storage, direct students to keep devices powered off and inaccessible, or use another compliant procedure. Local policy determines consequences and retrieval procedures.

Exceptions can apply when device use is required by an individualized education program, Section 504 plan, documented medical need, health or safety requirement, or an applicable campus safety protocol. The exception should be documented rather than assumed.

Transportation Depends on Address and Placement

Texas does not provide one universal bus eligibility rule for every student. District policy, distance, hazardous route conditions, attendance zone, special education determinations, and program placement can affect service.

Travel distance alone can understate the daily burden. A short route across a major freeway interchange in the Metroplex, Upper Gulf Coast, or Central Texas may take longer than a greater distance on a rural highway. Families should test the trip during actual arrival and dismissal periods.

School Meal Eligibility and Campus-Wide Programs

Some campuses require household applications to determine free or reduced-price meal eligibility. Others participate in a federal provision that permits meals to be served without collecting an individual meal application from every family. The practice can differ between campuses in the same region.

Families should verify meal prices, application requirements, account payment methods, allergy procedures, and whether breakfast is served before or after the official start time. Eligibility for free meals does not necessarily remove charges for optional items or previously accumulated balances.

How Texas Public Schools Receive Funding

Texas public schools receive revenue through a combination of local property taxes, state Foundation School Program funding, federal funds, grants, and other authorized sources. Facilities can also be financed through voter-approved bonds, which are different from ordinary operating funds.

Enrollment and Average Daily Attendance Are Not Interchangeable

Enrollment is the number of registered students at a defined reporting point. Average Daily Attendance measures attendance over the reporting period. A district can therefore report stable enrollment while losing funding associated with lower attendance.

This distinction helps explain why districts emphasize attendance even when absences are documented. Attendance affects instructional continuity, state reporting, intervention decisions, and funding calculations.

House Bill 2 Changed Several Funding Formulas

House Bill 2, enacted in 2025, changed Foundation School Program calculations for the 2025–26 school year. The changes affected areas including the basic allotment adjustment, small and midsized district funding, career and technical education, P-TECH funding, early education, special education, school safety, and teacher compensation programs.^{[Funding update]}

A statewide funding increase does not translate into the same per-campus program change everywhere. District enrollment, attendance, property values, student classifications, staffing choices, debt obligations, and local budget decisions affect how funds appear in a particular school.

Texas Education Freedom Accounts for 2026–27

Texas Education Freedom Accounts, or TEFA, began with the 2026–27 program year. TEFA is not a type of public school enrollment. It is a state-administered account program for awarded students using approved private schools, home-school arrangements, or other eligible education expenses.

The 2026–27 family application window ran from February 4 through March 31, 2026 and is closed. More than 274,000 applications were received, and awards and waitlist positions were established through the program’s priority and lottery process. Families who did not apply during that window must wait for information about a later application period.

The Texas Education Agency determined the standard 2026–27 participating private-school amount to be $10,474 per child. A qualifying private-school student with an eligible individualized education program may receive additional funding up to $30,000, while a home-schooled or other qualifying nonpublic student may receive up to $2,000.^{[Program amounts]}

An Award May Not Cover the Full Education Cost

• Compare the award with tuition, registration fees, uniforms, books, transportation, meals, therapies, and activity costs.
• Confirm that the school and each intended service provider participate in TEFA.
• Review which expenses are eligible before entering a contract or making a payment.
• Check refund, withdrawal, and unused-fund rules.
• Confirm whether the school offers the student’s required disability services and whether those services carry additional fees.
• Do not assume that an awarded account guarantees admission to a private school.

Private-school students receive funds in installments and must remain enrolled at a participating school for later installments. Home-school or other qualifying students receive the $2,000 amount in one installment under the published 2026–27 funding schedule.

Decisions That Change by Family Situation

A Family Moving to Texas During the School Year

The first task is to identify the district serving the physical address. The family should then contact the assigned campus registrar and provide available identity, residency, immunization, academic, and custody records.

• Ask the former school to send records directly.
• Provide the latest report card or unofficial transcript while official records are pending.
• Request course placement rather than assuming matching course titles.
• Confirm the new grading period and attendance calculation.
• Transfer the individualized education program, Section 504 plan, language records, or health plan immediately.
• Obtain the bus route and start date before the first day of attendance.

A Family Comparing an Assigned Campus With a Charter School

The comparison should not be limited to test scores. An assigned district campus usually offers a predictable right to enroll for residents, while a charter may require an application and lottery. The charter may provide a specialized instructional model but have fewer transportation routes or different extracurricular offerings.

A Student With an IEP Changing Public Schools

Provide the receiving school with the latest individualized education program, full evaluation, progress reports, related-service records, behavior plans, assistive technology information, and transportation provisions. The receiving district should review records promptly and arrange services under applicable transfer rules.

Program names can differ between districts. The central question is whether the receiving placement provides the services required by the student’s plan, not whether the classroom carries the same local title.

A High School Student Arriving From Another State or Country

• Submit an official transcript and available course descriptions.
• Ask how each course was classified for Texas graduation purposes.
• Confirm the student’s cohort or expected graduation year.
• Identify missing Foundation High School Program courses.
• Determine which end-of-course assessments apply.
• Review endorsement options without delaying required credits.
• Ask how the transfer affects grade-point average and class rank.
• Confirm financial aid application or opt-out requirements.

A district can accept a course as elective credit without counting it toward a specific required subject. That distinction can affect the graduation date even when the total number of transferred credits appears sufficient.

A Family Considering Private School or Home School

The family should compare curriculum, accreditation, records, testing, graduation documentation, disability services, transportation, total cost, and the process for returning to public school. A school-choice funding program should be evaluated as one financial component rather than as proof that a placement meets every academic or service need.

What to Verify Before Enrollment or a School Change

Texas Education Records and Program Pages Used

• ↩ Enrollment in Texas Public Schools, 2025–26 — Provides the statewide student total, annual change, economically disadvantaged share, and state-authorized charter figures used in the opening enrollment table. Checked July 28, 2026.
• ↩ Texas prekindergarten registration and enrollment — Sets out the age cutoff, free-program eligibility categories, district obligations, and attendance points described in “Public Prekindergarten Is Eligibility-Based.” Checked July 28, 2026.
• ↩ Texas school board responsibilities — Supports the division of duties between the elected board of trustees, superintendent, and district administration in “Local Boards Govern Independent School Districts.” Checked July 28, 2026.
• ↩ Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills — Defines the statewide academic standards discussed in “TEKS, Course Sequences, and Academic Pathways.” Checked July 28, 2026.
• ↩ Charter school resources for Texas parents and students — Supplies the open-enrollment application, oversubscription lottery, and student-record rules used in “State-Authorized Charter Schools.” Checked July 28, 2026.
• ↩ Home schooling in Texas — Defines the Texas Education Agency’s limited role and the public-school reentry considerations described in “Home Schooling.” Checked July 28, 2026.
• ↩ Texas public school enrollment procedures — Provides the district-locator, residency-document, immunization, transfer, and protected-enrollment information applied in “Enrollment Starts With the Correct District Boundary.” Checked July 28, 2026.
• ↩ Texas state graduation requirements — Supports the Foundation High School Program and financial aid application or opt-out requirement described in “The Texas High School Diploma Path.” Checked July 28, 2026.
• ↩ Texas high school graduation and end-of-course requirements — Lists the Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology, and U.S. History assessments identified in “End-of-Course Assessments Under the Existing System.” Checked July 28, 2026.
• ↩ Texas accelerated instruction requirements — Sets out the support, hour, subject, group-size, and Accelerated Education Plan provisions summarized in “Support After a Score Below Approaches.” Checked July 28, 2026.
• ↩ Spring 2026 STAAR results for Grades 3–8 — Provides the mathematics, reading language arts, social studies, advanced mathematics participation, and science-release timing used in “What the Spring 2026 Results Showed.” Checked July 28, 2026.
• Spring 2026 STAAR end-of-course results — Supplies the U.S. History result and statewide EOC direction stated in “What the Spring 2026 Results Showed.” Checked July 28, 2026.
• ↩ Texas House Bill 8 assessment transition — Confirms the final full STAAR year, the 2027–28 Student Success Tool launch, the three-part Grades 3–8 schedule, and the English II EOC change presented in “STAAR Will Change Beginning in 2027–28.” Checked July 28, 2026.
• ↩ How Texas accountability ratings work — Defines Student Achievement, School Progress, and Closing the Gaps for “How to Read Texas A–F School Ratings.” Checked July 28, 2026.
• ↩ Texas 2025 A–F accountability rating release — Confirms the completed 2025 statewide release and its August 15, 2025 release date for “Use the Correct Rating Year.” Checked July 28, 2026. The 2026 accountability rating system materials supply calculation resources but did not show a completed statewide 2026 release when checked.
• ↩ Texas ARD committee supports — Defines the ARD committee’s evaluation, eligibility, individualized education program, and membership functions described in “Special Education and the ARD Committee.” Checked July 28, 2026.
• ↩ Texas dyslexia requirements and resources — Supports the screening, evaluation, instruction, and handbook effective-date information used in “Dyslexia Screening and Instruction.” Checked July 28, 2026.
• ↩ Changes to emergent bilingual identification and reclassification practices — Provides the 2026–27 operational changes summarized in “Emergent Bilingual Students.” Checked July 28, 2026.
• ↩ Texas student personal communication device requirements — Confirms the effective date, covered devices, school-day prohibition, local storage options, and exceptions described in “Personal Communication Devices During the School Day.” Checked July 28, 2026.
• ↩ House Bill 2 Foundation School Program funding changes — Supplies the 2025–26 formula changes summarized in “House Bill 2 Changed Several Funding Formulas.” Checked July 28, 2026.
• ↩ Texas Education Freedom Account school and award information — Provides the $10,474 participating private-school amount, the disability-related maximum, and the home-school amount used in the 2026–27 program table. The TEFA special education funding explanation defines how qualifying IEP funding depends on district residence and instructional setting. Checked July 28, 2026.
• Texas Education Freedom Account lottery update — Confirms the February 4 through March 31, 2026 application period, application volume, award process, and closure stated in “Texas Education Freedom Accounts for 2026–27.” Checked July 28, 2026.
• Texas Education Freedom Account funding timelines — Supplies the private-school installment schedule and the single-installment home-school arrangement described in “An Award May Not Cover the Full Education Cost.” Checked July 28, 2026.