The Texas Education Agency recently released details regarding assistance for districts with low attendance rates at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year. If it helps provide additional funding, TEA will adjust ADA for the first six weeks of the school year according to the attendance rate that is the lesser of either the first six weeks of SY 2019-20 or the average of the final three six weeks grading periods from SY 2021-22.
Will that help your district? It’s hard to say at this time as attendance rates for the second semester of the current school year are unknown. Attendance rates are known for the 2019-20 school year, so you could start there.
If your district is struggling with lower than usual enrollment (as opposed to attendance), then this waiver will not be as helpful. It addresses low attendance rates.
No districts will be granted low attendance waivers for the first six weeks of the 2021-22 school year, as this new adjustment will be used during that time period instead. At this time, the remaining five six-week grading periods do not qualify for the adjustment, so low attendance waivers are available and may be granted, so that certain days during that period are excluded from the calculation of ADA.
