Monthly Reminders

Accountability & Assessment

• 2026 Final Accountability Ratings and Final Count of Consecutive Years of Unacceptable Performance available in TEAL, TEA website, and TXschools.gov
• TAPR released, Statute requires that each LEAs Board hold a public hearing to discuss the LEAs annual report within 90 calendar days of receiving the PDF TAPR. Winter breaks do not count towards the 90 days. Within 2 weeks following the public meeting, each district must widely publish its annual report, including posting it on the LEA website and other public places. (TEAs Requirement for Posting of Performance FAQ)
• Preliminary Accelerated Student Listing released in TEAL
• Final List of Campuses Identified Under Public Education Grant (PEG) Criteria for 2026–2027 available on the TEA website
• School Report Card released (send home within 6 weeks)
• Federal Report Card released (distributed to campuses, parents, and the public)
• STAAR EOC window opens (November 30th - December 11th)

Career & Technical Education

• Mid-year review of CCMR and IBC progress
• Review and compare the 3rd six weeks principals and superintendent FTE report to in-house report
• Survey CTE students for program interest, career goals, and engagement feedback
• Verify accuracy of PEIMS fall submission for CTE codes and staffing
• Review second semester schedule changes and new semester course offerings
• Prepare for CTE Month in February
• Review career prep and practicum training plans – job changes, new training plans

Certification (Teacher)

• Have your teachers apply to Impact ETX
• Need an updated contact list of possible teacher candidates? Email Kevin Blain
• IMPACT ETX can certify your teachers for FREE! Ask Kevin Blain how.
• Be on the lookout for IMPACT ETX’s NEW Principal Certification! Coming Soon!

Charter Specific

• Charter holder must file audit report disclosing all management company loans
• Prepare for annual governance report; Refer to TEA Charter School Governance website for timeline to submit
• Utilize the All-In-One-Form to update AskTED

DMAC

Federal and State Programs

• December 1st - Substitute System of Federal Time-and-Effort Reporting due (optional system): LEA Management Certification due (to be effective retroactive to July 1st of the same year will remain in effect for 1 year, to June 30th. If submitted after December 1st, effective on the date of submission and remain in effect for 1 year). This applies to all federal programs
• Monitor ESSA program implementation and spending
• Title IV Special Data Collection due on Dec. 1st in SmartSheet, if applicable
• Title II Special Data Collection available in SmartSheet, if applicable
• December 29th - 2025-2026 ESSA Consolidated Grant Federal Final and Revised Final Expenditures report due
• If school system receives Title I, Part D, Subpart 2 funds, ensure completion of SC9000 in eGrants

Finance

• December 1st - Student Transportation Operations Report due
• December 1st - Deadline for reporting election results for a district with school year 2026-2027 local revenue levels in excess of entitlement that held an election during fall 2026. Notify TEA state Funding Division of the option with a certified copy of Board Meeting Minutes showing a canvass of election results
• December 3rd - Second PEIMS (2nd six weeks attendance) due. School systems must report data regarding a student’s eligible days present in the tier of intensity, applicable service group(s), and the average number of minutes per instructional day the student spends in a special education setting for students whose data was not included in the first Attendance Submission. Calculate State Aid using end of 2nd six weeks student data & compare against prior year and budget projections
• *Before Holiday Break- Have board approve Independent Audit Report for September 1st FY
• Publish Schedule C-3 from independent audit in local newspaper
• Mid-December - Review, update and submit Attendance Projections in the FSP system within TEAL (even years)
• December 27th - Debt Transparency Reporting (June 30th FY)
• Develop Budget Adoption Timeline
• For Chapter 49 districts - The Agreement for the Purchase of Attendance Credit contract comes due in Jan., if not netting, verify date. Specific board meeting minutes language required. Submit online in the TEAL - FSP System. CAD Cost, District Partner Data, Tuition & Payment Options must be submitted in the TEAL - FSP system online. Download and review the Options and Procedures for Local Revenue in Excess of Entitlement (manual) for additional information

Food & Nutrition

• December 2 - Join the Monthly School Call
• December 5 - Check Texas ELMS for new DC data
• December 31 (Date not final) - FSMC New Contracts must be submitted to TDA for approval.
• USDA Foods Usage Analysis

General Curriculum

Head Start

• Food Service and Substitute Reimbursement Forms for prior month should be submitted by December 10

Health, Nurse, and PE

• School Health:
  • Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) | TEC§22.902; DMA(LEGAL) requires
    • CPR & AED instruction must be made available to employees as frequently as required by local policy
    • Monthly - Check AED and CPR certification is up to date for every school nurse, assistant school nurse, athletic coach or sponsor, physical education instructor, marching band director, cheerleading coach, and any other employee specified by the commissioner, and each student who serves as an athletic trainer
  • Immunization Status Reporting
    • On or about December 13th is the deadline for the submission of the Annual Report of Immunization Status for kindergarten and 7th grade students each year to the Texas Department of State Health Services; the report may only be entered from October 25th to December 13th. Immunization reporting is disabled at other times of the year.
    • The staff who maintain immunization records should complete the ARIS for the district.
  • Note: These dates have been predicted based on the 2025-2026 calendar

Human Resources

• Clear all Fatal and Warning errors to finalize and secure the PEIMS Fall Resubmission data
• Reconcile HRIS names and Social Security numbers with Payroll data to ensure total accuracy for upcoming W-2 tax processing
• Review teacher certifications to monitor expirations and ensure credentials remain active through the mid-year transition
• Review all One-Semester Only contracts and temporary assignments to determine extension, transition, or end-of-assignment logistics
• Process all mid-year exit paperwork and promptly issue Texas Service Records for departing staff members
• Recognize and celebrate mid-year retirees to honor their service to the district before they officially step away
• Draft preliminary enrollment and staffing projections as the foundation for the upcoming spring budgeting and recruitment cycles
• Establish a workflow to monitor mail for unemployment claims during the winter break to ensure the district meets strict Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) response deadlines
• Attend the TASPA Personnel Law Conference for critical legal and legislative updates
• Participate in the TASPA Winter Conference to network and collaborate on upcoming spring hiring strategies

Leadership & Instructional Foundations for Texas (LIFT)

Migrant - Title I, Part C

• Take a moment to explore the Parents and Families section of the TMEP Portal! This section has been redesigned to make it easier for families to quickly locate the information they need. All resources are available in both English and Spanish.

Military-Connected Student Support

• Who Are Military-Connected Students?
  • Texas is home to one of the largest populations of military-connected students in the nation:
  • Over 240,000 military-connected students are enrolled in Texas public and open-enrollment charter schools.
  • Every school region in Texas has identified military-connected students.
  • On average, military-connected children move 6 to 9 times during their K–12 education.
  • Approximately 30% of these students are between the ages of 6 and 11.
  • Children from military families are twice as likely as their civilian peers to serve in the Armed Forces as adults.

Perkins V Grant

School Board

• Update trustees’ contact information and terms on the district website. Verify each trustee’s name, public email, term dates, and board-chair identification in AskTED by December 1, 2026; update within 30 days after a new trustee is sworn in and whenever the chair changes.
• Register new trustees for New Board Member/Candidate Training on December 7, 2026, 9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m., Region 7 ESC Aspen Room (Workshop #422602).
• Schedule required Team Building/EISO training with your Field Service Agent. Review remaining requirements using TEA’s trustee-training chart and retain completion certificates.
• Complete required parental-rights and school-safety training using the current 2026–27 TEALearn courses; review TEA’s applicable timelines for new and continuing trustees.
• Post trustee training hours (military districts only).
• *Complete Board Self-Evaluation (recommended).
• Save the date: School Board Summit, July 16–17, 2027, at Region 7 ESC. Registration and additional details are forthcoming.

School Safety

Special Education

• By the second PEIMS Attendance Submission reporting period (2nd Six Weeks Attendance), due December 3rd, school systems must report data regarding a student’s eligible days present in the tier of intensity, applicable service group(s), and the average number of minutes per instructional day the student spends in a special education setting for students whose data was not included in the first Attendance Submission. The begin date for these students will still be the 1st day of the school year, unless an Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee meeting results in a revision to the student’s IEP services that affects the tier of intensity, service group(s), or minutes in a special education setting. By the second PEIMS Attendance Submission, eligible days present will be reported for both the instructional arrangement/setting and the tier of intensity for all students served in special education and who are eligible for funding.
• School systems report eligible days present for the instructional arrangement/setting and the tier of intensity, service group(s), and average number of minutes per instructional day the student spends in a special education setting for all reporting periods in the PEIMS Summer Submission (even for those students whose tier of intensity data was not reported in the first PEIMS Attendance Submission)
• 2025-2026 Special Education Consolidated Grant Federal (IDEA-B Formula, IDEA-B Preschool, IDEA-B Discretionary Deaf, IDEA-B ARP Formula, IDEA-B ARP Preschool) Final and Revised Final Expenditures report due December 29th
• RDSPD fiscal agent must send written RDSPD Annual Submission Letter if there are to be no changes to the current RDSPD SSA for the following school year to TEA’s Department of Special Education Programs due by December 1st
• Written notification of a new RDSPD SSA or a change to the configuration of an existing RDSPD SSA is due to TEA by June 1st in order for the change to be effective in the subsequent fiscal year
• All RF Tracker data up to this point must be promoted, validated, and fatal free due by December 11th
• Monitor special education expenditures from the general fund to ensure on track for MOE (Maintenance of Effort) compliance

Superintendent's Office

• Verify completion of the December 1, 2026, AskTED trustee-information update and update other district information as needed.
• Submit the LASO Cycle 5 application by December 1, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Central. Review program requirements, assurances, and application resources; use the superintendent’s unique application link.
• Certify and submit attendance projections for 2027–28 and 2028–29 in the Foundation School Program through TEAL by midnight December 15, 2026. Review TEA’s instructions, including special-education tiers/service groups and applicable ADSY assumptions.
• Evaluate State Compensatory Education.
• Confirm UIL membership dues have been paid. Payment is required before October 1; unpaid fees before January 1 may result in membership termination (UIL Constitution and Contest Rules §13).
• Review DFBB (LEGAL & LOCAL) for non-renewals.
• Implement winter-break maintenance and security protocols, including IT.
• Plan ahead: Register for the January 13, 2027, Superintendents’/RAC Meeting, 10:00 a.m.–noon, at Nacogdoches ISD Professional Development Center (Workshop #335928). Consult the 2026–27 RAC agendas and superintendent meeting calendar for materials and updates.

Teacher Incentive Allotment

Technology Services - E-RATE

• The 2027 E-Rate Form 470 Filing Window opened on July 1, 2026
  • While there is no closing date established yet for the filing window, remember you must allow 28 days before the closing date, to certify your Form 470.
• The Administrative window opened Wednesday, October 21, 2026 and will close shortly before the FY2027 FCC Form 471 application filing window opens in early 2027.
  • The Administrative window allows for changes to your student data, which can affect funding.
  • Now is a good time to login to EPC and check that your student data is correct

Texas Student Data System (TSDS) / PEIMS

• PEIMS Attendance Submission: 2nd Six Weeks Attendance closes on December 3rd
• PEIMS Fall Submission: First submission due to ESC-7 for LEAs on December 3rd
• PEIMS Fall Submission: Requests to retire Unique IDs closes on December 4th
• PEIMS Fall Submission: First submission closes for LEAs and ESCs on December 10th
• RFT Collection: All RF Tracker data up to this point must be promoted, validated, and fatal free on December 11th
• PEIMS Mid-Year Submission: Ready for users to complete, approve, and accept submissions on December 21st
• PEIMS Attendance Submission: 2nd Six Weeks Attendance data available to customers on December 31st

Transportation

• Transportation Operations Report due electronically by December 1st