The State Waivers Unit of the Texas Education Agency is responsible for the coordination of expedited and general state waivers and class size exceptions. See Texas Education Code (TEC) §7.056, Waivers & Exemptions, for rules.
A district may submit a waiver request using the Waivers application located in the Texas Education Agency Login (TEAL) system. If you do not have access to TEAL or the Waivers application, see the State Waivers Guidebook (linked below) for instructions.
A State Waivers Division mailing list has been established to provide e-mail notifications of important deadlines and website updates. To subscribe, go to the TEA email updates page, enter your contact information, and select State Waivers from the Publications list.
2026-2027 Applications TEAL Availability Dates
Note: Once a new waiver year opens, the prior school year waiver application will no longer be available.
General & Expedited
July 7, 2026
(Note: as of 3/4/26, a Staff Development Minutes Waiver may be requested for the 2026-2027 school year using the 2025-2026 waiver application.)
Attendance (Missed School Day, Low Attendance, ADSY)
August 1, 2026
Bilingual Education Exception/English as a Second Language (ESL) Waiver
To be determined
Class Size
To be determined
Accelerated Instruction
To be determined
State Waivers Guidebook
The 25-26 Waivers Guidebook is a guide for districts and charter schools that includes information related to available waivers, associated requirements, agency policies, and pertinent resources.
Waiver FAQs
Waiver Categories
Most waiver types are placed into one of four categories:
- Expedited Waivers are waivers that require basic information from the district.
- General Waivers are waivers that require detailed information surrounding the district's waiver request.
- Attendance Waivers include Missed School Days, Low Attendance Days, and Additional Days School Year (ADSY) waivers. The district or campus can request a waiver for excused absences if instructional days are missed or if attendance is low due to weather, health, or safety issues.
- Maximum Class Size Exception is required under the provision of TEC §25.112 if any class for grades PK-4 exceeds the allowable class size limit of 22 students per class (22:1). An exception expires at the end of the school year for which it is granted.
Waiver Types
The following list shows the different waiver types and links to their description:
Expedited
- Foreign Exchange Student Waiver (Request 5 or more)
- Modified Schedule State Assessment Testing Days Waiver
- Staff Development Waiver
- Teacher Portal for the Texas Assessment Program Data Waiver
General
- Accelerated Instruction Waiver
- Bilingual Education Exception and English as a Second Language (ESL) Waiver
- Certification for Superintendent/Teacher/Other than Classroom Teacher Waiver
- Course Requirement Waiver
- Course Requirement Career and Technical Education (CTE) Waiver
- Pregnancy Related Services On-Campus (CEH) Waiver
- Remote Conferencing Instruction/Remote Homebound Instruction Waiver
- School Safety Waiver
- Other Specific Waivers
Attendance
A State Waivers Division mailing list has been established to provide e-mail notifications of important deadlines and website updates. To subscribe, go to the TEA email updates page, enter your contact information, and select State Waivers from the Publications list.
Related Links
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- TEAL Waivers Access Instructions
- Waivers Online Report - Displays the Status of Waiver Requests
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