State Waivers Unit

The State Waivers Unit of the is responsible for the coordination of expedited and general state waivers and class size exceptions. See Texas Education Code , Waivers & Exemptions, for rules.

A district may submit a waiver request using the Waivers application located in the system. If you do not have access to L 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 , enter your contact information, and select State Waivers from the Publications list.

2025-2026 Applications L Availability Dates

Note: Once a new waiver year opens, the prior school year waiver application will no longer be available.

General & Expedited

July 7, 2025

Attendance  (Missed School Day, Low Attendance, ADSY)

August 1, 2025

Bilingual Education Exception/English as a Second Language (ESL) Waiver

August 1, 2025

Class Size

August 25, 2025 

Accelerated Instruction

Anticipated: Late August/Early September

State Waivers Guidebook

The 24-25 Waivers Guidebook is a guide for districts and charter schools that includes information related to available waivers, associated requirements, agency policies, and pertinent resources. (NOTE: the 25-26 Waivers Guidebook is anticipated to be published on August 1, 2025.)

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

General

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 , enter your contact information, and select State Waivers from the Publications list.


 

Related Links 

Contact Information

State Waivers
Phone: (512) 463-9630
Email: waivers@tea.texas.gov

Bilingual Education Exception/ESL Waivers
Phone: (512) 463-9414
Email: EmergentBilingualSupport@tea.texas.gov

Certification Waivers
Phone: (512) 936-8400 (option 2)

Test-Limit Waivers
Phone: (512) 463-9039