The new Texas Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) program gives families about $10,000 for non‑public school education, but children with special needs can receive as much as $30,000 if they have a current Individualized Education Program (IEP). Because the IEP must be completed through the public school district where the child resides, parents are being told to act quickly.
Why timing matters
Inga Cotton, founder of the education‑resource group School Discovery Network, explained that districts are fielding a surge of evaluation requests. “They’re not only serving the students who want to go to private school and receive additional funds, but they’re also serving all the students who live in their district,” she said.
Cotton expects the TEFA application window to follow last year’s schedule, opening in January and closing in March. Families whose IEPs are not finalized by the deadline may be limited to the basic $10,500 amount instead of the higher special‑needs allocation.
Get the IEP assessment early
To avoid missing out, Cotton recommends parents submit a written request for an evaluation by October. “There’s all these waiting periods that happen and those are by law, so you can’t rush it,” she said. “The parent requests in writing, then the district has a period to respond, then there’s a period where they observe the student and gather data, followed by an ARD meeting.”
Requests can be sent to the district’s special‑education coordinator or an administrator such as the principal. Email is preferred because it creates a time‑stamped record.
How to describe your child’s needs
Cotton cautions parents against asking for a specific diagnosis in the request. Instead, she suggests describing observable concerns: “I tried to read with my child and they’re not understanding the words,” or “I tried to make eye contact and they won’t look back,” or “they’re not playing with other kids the way I would expect them to.” This lets the district’s experts conduct their own assessments.
If a private counselor has already diagnosed the child, parents should include that information, but Cotton notes that a private diagnosis alone does not satisfy TEFA requirements. The public‑school evaluation and resulting IEP are still required.
IEP validity and next steps
IEPs can be created for children as young as three years old. Existing IEPs remain valid for three years, so families should verify the document’s date to determine whether a new evaluation is needed.
Parents interested in applying for TEFA funds should contact their local school district promptly and stay alert for the state’s official application timeline.
Original reporting: San Antonio, TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
