The Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced Monday that Commissioner of Education Mike Morath has exercised his authority to authorize an adjustment in average daily attendance (ADA) for certain districts affected by Hurricane Harvey.

“Many of our school systems have seen major disruptions in their communities because of Hurricane Harvey,” said Commissioner Morath. “This one-time adjustment is meant to bring some certainty for the remainder of this school year as school leaders face a number of major financial decisions following this devastating storm.”

“Many Texas schools have suffered setbacks following Hurricane Harvey, but Texas is committed to ensuring that our students continue to receive the best education possible,” Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement provided by TEA. “I commend Commissioner Morath and the Texas Education Agency for their efforts to get our students back on track and helping ease the burdens on school districts impacted by the storm. We will continue to work diligently to limit disruption in education while our schools and communities continue to recover and rebuild.”

Under the current school finance system, ADA is a critical component used to determine the level of state funding to which each district is entitled. Many districts lost students as a result of widespread displacement caused by the storm. The resulting decline in ADA means these districts would likely face the loss of state funding or increased recapture rates. The adjustment authorized by Commissioner Morath is intended to prevent major decreases in state funding to these districts during the 2017-2018 school year.

This one-time adjustment applies to eligible districts within the 60 counties listed under Governor Abbott’s state disaster declaration. Eligible districts and charter schools within the Harvey disaster zone must also meet the following criteria:

• The school district or charter school has had damage to at least one campus which has resulted in a disruption of instruction lasting two or more weeks, OR
• The school district or charter school had instructional facilities that were closed for the nine or 10 hurricane related waiver days; AND
• The school district or charter school must complete the Governor’s Commission to Rebuild Texas Worksheet by Oct. 27, 2017.

Additional factors will be considered on a case-by-case basis. In September, the agency promised districts and charters would continue to receive full payments based on their individual Legislative Payment Estimates (LPE). Under the adjustment, according to the TEA, “The commissioner will hold affected districts and charters harmless to a projected ADA number calculated using a three-year average trend from the 2014–2015 through 2016–2017 school years, unless this projection is both 15% higher and 100 ADA higher than the 2017-2018 LPE projections. In the latter case, 2017-2018 LPE will be used. This calculation is included in the attached spreadsheet.”

“The Texas House wants to make sure that schools are not punished for enrollment declines caused by Harvey,” said Texas Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio). “This decision will provide funding certainty for schools as they continue to cope with Harvey’s aftermath and as legislators look closely at other ways the storm affected public education. I want to thank Commissioner Morath for listening to the concerns raised by House members on behalf of their constituents.”

The agency also released a full list of school districts affected by the hurricane. On the same day, the agency announced additional funding to help provide transportation for students displaced by the storm. More information regarding ADA adjustments can be found on the TEA website. The commissioner has also authorized waivers for missed school days as a result of Harvey.