The Texas Education Agency is giving school districts and charter schools a reprieve from potential loss of funding if they had low daily attendance rates earlier in the school year, according to a policy announcement last month.
The adjustment for funding purposes applies to just the first 24 weeks of the 2021-22 school year and does not hold districts harmless for lower average daily attendance rates (ADA) due to enrollment declines.
Other states have also altered policies that tie funding to attendance or enrollment in light of student and staff COVID-19 quarantines, staff shortages and other pandemic hardships. School finance and equity experts, however, warn such policy changes should emphasize the importance of consistent and equitable access to in-person instruction.
