Arlington ISD trustees heard an Oct. 16 update on the district’s study of the Texas Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) as staff weigh whether to apply for a limited pilot and eventual district participation.

The district’s TIA steering committee — a cross‑functional group including Office of School Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction, Special Education, Human Resources, Academic Services, Communications and Research & Accountability — has guided focus groups, principal sessions and campus feedback. Dallas Johnson, who presented the update, said the 2025 legislative session changed TIA rules and funding levels and that Region 11 and the Texas Education Agency are expanding technical support for districts beginning or refining TIA systems.

Why it matters: Several nearby DFW districts already participate in TIA funding. Staff said 51 of 94 Region 11 districts were implementing TIA and another 15–20 districts were expected to apply, meaning roughly 70% participation in the region. Trustees said that regional adoption raises recruitment and retention issues for Arlington ISD if it does not participate.

Staff proposal and timeline: The steering committee identified 24 campuses with the greatest staffing and retention needs as recommended pilot sites; participation would be a campus opt‑in decision. District staff said a limited pilot would allow the district to test systems, data capture and payout structures before a larger rollout. Johnson told trustees that if the district applied in April 2026 the application and approval process takes multiple years; a data‑capture year follows approval and funding would be received roughly two years after application approval.

Trustee questions and data requests: Trustees asked for additional data, including how many district teachers would already meet new state distinctions and how many classrooms or teachers are likely to be impacted. Trustee Wilbanks requested analysis on the new “acknowledged” designation and how many teachers would qualify under current measures; staff said they did not yet have that specific data but would collect it. Trustee Mike and others emphasized the program’s potential to aid recruitment and retention and asked for details on weighting, student‑growth measures and how the program would treat hard‑to‑measure subjects and special education teachers.

Staff emphasized next steps: broader district engagement through November, deeper campus-level conversations with the 24 recommended pilot sites, and additional teacher and principal feedback sessions ahead of a March recommendation to the board.

No formal action was taken; trustees asked staff to return with the requested eligibility, impact and fidelity metrics before the spring decision point.