Tomball ISD outlines shift to state‑approved IMRA instructional materials; districts face limited vendor options now

Dr. Michael Webb, Tomball ISD chief academic officer, briefed the board on changes to how Texas school districts acquire and fund instructional materials under the IMTA (Instructional Materials and Technology Allotment) and the new IMRA (Instructional Materials Review and Approval) process created by House Bill 1605.

Webb told trustees that Tomball ISD historically received about $3.5 million in IMTA funding and that districts will now use the IMRA process — a TEA‑led review culminating in State Board of Education approvals — to requisition materials with state entitlement funds. He described major distinctions: IMRA approval requires 100% alignment to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), suitability and factual‑accuracy reviews, and a parent portal for transparency.

Under the new process, Webb said districts have accrued funds in the State Board of Education Instructional Materials Entitlement Fund (Tomball’s balance cited as roughly $1.6 million) and can begin spending on materials that appear on TEA’s IMRA approved list. Webb noted the approved list is currently limited: he said only one commercial vendor was approved for comprehensive reading/language arts and math in both English and Spanish at present, and TEA has produced a Bluebonnet product (English reading, K‑5) that districts can requisition.

Webb described local steps the district will take before buying from the state list: convene review committees of teachers, leaders and parents; score available products; and place recommended items on the TEKS certification list for board notification in April. He said the district has 18 active adoptions under current contracts (examples given: reading/language arts adoption with HMH through the 2026–27 school year; science STEMscopes contracted through 2028–29) and that IMRA’s approved list is expected to grow over the next several years to include CTE, fine arts and character education materials.

Board members asked whether IMTA funds would disappear; Webb clarified that IMTA funding continues but that, in the future, districts will only be able to use IMTA dollars to purchase materials that are IMRA‑approved. Trustees also sought clarification about TEA’s Bluebonnet product and the current limited vendor pool; Webb said the approved list will expand over time but that, for now, districts choosing IMRA‑approved materials will have fewer immediate options.

No board action was requested; Webb said any requisition of IMRA materials will be routed through local review processes and presented to the board as required.