Tyler ISD curriculum staff explain new Texas IMRA process and funding incentives
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Summary
Curriculum staff briefed the board on the Instructional Materials Review Approval (IMRA) process established under House Bill 1605, explained which district materials made the state-approved list and described budget implications.
Tyler ISD curriculum leaders told the Board of Trustees that a new state approval process for instructional materials — the Instructional Materials Review Approval (IMRA) process enacted under House Bill 1605 — will shape future curriculum choices and create per-student funding incentives for materials that appear on the state’s approved list.
Curriculum staff said the State Board of Education approved an initial MRR (state-approved materials) list in November 2024 covering phonics (K–3), reading language arts (K–5) and K–Algebra I math. Tyler ISD’s Reading Horizons phonics program and the STEMscopes K–8 math curriculum are on that list. Staff explained that the district will receive an additional $40 per student for materials on the list (the Instructional Materials Allotment remains the core funding source and is not changed in amount).
The presentation explained the difference between the new state-developed Bluebonnet Learning Curriculum (the state’s bundled option for math and reading) and vendor materials: Bluebonnet is available now for districts to adopt, but staff recommended waiting before switching because it is new and lacks implementation data. Adopting Bluebonnet would bring a smaller one-time or annual printing-related incentive (staff said roughly an additional $20 per student for print services) but would require change management across campuses.
Trustees asked about the frequency of future updates and the state’s timeline for TEKS revisions and MRR list cycles; curriculum staff said the state published a multi-year timeline for future reviews and MRR list development, and that the district will continue to follow local approval processes before adopting new materials. Staff said the district will budget around changes and use the additional per-student funding tied to approved materials to free IMA funds for other instructional needs.
Board members noted the district’s earlier shift to phonics and cautioned about switching materials too rapidly; staff reiterated that the district will plan adoptions and evaluate data before making changes.
