Duncanville ISD board approves waiver request to align Collegiate Academy schedule with Dallas College

The Duncanville Independent School District Board of Trustees voted to submit a waiver to the Texas Education Agency asking that instructional minutes earned by Collegiate Academy students at Dallas College be counted toward the state requirement so those students will not have to be on the Duncanville High School campus on Fridays if the waiver is approved.

The request, presented by Mr. Graham, sought board approval “to submit a waiver to the Texas Education Agency for Duncanville High School Collegiate Academy.” Graham said the waiver is intended to align the district calendar with Dallas College’s Monday–Thursday schedule and “ensure full state funding for our students in the dual credit program.”

The waiver responds to a Texas Education Code attendance-accounting rule that requires districts to document 75,600 minutes of instruction per school year. District staff told trustees that Dallas College operates a Monday–Thursday schedule that already provides the college course minutes but that, under state rules, students still must appear on the high school campus on Fridays for attendance accounting unless the district receives a specific waiver from TEA.

Why it matters: If the waiver is granted, students who take dual credit at Dallas College would be able to attend their college classes Monday–Thursday and use Friday as a flex day for coursework, academic support or extracurriculars while still counting as full time for attendance funding. District staff emphasized the waiver is intended to avoid an attendance‑accounting shortfall while aligning students’ schedules with the college calendar.

Discussion and implementation details: Trustees raised questions about parental notification, student accountability, and how the district would manage Fridays if many families choose to keep students at home. Dr. Statz, the Collegiate Academy principal, described current local arrangements: 11th graders are “primarily in the east seminar” and the senior group is placed in other shared spaces; she said the program currently houses 105 juniors and 77 seniors in those shared areas and that those students report to the Collegiate program on Fridays for supervised study. Statz said students who are not progressing academically or who require additional support would be required to attend on Fridays.

Graham described the intended implementation if TEA approves the waiver: students would sign in and out at Dallas College Monday–Thursday; Fridays would be a flexible day for coursework, academic support or extracurricular participation; and parents would receive a communication at the start of the year with an option to request that a student continue to attend on Fridays. Trustees and staff repeatedly said the district would retain authority to require any student to attend on Fridays if their academic standing or participation in extracurriculars makes attendance necessary.

Trustees also pressed for more family communications before implementation. Trustee Savage Martin said she would prefer parents receive information before the board vote; staff replied they had worked on materials and planned a communication plan to follow approval and TEA action. Trustees asked staff to return with a timeline for TEA review; staff said they would report the expected approval timeframe after filing.

Vote and next steps: The board approved filing the waiver by a 4–2 vote. The waiver’s effect is contingent on TEA’s review and approval; if approved, the district plans to implement a written parent notification and an opt‑in/opt‑out system and to require Fridays for scholars who are academically at risk. The board asked staff to provide the expected TEA response time once the waiver is submitted.

Sources: District presentation and Q&A during the meeting, including statements by Mr. Graham and Dr. Statz. The board’s action authorized the waiver submission but did not itself change daily attendance rules until TEA rules are received.