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Bryan ISD outlines local adoption plan as Texas shifts textbook review under House Bill 16-05
Summary
District leaders described the state's new Instructional Materials Review (IMRA) process under House Bill 16-05, explained funding changes (including a new $40-per-student entitlement), and said Bryan ISD will form committees in January to review K—8 math and other materials.
District curriculum leaders told the board that statewide changes to instructional-materials adoption will change how Bryan ISD selects and funds classroom resources.
Dr. Barbara Evara, associate superintendent of teaching and learning, and Jana Wenzel, assistant director of technology and resources, reviewed House Bill 16-05 and the State Board of Education's new Instructional Materials Review Authority (IMRA). They said the old proclamation cycle is gone and has been replaced by a continuous review with more rigorous rubrics; publishers must now show implementation-quality materials, include lesson plans and progress-monitoring guidance, provide parent transparency portals, and cover 100% of the TEKS for an adopted grade or subject.
Wenzel and curriculum staff told trustees that the IMRA process gives districts more flexibility but requires careful timing: publishers will be able to submit in successive years, so early local adoption could mean paying for a product that a different publisher later outperforms. To respond, the district will form a local review committee and hold community review opportunities; the board intends for teachers to score products against local rubrics and recommend purchases only when they meet local expectations.
Finance staff described three funding "buckets" the district will use: the ongoing Instructional Materials & Technology Allotment (IMTA) (currently projected at about $2.8 million for the district), a new entitlement of $40 per student per year that can be used for IMRA-approved materials and accumulates, and a $20-per-student bucket for state-developed materials that expires each year. Staff said the $40 entitlement began flowing in the 2023 school year and that district leaders can save those funds if they delay adoption for a subject.
Trustees asked about public access to materials. Wenzel said publishers will provide parent-portal links and the district will post those links and, where available, hard-copy samples for local review. District staff said they plan to convene a K—8 math review committee in January, make materials available for teacher and community review, and return a recommendation to the board for approval.
The presentation was informational; no adoption vote was taken at this meeting.
