Duncanville ISD to seek TEA waiver allowing some staff development minutes to count as instructional minutes
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Summary
Trustees authorized submission of a staff development (student-instructional-minute) waiver to the Texas Education Agency to protect state funding and avoid make-up days; the measure passed 7-0.
The board approved a request to submit a staff development waiver to the Texas Education Agency that would allow designated staff development minutes to be counted toward required student instructional minutes for the 2024-25 school year.
Mister Graham explained the waiver (also called the student instructional minute waiver) would allow the district to convert approved professional development time into instructional minutes on approved dates, helping the district remain in compliance with the 75,600-minute statutory requirement and preserving state funding if unforeseen closures occur. He said Duncanville's calendar currently totals 75,600 minutes and that the district has held three staff development days totaling 1,260 minutes; those minutes could be added back to the instructional total, producing 76,860 minutes if the waiver is approved.
Trustees asked whether the waiver is normally requested in advance and about funding consequences; administration replied it provides both operational flexibility and funding protection and that advanced planning is preferable but staff had done the homework to submit this year and recover transportation funding. The board voted 7-0 to submit the waiver request to TEA.
