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Midway ISD: special-education funding changes and voucher referrals create immediate workload pressure
Summary
Special education leaders told the board that TEA changes (moving to eight tiers in 2026–27) and a surge of roughly 70 voucher/private-school evaluation requests are straining evaluation capacity; the district remains at 100% compliance but warned of timeline pressure and staffing needs.
Lisa Cochran, lead for special populations, told the board Midway’s special education program has been growing and is leveling off; the department completed about 300 initial evaluations last year and reported 100% compliance on state performance plan indicators.
Cochran said Texas Education Agency changes will create an eight-tier funding structure and four to five service groups beginning in the 2026–27 transition year; TEA will collect 2026–27 data for possible adjustment payments, but the tiers, service-group definitions and dollar add-on amounts were not yet defined. Cochran emphasized the district is preparing to “assign students to the highest tier that they qualify for” once TEA finalizes the rules.
The board also heard that the new voucher/choice application window has driven an unexpected surge in evaluation requests from private-school and homeschool families seeking eligibility documentation. Cochran said the district typically sees five or six private-school referrals per year; this spring the district received about 70 such requests for initial evaluations. She noted districts receive reimbursement only for initial evaluations and that reimbursement amounts vary.
On timelines, Cochran reminded trustees that state requirements generally allow 45 school days to complete an initial evaluation and 30 days to convene an IEP meeting; she said that surge, combined with annual re-evaluations already required, is stretching staff capacity and will require triage and prioritization to maintain compliance.
Cochran described district efforts to respond: adjusting schedules, assigning evaluation staff, partnering with local universities for practicum and fieldwork placements, and pursuing long-term partnerships with training programs to develop a pipeline for specialized staff such as occupational therapists and school psychologists.
The board asked clarifying questions about reimbursement, priority for district students and the potential delay risk. Cochran said the district will prioritize in-district students but must process requests from private schools because of the statutory timelines; she said the team is working to keep compliance at 100% while balancing quality of assessments and staffing limits.
Trustees requested continued updates on evaluation workload, reimbursement revenue, and staffing plans as the voucher program and TEA policy changes unfold.
