Instructional Materials Ordering for the 2017-2018 School Year
February 14, 2017
TO THE ADMINISTRATOR ADDRESSED:
SUBJECT: Instructional Materials Ordering for the 2017−2018 School Year
The educational materials ordering system known as EMAT will close at 12:00 p.m. CST on April 3, 2017. School districts and open-enrollment charter schools should place orders for instructional materials needed for the 2016−2017 school year on or before April 3, 2017. EMAT will reopen for ordering materials for the 2017−2018 school year on May 1, 2017.
Districts and charters are required to certify annually to the State Board of Education and the commissioner that, for each subject in the required curriculum other than physical education, students have access to instructional materials that cover all the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Districts and charters will be unable to order 2017−2018 instructional materials through EMAT until the certification has been received by the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
The required Instructional Materials Allotment and TEKS Certification is available in EMAT. Instructions to access and process the form are available on the EMAT announcement page.
The certification form must be presented to the district’s or charter’s local board of trustees or governing body. The superintendent, board president, and board secretary are required to sign the form before it is submitted to TEA. The signed certification form can be scanned and emailed to the TEA instructional materials mailbox at instructional.materials@tea.texas.gov.
The 2018−2019 biennial instructional materials allotment (IMA) will be calculated and placed into EMAT accounts when appropriations have been made by the 85th Texas Legislature. The following options will be available to purchase instructional materials for the 2017−2018 school year prior to that time:
- Any unexpended funds from previous years (carry-over funds) may be used to purchase materials.
- Districts and charter schools may spend local funds and be reimbursed through disbursements when their 2018−2019 biennial funding becomes available. However, school officials should be aware that the local education agency (LEA) will be responsible for any purchases that cause them to exceed their available EMAT balance (as it will stand after the 2018−2019 biennial allotments are added) or that are not for allowable IMA expenses.
Although the amount of each LEA’s IMA will be reflected in EMAT as early as possible this summer, the funds will not actually be available until after September 1, 2017. A delayed-payment option, authorized by the Texas Education Code, §31.0215, allows districts to requisition and receive state-adopted instructional materials before the IMA funds for those materials are available if the publisher has agreed to participate in the option. Information regarding which publishers will participate in the delayed-payment option will be available in EMAT when it opens for the new year. The delayed-payment option can be used for up to 80 percent of a district’s IMA. Once the 2018−2019 biennium funds become available, TEA will prioritize delayed-payment requisitions over any disbursement requests made directly by a district or charter school.
Districts may order adopted accessible instructional materials (AIM) for students with print disabilities through EMAT at any time after it opens in May. Braille, large-print, and audio instructional materials remain the property of the state and are not paid for through a district’s IMA. Districts that choose to purchase non-adopted instructional materials should remember that, should braille, large-print, or audio versions be required by a student’s individualized education plan or 504 plan, the district will be required to provide those using IMA or local funds.
If you have any questions, please contact the Instructional Materials Division at (512) 463-9601 or instructional.materials@tea.texas.gov.
Sincerely,
Monica G. Martinez
Associate Commissioner
Standards and Support Services