Freight Information

Legislation requires that Texas Education Agency (TEA) is responsible for the payment of freight to ensure that Texas local education agencies (LEAs) have access to instructional materials purchased using Instructional Materials and Technology Allotment (IMTA) funds.

Freight payment procedures differ according to:

Ordering method: Materials purchased through an EMAT requisition are handled differently than materials purchased directly from the publisher.
Shipment weight: Different instructions apply to shipments weighing more than 150 pounds.

To find out which rules apply to a specific shipment, first determine:

Are the materials purchased through an EMAT requisition or directly from the publisher?

Instructional materials may be purchased using Instructional Materials and Technology Allotment (IMTA) funds through either an EMAT requisition (request for state-adopted instructional materials) or through a disbursement process—and the freight procedures differ for each type of purchase.

Freight procedures for materials purchased through an EMAT requisition:

The LEA uses the EMAT system to order the desired instructional materials, and TEA pays the publisher directly.

When purchasing instructional materials through an EMAT requisition using IMTA funds, the freight payment is also made through EMAT; however, the freight procedures differ depending on shipment weight.

Shipment Weight Over 150 Pounds	Shipment Weight 150 Pounds or Less
Publisher charges district freight costs: Check with the LEA to determine if they have a preferred freight provider at a cheaper price than the publisher can provide. LEA submits a disbursement request for reimbursement: Enter EMAT purchase order number and publisher name in the long description field of the freight category on the disbursement request.	Publisher contacts FedEx to arrange shipment. No action from the LEA is required. Instructions for publishers: Submit a Help Desk ticket for the appropriate account number. Contact FedEx directly (1-800-463-3393). Include the EMAT purchase order number on the shipping documents.

Freight procedures for materials purchased directly from the publisher:

The freight contracts that apply to requisition purchases through EMAT do not apply to orders that LEAs submit directly to publishers.

When ordering instructional materials directly from the publisher, freight costs are charged to the LEA. Then the LEA can submit a IMTA disbursement request in EMAT to be reimbursed from the state freight fund. A disbursement is a request placed within EMAT to receive funds electronically to pay for items, services, or freight charges contracted outside of EMAT.

When requesting reimbursement, put the transaction ID of the disbursement request and the publisher name in the long description of the freight disbursement request.

For intrastate (within Texas) or interstate (out-of-state) freight charges disbursement categories: Enter the purchase order (PO) number or the transaction ID number associated with the freight.

For shipping costs disbursement category: Enter the transaction ID the freight is associated with.

Freight disbursement requests that are approved in the same payment period are grouped together for one payment. For example, if a district entered a $50 freight request in disbursement A and a $100 freight request in disbursement B, the LEA will receive one $150 payment. The same document number, payment ID, payment date, and amount will show on the View Payment Information link for both disbursement requests. LEAs will not see freight payments on their allotment report.

Contact Information

Instructional Materials and Implementation Division
1701 North Congress Avenue, Room 3-110
Austin, Texas 78701-1494