Bilingual Education Exception and ESL Waiver Resources

 Application Requirements

• Local Education Agencies (LEAs), including school districts, districts of innovation, and open-enrollment charter schools that are unable to provide the appropriately certified teachers to implement the bilingual program must request from the commissioner of education an exception for the bilingual program and approval to offer temporary alternative methods as per 19 TAC §89.1207(a). 
• Local Education Agencies (LEAs), including school districts, districts of innovation, and open-enrollment charter schools that are unable to provide the appropriately certified teachers to implement the ESL program must request from the commissioner of education a waiver for the ESL program and approval to offer temporary alternative methods as per 19 TAC §89.1207(b).
• All Bilingual Exception and ESL Waiver submissions are due on or before November 1, 2024, using the Texas Education Agency Login Application.  
• The district's Bilingual/ESL contact person in collaboration with the Human Resources contact person, may complete the exception/waiver application, but the application includes an assurance that the superintendent has reviewed and approved the completed application before submission.

Contact the Emergent Bilingual Support Division with any questions related to the Bilingual Exception and/or ESL Waiver requirements and application process at EmergentBilingualSupport@tea.texas.gov.  

Instructions 

• File Bilingual Exceptions and/or ESL Waivers on the Texas Education Agency Login Wavier Platform 
• State Waivers Guidebook
• The Cyclical Process for Bilingual Exceptions and ESL Waivers Manual 

Resources

• Frequently-Asked-Questions (FAQ): HUB (Updated 2024)
• Bilingual Education Exception Scenario Chain (PDF) 
• English as a Second Language (ESL) Waiver Scenario Chain (PDF) 
• Allowable Use of Bilingual Education Allotment (BEA) Funds for the Comprehensive Professional Development Plan (PDF)
• Bilingual/ESL Certification Pathways (PDF)