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Overview

This communication provides guidance on the new requirement for school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to annually certify compliance with specified laws under , as established by Senate Bill (SB) 12, 89th Texas Legislature.

School systems should take the following actions to ensure timely compliance with this new requirement:

• review local policies and procedures to ensure alignment with (Prohibition on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Duties) and (Certain Instructional Requirements and Prohibitions);
• document how district or school employees and contractors were notified of these policies and procedures;
• compile descriptions of any changes made to existing policies, programs, procedures, or trainings that were altered to comply with these statutes, as well as any cost savings the district gained based on these actions;
• prepare a certification of compliance that includes all required statutory components for board approval; and
• beginning in July, submit the board-approved certification electronically through AskTED no later than September 30.

Certification Requirements

Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, each school system must submit a board-approved certification of compliance to the �鶹ԭ�� no later than September 30 of each school year. Pursuant to TEC, §39.008, the annual certification must:

• be approved by a majority vote of the board of trustees or governing body at a public meeting that includes an opportunity for public testimony and for which notice was posted on the school system’s website at least seven days before the meeting;
• be submitted electronically to �鶹ԭ��; and
• include the required information outlined in TEC, §39.008(b)(2).

To assist school systems in preparing a certification of compliance, �鶹ԭ�� is providing a Compliance Certification Template. School systems may complete this template electronically as a fillable PDF. If additional space is needed, additional pages may be attached, as appropriate, or a Word version of the template is also available. Use of the template is optional; however, it is designed to help ensure that submitted certifications include all required components outlined in statute.

Submission Through AskTED

To support this process, �鶹ԭ�� will collect these certifications from school systems through the AskTED application. From July to September 2026, school systems may access the file upload portal by selecting the “Local Policy Certification” tab in AskTED. Each school system will be expected to answer three yes/no questions and upload a board approved certification document in PDF format that addresses all applicable statutory requirements. If multiple documents are required, they must be consolidated into a single PDF for the submission.

�鶹ԭ�� will post each certification received on the agency’s website, as required by statute.

Contact Information

If you have questions regarding this letter, please email generalinquiry@tea.texas.gov. 

If you need assistance with the AskTED submission process, please contact your district's AskTED administrator. If you need assistance identifying your AskTED administrator or accessing AskTED, email AskTED@tea.texas.gov. 

Charter schools needing assistance with AskTED may contact the �鶹ԭ�� Charter School Authorizing Division at CharterAskTED@tea.texas.gov.