TEA is committed to providing effective supports and guidance to Texas public schools in their implementation of strong and effective programs for students with disabilities. Currently, 55% of LEAs meet our criteria for "small" and/or "rural".  The Small and Rural Schools Special Education Supports exists to help these local education agencies (LEAs) meet the challenges unique to their size and region. The purpose of this project is to assist schools provide services to students with disabilities who live in small and rural LEAs within Texas. Difficulty with staff recruitment/retention, geographic isolation, and availability of resources are just a few of the barriers these schools face, and this project aims to develop a network of collaborative partnerships and resources to ensure a more equitable level of service to students with disabilities (SWD) in small and rural LEAs.

Small – K-12 population of 700 or less students, based on Fall 2023 Snapshot data
Rural – located 60 or more miles away from the nearest ESC

2024-25 Eligible Small and Rural LEAs

To help guide the work of this initiative, an advisory committee was created with members from across the state that have experience working in small and rural schools.