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Special Education Day and Residential Programs

Contact Information

 ESC Special Education Contacts

ºÚÁÏÍø Residential and Day Programs and High Cost Funds Team

SpedDayAndResidential@tea.texas.gov

HCF@tea.texas.gov

Day Placement Program Cooperative Funding Allotment

DayProgramFunding@tea.texas.gov

ºÚÁÏÍø Grants Administration Division 

grants@tea.texas.gov  

Announcements and Updates (5)

Rescheduled for 9/23/26: Day and Residential Programs Workshop

The Day and Residential Programs Workshop, originally scheduled for 7/22/26, is rescheduled and will take place virtually by Zoom on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. LEA, ESC, and day/residential program respresentatives may Agenda to follow. 

Office Hours: Expanded Minimum Standards for Contracted Day and Residential Placement Programs

ºÚÁÏÍø is offering two office hours sessions to support stakeholder implementation of the new Minimum Standards and Conditions for ºÚÁÏÍø Consideration to Operate as a Day or Residential Placement Program.

Office Hours Session #1: July 23, 2-3 p.m.

Office Hours Session #2: August 12, 11 a.m.-12:00 p.m.  

(ºÚÁÏÍø has expanded minimum standards for day and residential placement programs that serve public school students with disabilities placed pursuant to an ARD committee determination for the provision of a free appropriate public education (FAPE). These standards are anticipated to be adopted through rulemaking in September 2026 and will take effect for the 2026–2027 school year. More information about minimum standards and conditions is availble on this website.) 

Day Placement Program Cooperative Funding Allotment

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, House Bill 2 (HB 2), passed by the 89th Texas Legislature, authorized ºÚÁÏÍø to award funds to qualifying day placement programs. Additional information is available in the To the Administator Addressed Correspondance dated May 14, 2026 and in the information and guidance section below.  

APEX Applications

The 2025-2026 APEX application opened for beginning-of-year submissions on 9/2/2025. The beginning-of-year submission deadline (for continuing placements, summer placements, and beginning-of-year placements) was 10/3/2025. All other APEX applications are due within 30 days of student placement/change of placement. The 2025-2026 APEX application closes on 7/1/2026.

About Special Education Day and Residential Programs

A local education agency (LEA) may contract for a day or residential placement when a student’s admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee determines that placement is necessary for the student to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE).

Day Placement Program Cooperative Funding Allotment

Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, House Bill 2 (HB 2), passed by the 89th Texas Legislature, authorized ºÚÁÏÍø to award funds to qualifying day placement programs. The 2026 application closed on 6/26/2026.

Program Guidance Documents 

Day Placement Program Cooperative Funding Allotment Application Instructions (PDF)

Day Placement Program Cooperative Funding Allotment Application Rubric

Minimum Standards and Conditions for ºÚÁÏÍø Consideration to Operate as a Day or Residential Placement Program

Day Placement Program Cooperative Funding Allotment Guidelines

Day Placement Program Cooperative Funding Allotment - May 2026 ºÚÁÏÍø Special Education Webinar 

Program Terminology/Definitions - coming soon 

Program Guidance

Day/Residential Program Guidance
Annual Updates

APEX Application

APEX User Manual  
APEX Quick Start
APEX How-To
APEX Application Checklist
Sample Cost Analysis

Day and Residential Funding

Notification Requirements

Funding Explanations

Day
Residential

Residential Reimbursement

Reimbursement Guidelines
Viewing Reimbursement

Day and Residential Programs



Age/Disability Standards
Preliminary Approval Guide

Day and Residential Monitoring

LEA Assurance Checklist
Student Folder Review
Teacher Cert Verification

Reintegration Planning

Recommended Plan

Reintegration Planning Guidance

| PDF Version
Reintegration Guidance

Other Helpful Links

High Cost Funds

Noneducational Community-Based Support Services