Updates in Special Education
Supplemental Special Education Services (SSES) program.
New eligibility criteria will begin on November 1, 2021 for the Supplemental Special Education Services (SSES) program.
This program provides $1,500 one-time online grants for parents/caregivers of eligible students served by special education that have been impacted by COVID-19 school closures.
Families of eligible students can use the online accounts to obtain educational materials, resources, and/or services such as additional therapy, tutoring, or other specific services.
Beginning November 1, 2021, to be eligible for the SSES grant, students must currently be:
- Enrolled in a Texas public school
- Enrolled in PreK - 12th grade
- A student with a disability served through Special Education
Apply Today:
For additional questions or assistance, contact:
Email: ssesinfo@tea.texas.gov
Call: SPEDTex at 1-855-773-3839
Resources:
What is SSES? Program Overview PDF: English, Spanish
SSES Overview Video: English, Spanish
SSES Parent Webinar: English, Spanish
SSES Homepage: English, Spanish
SSES FAQs: English, Spanish
Additional Resources: English (landing page with Spanish and other languages resources included)
Beginning with the 2017 school year, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) changed the way it reports special education enrollment in school systems. TEA no longer includes a target for a school system’s total numbers of students in special education as part of state monitoring.
For special education representation, TEA only reports on over-representation within certain race, ethnicity and disability categories, as required by federal law. School systems cannot use this reporting data to delay, deny or prevent a referral for an evaluation for special education services.
Senate Bill 139, Notice to Families
Contact for Special Ed Referrals
Nina Pugh
Executive Director of Special Education
830-643-5757