Although the Texas Education Agency (TEA) requested a waiver to extend the period of availability of School Improvement Grant (SIG) funds that were awarded for Cycle 2 SIG schools until September 2014, several local school districts have reported difficultly for many Cycle 2 Tier I and Tier II schools to expend their entire award during the period of availability due to a confluence of factors, including the delay in making some awards for implementation beginning in school year 2011–2012. The USDE has invited states to submit a waiver request to extend the period of availability of the FY 2009 and 2010 funds to allow Tier I or Tier II schools with unexpended FY 2009 or 2010 funds to use those funds to continue to implement a SIG intervention model during the 2014-2015 school year, if the schools satisfy criteria developed by TEA. TEA has, therefore, requested a waiver to USDE to extend the period of availability of the funds until September 30, 2015. Comments on the waiver request must be made by Wednesday, June 11, 2013.
