The Instructional Materials Allotment (IMA) was created in 2011 by Senate Bill 6. The IMA was designed by the Texas Legislature as a dual-purpose fund that could be used by districts to purchase instructional materials (formerly textbooks) and technology, including both services and equipment. Senate Bill 6 eliminated the Technology Allotment that had helped districts fund technology since 1992. In the years prior to 2011, the Texas Legislature appropriated $270 million (per biennium) for the Technology Allotment. Since the inception of the IMA, Texas school districts have spent 84% to 94% of the IMA on instructional materials and only 6% to 16% on technology.
We are trying to discover how school districts utilize these funds and the methods by which they make these decisions. We want to know why very little of the IMA is spent on technology considering the legislature intended it to be used for both instructional materials and technology. In order to help in our discovery, we have designed a survey to gather some information. Please take some time to complete the survey and/or forward it on to others who might provide valuable information. The deadline for completing the survey is May 1. Your input will be used to craft important legislative information and action. Thank you!
