About Us
Who is TACS?
The Texas Association of Community Schools (TACS) is an organization that has been active in Texas since 1951. For the first 25 years, we were known as the Texas Association of Small Schools and housed in the Texas Education Agency building. In 1976, the association changed its name to the Texas Association of Community Schools and became independent.
The Texas Association of Community Schools (TACS) represents public school districts with student enrollment of 12,000 students or one traditional high school. This means our membership comprises the small, mid-sized, and rural school districts in Texas. There are 952 public school districts eligible for institutional membership.
Our Goals
The purpose of TACS is to promote public education for small and midsize schools in the State of Texas. In pursuit of this objective, TACS will do the following:
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Provide an avenue for districts and superintendents to receive information and support in leading the districts they serve.
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Advocate for legislation which will enhance the opportunities and abilities of community schools to provide quality educational programs.
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Work collaboratively with other organizations dedicated to serving public school students in Texas.
Our Priorities
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Adequate & Equitable School Funding: The basic allotment is used to fund school districts and is used for maintenance and operations. The Texas legislature sets this per-student amount, which has been $6,160 since 2019 and was increased by $55 in 2025 under House Bill 2.
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Strong Instructional Practices: Full day, fully funded pre-kindergarten, community-based industry certification opportunities for districts, and Districts of Innovation and district flexibility with calendars (and the number of days districts attend) based on community feedback and votes for their locally elected officials.
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A Comprehensve Accountability System: An assessment system that provides meaningful opportunities for each student, campus, and district to meet local, state, and federal performance expectations.
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Educator Compensation: Invest in educator compensation nprograms with locally developed criteria to recognize outstandidng achievement and instructional practices.
How We Advocate for Our Schools
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Attend legistlative hearings, SBOE meetings, and TEA meetings/hearings to advocate on behalf of and to inform our members.
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Collaborate with education organizations to benefit students in small, mid-sized, and rural public school districts.
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Actively work for an adequate funding increase to the basic allotment to protech and enhance the education of students of small and mid-sized public school districts.
Learn about TACS Membership
At TACS, we help to promote, support, and develop excellence in student achievement.
| District Membership Application |
