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Office of the General Counsel

Texas Lawyer's Creed

The Texas Lawyer’s Creed adopted and reaffirmed by the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.

The Office of General Counsel Division provides information and resources about legal issues related to Titles 1 and 2 of the Texas Education Code (TEC), as well as other TEC provisions for primary or secondary education that affect Texas public education.  Our office answers general questions and provides information about state law but cannot provide legal advice to any party.

Resource Guide

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Resource Type Resource Link
Information on appeals to the Commissioner of Education and hearings before an Independent Hearing Examiner Hearings & Appeals
Information on local grievance processes Local Level Grievance Process
Information on submitting an open records request for any Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ»ÆƬ record subject to the Public Information Act Public Information (Open Records)
Information on where to direct a subpoena (subpoenas for records only) Public Information (Open Records)

Information on serving the Commissioner of Education with process (for lawsuits)

 

Process may be served at the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ»ÆƬ, 1701 N. Congress Ave, 4th Floor Receptionist, Austin, Texas 78701

Process Server Methods of Service
Information on filing a special education mediation request Special Education Mediation Program
Information on filing a special education due process request Special Education Due Process Hearing
Information on ordering the current Texas School Law Bulletin 2026 Texas School Law Bulletin
Information on reporting violations of school law by school entities, educators, and educator preparation programs Complaint Management
School Safety  Helpful Resources

Process Server Methods of Service

The Agency may receive citations by email; however, email delivery does not constitute proper notification or proper filing of service. Any citation received electronically will be treated solely as courtesy notice that a lawsuit is anticipated. Courtesy copies may be emailed to tealegal@tea.texas.gov, but formal service must still be completed.

To properly serve the Agency, individuals may either: deliver service in person Monday through Friday between 8:30 – 5:00 or use the service-by-mail method permitted by applicable rules. 

Please note that a process server may not leave a citation or lawsuit with the Agency Receptionist unless the Office of General Counsel has expressly authorized the Receptionist to accept service. 

For additional questions, you may contact the Legal office at (512) 463-9720 or email at tealegal@tea.texas.gov.

Address Confidentiality Program

This page contains information about the enrollment of a student in a household participating in the Office of Attorney General (OAG) Address Confidentiality Program.

Authorization Agreement for Non-parent Relative

This page contains information about school enrollment rules when a child is in the care of a non-parent relative.

Additional Legal Resources

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ»ÆƬ and the Office of Legal Services have no control over the content of these sites.  If you find an error on any site, please contact that site’s webmaster.

Student Discipline Matters

The Commissioner of Education generally has no authority over local student discipline matters, except under Texas Education Code §§37.006-(i) and 37.006-(j). Student disciplinary appeals should be filed in the Texas district court in the county in which the school district's administrative offices are located.

Disclaimer

The Texas Education Code is maintained by Texas Legislature Online, which updates the Code when the publisher notifies it of changes. Please review the Texas Legislature online website for the current Code status.