Adam Miller
May 22 2026 3:50 PM
Lockhart, TX – Lockhart ISD is proud to celebrate 71 teachers who have earned designations through the Texas Education Agency’s Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA), placing them on the pathway toward earning up to $100,000 while continuing to make a powerful impact in classrooms across the district. In total, $727,000 in incentive funding was awarded to Lockhart ISD teachers for the 2025-2026 school year.
Data from the 2024–2025 school year was submitted to TEA in October 2025 for review, and following the review process, 71 teachers received a designation. To earn and maintain a designation, teachers must demonstrate excellence in instructional practices and student achievement, foster significant student growth, and remain in the classroom during the 2025–2026 school year. Teachers are then awarded designations at one of three levels of excellence: Recognized, Exemplary, and Master.
This year’s designations include 29 teachers at the “Recognized” level, eligible for bonuses up to $5,893, 20 teachers at the “Exemplary” level, eligible for bonuses up to $11,787, and 22 teachers at the “Master” level, eligible for bonuses up to $21,645. Of the 71 total designations, 10 teachers received a new designation, while 4 teachers advanced to a higher designation level.
“We’re incredibly proud of our TIA recipients and their commitment to professional growth, instructional excellence, and student success,” said Superintendent Dr. Mark Estrada. “This program is just one of many ways our educators are making a meaningful difference in the lives of students every single day.”
In addition to the new designations awarded based on 2024–2025 data, Lockhart ISD’s TIA expansion and system modifications have significantly increased teacher eligibility across the district for the 2025–2026 school year. As a result, approximately 75% of Lockhart ISD teachers are now eligible to qualify for TIA designations, compared to just 48% previously eligible. Looking ahead, Lockhart ISD has already submitted an additional round of expansions and modifications and anticipates that more than 90% of teachers will be eligible to earn TIA designations during the 2026–2027 school year.
The updated system introduces fixed performance targets for student growth and teacher evaluation through T-TESS, replacing the previous percentile-based ranking system. This change allows more educators to meet consistent standards rather than compete against one another.
Additionally, during the 2025-2026 school year, Lockhart ISD began piloting Beginning of Year and End of Year assessments for fine arts and special education teachers, with the long-term goal of eventually including all LISD teachers in the TIA program.
Established through House Bill 3 during the 86th Texas Legislature in 2019, the Teacher Incentive Allotment was designed to help districts recruit, reward, and retain highly effective teachers through substantial financial incentives. To qualify, teachers must demonstrate consistent student growth and strong classroom performance through T-TESS evaluations.
Lockhart ISD also requires teachers to hold ESL certification to help meet the growing needs of the district’s multilingual learner population, which has increased by more than 350% over the past decade.
“Lockhart ISD looks forward to celebrating even more TIA-designated teachers in the years ahead,” added Dr. Estrada. “We have some of the hardest working, most dedicated, and most talented teachers in Texas, and this program helps ensure they can continue doing what they do best, changing lives and unlocking potential in the classroom each and every day.”
To learn more about the Teacher Incentive Allotment, visit TIAtexas.org or the Lockhart ISD TIA Website.