DISD officials went hat-in-hand to Austin Tuesday, asking the Texas Education Agency to allow the district to use federal grant money to pay about 300 employees DISD no longer has the funds to pay itself, according to the DMN. The TEA officials said "no thanks" and suggested that DISD should contact the federal government about the request, since the money comes from Washington anyway. If the feds approve the deal, then TEA will line up behind it, too, according to the story.

Unfortunately, as the story points out, "prospects for a federal waiver appear bleak."

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Failure to obtain the waiver mean that DISD would need to find another way to pay the 300 as-yet unnamed and unidentified employees, which could include more teachers above and beyond the 550 already slated for termination Oct. 15. DISD told the News that about 150 "instructional coaches" are among the 300 employees.

The school board meets again Thursday for a regularly scheduled briefing; the TEA visit will be among the issues discussed.