ACTION NEEDED: Access to STAIRS will cease on April 30, 2026
The State of Texas Automated Information Reporting System (STAIRS) will officially be retired on April 30, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. as HHSC transitions to a new cost reporting platform.
What’s Changing?
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is retiring STAIRS as part of its transition to the new cost reporting system, the State of Texas Electronic Provider System (STEPS) beginning with cost reports collected in 2026. THIS IMPACTS BOTH MAC AND COST REPORTS
Once STAIRS is deactivated:
- All STAIRS accounts will be permanently closed
- Districts will no longer be able to log in
- Historical cost reports will no longer be accessible through the system
Deadline: April 30, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
After this date, access to historical cost reports stored in STAIRS will no longer be available. There will be no ability to retrieve prior-year cost reports once the system is shut down. PLEASE DOWNLOAD ALL REPORTS FOR YOUR SCHOOLS RETNETION PERIOD.
Who Is Impacted?
Any Texas school district that participated in SHARS between October 1, 2018 – September 30, 2025
What Districts Should Do Now
- Log into STAIRS as soon as possible.
- Download copies of all historical cost reports. Instructions may be found here.
- Save the copies securely in your district’s internal records system.
DO NOT WAIT as it may limit your ability to retrieve this information due to high system traffic or account access issues.
Questions?
Please contact your Onward Finance Manager. You may also submit questions directly to HHSC through their online portal.