AUSTIN (WBAP/KLIF) – Texas schools will have access to a $420 million reimbursement program to help students continue to learn virtually as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Governor Abbott announced Wednesday the money will help reimburse costs for WiFi hot spots and eLearning devices such as laptops, tablets and Chromebooks for he 2019-2020 school year.
The program is jointly administered by the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Division of Emergency Management using federal CARES Act dollars.
It also builds upon the progress made by Operation Connectivity, which Governor Abbott announced in May as an effort to close the digital gap among students and schools in Texas.
“This reimbursement program will significantly ease the financial burden on Texas public schools that have purchased these crucial eLearning devices and also helps ensure that more students have access to these devices as needed,” said Abbott.
The Governor’s office said TDEM had already reimbursed Texas school systems that purchased technology as a response to the pandemic during the final months of the 2019-2020 school year.
Additionally, TEA directly purchased about one million eLearning devices and WiFi hot spots over the summer and distributed the technology to school districts.
The office said since Operation Connectivity started, Texas schools have purchased more than two million eLearning devices and more than 800,000 WiFi hot spots.
The technological upgrades were also made possible with the help of city and county governments using federal CARES Act funding.
In all, the Governor’s office said Texas has allocated more than $780 million in CARES Act funding for public education to assist districts in technological purchases and reimbursements for COVID-19 expenses.
The office said the state has largely closed the digital divide for students who are learning remotely.
School systems statewide can start applying for these reimbursement funds starting Friday, November 20th.
The TEA will also host a webinar that day that will further explain the application process.
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