Gov. Greg Abbott | Facebook
Gov. Greg Abbott awarded $420 million to school districts across the state of Texas through funds provided by the CARES Act, according to an Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) press release.
The funding was provided to support expenses incurred by schools to establish remote teaching services for their students. As COVID-19 surged throughout 2020, schools across the nation were forced to quickly adapt to virtual and hybrid educational models. The CARES Act funding will serve not only as reimbursement for steps taken by schools to transfer to virtual modules, but also to continue supporting what will likely be future terms in distant learning environments.
In response to the news released by Abbott, ATPE released a statement on the matter.
“ATPE has long advocated that CARES Act funds should be going directly to the public schools that desperately need them and toward reimbursing districts for the extraordinary costs they have had to bear since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement read. “ATPE encourages Texas Education Agency (TEA) to remove any unnecessary hurdles for districts to obtain these funds. Bureaucratic obstacles and increasing requirements for paperwork and reporting are contributing to the frustration many educators feel right now.”
The ATPE expressed optimism and an urgency to continue to invest in the state's education systems.
“This announcement is a step in the right direction to give districts additional financial relief they need. It is only a beginning, though, as it’s clear more funds will be needed," the statement read. “We hope Congress will reach an agreement soon to provide additional relief funds for schools as they continue to deal with the challenges of COVID-19.”
While Congress still remains unable to pass an additional stimulus bill, many are hoping that the House and Senate will provide the necessary financial relief that citizens and businesses alike are in desperate need of for the coming winter months.
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