Texas Gov. Greg Abbott along with several other state officials announced July 17 that Texas will allocate $200 million in CARES Act funding to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for the purchase of electronic devices and internet services to enable remote learning for students lacking internet connectivity.
TEA will use this funding to purchase and distribute devices, hotspots and routers as well as other items based on the needs of specific local education agencies. This funding is in addition to a previously announced distribution of up to $400 million in COVID-19 relief funds to reimburse school districts for COVID-19 costs incurred during the 2019-2020 school year.
“While getting our students back to school is our top priority, many local districts are also developing a variety of virtual learning plans to ensure that students do not lose valuable learning time as we continue to fight COVID-19,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said. “This funding is an essential step in closing the digital gap for students by making access to technology available for every child who needs it.”