Congress allocated a combined $19.2 billion to Texas schools in three relief bills for pandemic-related needs like personal protective equipment, school supplies and improved ventilation systems in school buildings. As of April 13, 2021, Texas has not disbursed any of these funds to its schools.
Texas used $1.3 billion from the first bill “to fill other holes in the state budget,” according to the Texas Tribune.
The state legislature is now considering how to spend $5.5 billion received in the second bill, according to Raise Your Hand Texas, a nonprofit focusing on support for public education.
In the latest bill, enacted in March, Texas received an estimated $12.4 billion contingent on investing $1 billion of its own state revenue in higher education. The Texas government applied to waive this requirement, delaying the disbursement of the federal funds to Texas schools.