“As the largest educator association in Texas, ATPE is pleased with the news that the state will issue reimbursements for school district expenses incurred in the transition to remote learning. 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.

That said, 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. For these reasons, it is understandable that educators are dissatisfied with state leadership, as a recent survey of Texas educators conducted by ATPE revealed.

However, 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, and 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.”