The Texas Education Agency (TEA) released guidelines on December 9 for school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to apply for one-time reimbursement for Winter Storm Uri remediation.
Many schools experienced increased expenditures for disaster remediation costs due to the storm. In response, the 87th Texas Legislature passed HB 1525 to allow for a portion of the expenses that districts and charter schools incurred because of the disaster to be eligible for reimbursement.
The 87th Texas Legislature also included $35 million in supplemental appropriations to fund this new provision as part of the state budget in SB 1.
A school district or open-enrollment charter school located in all or in part of an area declared as a disaster and that incurs disaster remediation costs because of the disaster may apply to the commissioner of education for disaster aid assistance.
The application for assistance must be submitted during the two-year period following the date of the governor’s executive order declaring a state of disaster.
Reimbursement is limited to costs paid that the school does not anticipate recovering via insurance proceeds, federal disaster relief payment, or another source of repayment.