Government

Texas To Receive Funding For Education Following Katrina, Rita

More than $63 million heading to state to cover costs of displaced students and rebuilding efforts

From the Office of Senator John Cornyn

March 2, 2006

WASHINGTON —Additional funding is now on the way to Texas for costs incurred by schools educating students displaced or impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn announced Thursday, March 2.

The funding was authorized by congressional action in December through the Hurricane Education Recovery Act.

The first quarterly payment for educating displaced students will be $35 million. The latest funding is paid through the Temporary Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Students program.

Cornyn also applauded the Department of Education for fully funding its commitment to repair and rebuild Texas schools damaged by Hurricane Rita through the Restart Aid program.

The Impact Aid provides emergency funding to the state for local educational agencies, including costs of students displaced by the hurricanes during the 2005-2006 school year. Funding for future quarters will be determined by the number of displaced students still enrolled in Texas schools.

In addition, more than $28 million is now on the way to fully fund the efforts to repair and rebuild Texas schools. The first installment of Restart Aid, $50 million, was paid to the state last month.

“Texas voluntarily accepted and placed students from states damaged by Hurricane Katrina, meeting an enormous challenge. And now the federal government is beginning to live up to its end of the bargain, ensuring the education of evacuees won’t come at the expense of funding Texas schools,” Cornyn said. “I’m also encouraged by the funds to rebuild our damaged schools. This is a sign that ‘Rita Amnesia’ may not be afflicting Washington after all.”

The funding was part of the Department of Defense appropriations bill which passed by the Congress in December.

In September, Sen. Cornyn visited Frederick Douglass Elementary School in Houston to see first hand the ability of Texas schools to open their doors to evacuees from out of state.

Following Hurricane Rita, Sen. Cornyn traveled to several Texas cities affected, including three trips to the Beaumont area where he met with local officials and offered continued assistance.

In addition, Sen. Cornyn was at the State Operations Center in Austin to receive briefings and updates from the top state leaders who are coordinating the various relief efforts. He continues to work with local and state officials, as well as his colleagues in Congress to ensure that all Texas hurricane recovery needs are met.

Sen. Cornyn is a member of the following key Senate Committees: Armed Services; Judiciary; Budget; Small Business and Entrepreneurship; and Joint Economic. He is also the chairman of the subcommittees on Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship and Emerging Threats and Capabilities.