Laredo, TX—Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced $307,026,008 in federal funding to the State of Texas to meet needs of students across Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding, awarded through the Department of Education’s Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Funds (GEER), is authorized under the CARES Act.

“Schools across Texas are facing enormous costs and challenges as they continue to educate our students during the coronavirus pandemic,” said Congressman Cuellar. “This federal funding will help our educators adapt to the evolving needs of teaching during this crisis and help our students learn even though they are not in the traditional classroom. I will continue to work hard to ensure our schools have the necessary funding and resources to preserve education. I want to thank all of our teachers, educators, and administrative staff who have stepped up during this crisis and adapted to alternative learning options so our students are able to continue their education with as little disruption as possible.”

As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, Congressman Cuellar helped secure nearly $3 billion for the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund in the CARES Act. The state of Texas received the second largest allocation at $307 million following California. The grant program is an flexible "emergency block grant" program, designed to enable governors to decide how best to meet the needs of students, schools (including charter schools and non-public schools), postsecondary institutions, and other education-related organizations.