Three school districts in the Mission area will receive millions in federal funds that will help them prepare students in meeting state academic standards

The La Joya, Mission and Sharyland school districts received a combined 37,881,283 in federal funds from the Department of Education, according to a news release.

La Joya ISD received the biggest portion of the money with $23,224,693 while Mission CISD received $11,061,314. Sharyland ISD received the remaining $3,595,276.

The funds were announced in a Thursday news release by Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28), who, as a member of the Appropriations committee helped secure $17 billion for Title I Grants to local education agencies, to support schools, teachers, and administrators in providing children the best education possible.

“As someone who has experienced the transformative power of education, I am pleased to have helped secure this grant for our local school districts,” Cuellar said in a statement, “We must invest in the educational needs and interests of Texas students, because they are the most important asset for our country’s future. As a senior member on the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to support our school systems by providing them the necessary resources they need in order to provide high quality education in all Texas classrooms.”

The federal funds, authorized under Title I Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, provide financial assistance to school districts for services that improve the teaching and learning of children at risk of not meeting challenging State academic standards, especially those children who reside in areas with high concentrations of children from low-income families, the release stated.