Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Secretary DeVos Announces New Federal Disaster Assistance for California, Puerto Rico and Texas

  • 04/30/18

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced today a total of approximately $693 million in new federal assistance under the Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations (K-12 Restart) program. The awards announced today are the first in a multi-phased process designed to provide prompt initial funding while offering subsequent opportunities for eligible States to seek additional assistance through future applications.

“As communities get back on their feet in disaster affected regions, we continue to support them in every way we can,” said Secretary DeVos. “This additional funding will ensure students, teachers and staff have ongoing access to the services they need to fully recover and rebuild.”

Under the K-12 Restart program, the Department is authorized to award funds to State educational agencies (SEAs) with students and schools impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria and the 2017 California wildfires. These SEAs, in turn, will provide assistance or services to local educational agencies (LEAs), including charter schools and private schools, to help defray expenses related to restarting school operations and restoring the normal learning environment for students and families affected by the hurricanes and wildfires.

The Department has made initial awards to the first three SEAs that applied for assistance in the following amounts:

  • California Department of Education (CDE):  $14,396,317
  • Puerto Rico Department of Education (PRDE):  $589,170,000
  • Texas Education Agency (TEA):   $89,420,000

Award amounts were developed based on information provided by the SEAs in their applications, including the number of schools affected as a result of a covered disaster or emergency and how long they were closed.

Congress appropriated a combined amount of approximately $2.5 billion for both the Restart and Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Students (K-12 Displaced Students) programs. The amounts awarded under each program will be based on demand and specific data received from eligible applicants. The Department released the application for the K-12 Displaced Students program on April 23.

For additional information on the programs for K-12 schools and school districts, please contact Paul Kesner at [email protected].

Featured

  • Doerr School of Sustainability Accelerator

    From Concrete Warehouse to Innovation Hub: Accelerating Sustainability at Stanford

    The transformation of a once windowless, concrete publishing warehouse into a sun-drenched center for global innovation began with a single, fundamental challenge: how to turn an industrial storage shell into a space built for human connection.

  • Round Rock ISD Completes New Early College High School

    Round Rock ISD near Austin, Texas, recently announced that construction is complete on a new, 46,500-square-foot campus for Early College High School, according to a news release. The new facility will allow the school’s students and staff to move from portables into a permanent building and increase its enrollment to 500.

  • Girl Sitting at Library Desk, Using Laptop

    How Campus Design Shapes the Finals Week Experience

    Academic performance is not just about preparation. It is closely tied to how students manage stress, maintain their energy, and shift between work and recovery modes. Much of that is influenced, directly or indirectly, by design.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.