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A school district or open-enrollment charter school located all or in part of an area declared a disaster area by the Governor under Texas Government Code, Chapter 418, and that incurs disaster remediation costs because of the February 2021 Winter Storm event may apply to the Commissioner for disaster aid assistance during the two-year period following the date of the Governor’s initial proclamation or executive order declaring a state of disaster.Ìý

Eligibility Criteria:Ìý

• Under Texas Education Code (TEC), §48.261 and 19 TAC §61.1006, any school district or open-enrollment charter school may apply to the Commissioner for reimbursement of disaster remediation costs that the district or charter school pays during that period and does not anticipate recovering through insurance proceeds, federal disaster relief payments, or other similar source of reimbursement. Note: The TEA is aware that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursement for damaged facilities may not be as timely as desired; however, the agency’s statutory authority to provide relief for unreimbursed disaster remediation costs can only be made for amounts the district or charter school does not anticipate recovering through either insurance proceeds or FEMA. The agency has been in contact with FEMA and it is TEA’s current understanding that FEMA will provide for approximately 75% of the losses not covered by insurance. To expedite the granting of unreimbursed disaster remediation costs please include in the format prescribed both an estimate of the total damages resulting from a disaster and the reimbursement the district or charter school expects from insurance and FEMA. This is the net unreimbursed amount the agency will consider for your district’s disaster remediation cost.Ìý
• The district is permitted to replace a damaged facility in lieu of repairing that facility. Relief cannot exceed the lesser of the cost to repair the facility after reimbursements by insurance, federal sources, etc., or the amount necessary to replace the facility.Ìý

ACTION REQUIRED: Disaster Aid Assistance SurveyÌý

The agency requests that all school districts and charter schools complete the Disaster Aid Assistance Survey that will be emailed to superintendents and business managers. The Commissioner will be using the data collected in this survey to provide an estimate to the Legislature as the Legislature considers other winter storm event costs during the appropriations process. At this time there is not a specific appropriation for reimbursement of remediation costs but that could change pending legislative action. School districts and open-enrollment charter schools that incur disaster remediation costs should review TEC, §48.261 and 19 TAC §61.1006 in order to determine eligibility of remediation expenditures prior to completing the survey.Ìý

Please complete and submit the survey by April 8, 2021. Superintendents and business managers will receive individual links specific to their district via email from TEA.Ìý

For questions about the disaster aid assistance survey or if you did not receive the link by Wednesday, March 3, please send an email to the Forecasting & Fiscal Analysis Division at FSPdisasterremediation@tea.texas.gov or call Thomas Heil at (512) 463-9622.Ìý

Regards,Ìý

Leo LopezÌý
Associate CommissionerÌý
School Finance/Chief School Finance Officer LL/thÌý