Updated at 5:23 p.m. with a statement from the Texas Education Agency.
Texas must keep funding steady for both K-12 public schools and state institutions of higher education to tap billions in federal pandemic aid, new Department of Education guidance clarified Monday.
The state’s top budget writers were hesitant to spend about $18 billion in the federal money as they waited weeks for answers on what was required. The department’s clarification noted that the state must maintain funding levels or seek a waiver.
State leaders have not yet indicated how they will respond. Texas Education Agency officials said they were