Governor Greg Abbott announced a $420 million reimbursement program to cover costs incurred by public schools that purchased Wi-Fi hotspots and/or eLearning devices (such as laptops, tablets, and Chromebooks). The program, jointly administered by TEA and TDEM, uses federal CARES Act dollars to reimburse districts for costs incurred since the 2019-20 school year if the district locally purchased eLearning devices and/or WiFi hotspots. This reimbursement program builds on the progress made by Operation Connectivity, announced in May, as an initiative to close the digital divide in Texas. School systems across Texas may apply for these reimbursement funds beginning Friday, November 20. TEA will be holding a webinar that day, in which details of the application process will be provided.