MIAMI and AUSTIN: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has selected Miami-based ClassWallet and its FamilyWallet product to manage its new Supplementary Special Education Services (SSES) program for families of students with significant cognitive disabilities and impacted by COVID-19 schooling disruptions.

Under the program, established with $30 million in funds by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the TEA, nearly 59,000 qualified students statewide are eligible to receive a one-time grant of up to $1,500 for the purchase of a broad range of educational resources and services. Priority will be given to families receiving income assistance and/or families that have documented financial needs.

Once approved for the program, families will be provided access to a ClassWallet-managed, online portal and a digital spending account which they can use with providers that have been vetted and approved by TEA. It will provide information on available resources and services, allow them to make purchases and provide them with full account and balance information. The program launched on January 28, 2021 to support students enrolled in public schools for the 2020-2021 school year and will cover the current and 2021-2022 school years.

“We’re very pleased to have been selected by the Texas Education Agency to administer its new Supplementary Special Education Services program,” said Jamie Rosenberg, ClassWallet founder and CEO. “ClassWallet is highly experienced in setting-up and administering specialized funding programs to assist parents, students and school districts. This program is especially important in terms of the student population we will be serving.”

ClassWallet was recently appointed by the Oklahoma State Department of Education to distribute $18 million in federal funds through the state’s Stay in School Funds and Bridge the Gap initiatives, and the Idaho State Board of Education to manage its $50 million Strong Families, Strong Students initiative.  Both state initiatives assist families and students for their remote learning needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company manages similar grant programs in Arizona and North Carolina and is under consideration in several other states. In addition, the company’s TeacherWallet product is currently in use in more than 165,000 classrooms spread across 3,600 schools in 20 states.