AUSTIN (August 27, 2010)--Texas will apply for about $830 million in education aid from Washington even though officials are expecting a legal fight over the money.

Gov. Rick Perry has said that to comply with a provision in the bill that put stiffer requirements on Texas would be a violation of the state constitution, but his Chief of Staff Ray Sullivan told the Austin American-Statesman that officials will look for ways around the requirement that the Texas governor assure that the state would maintain a level of education spending for the next three years.

Other states had to provide that assurance for only one year.

Texas education leaders were meeting with federal education officials Friday.

The money is intended to help school districts cope with the economic recession and avoid layoffs.