On August 14, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on the Federal Register pertaining to the E-rate program, which provides eligible schools and libraries with discounts on internet and broadband services.
The notice seeks comments on various topics related to E-rate, including:
- Whether E-rate should be narrowed or terminated
- Whether E-rate should be limited to rural areas or locations with limited provider competition
- Whether E-rate-funded networks should be subject to additional requirements regarding screen time
- Whether some E-rate services remain necessary, such as broadband and connectivity investments
In addition to traditional high schools, career centers and vocational schools are eligible to receive E-rate funds.
CTE programs rely on the buildings they are located in having sufficient internet and broadband services to connect students with critical educational and industry technologies, career exploration and planning tools, labor market information, virtual CTE coursework and work-based learning opportunities, and digital learning platforms. Additionally, CTE educators may leverage E-rate-funded networks to support lesson planning and student assessment by accessing instructional and administrative software and resources.
Termination of the E-rate program would have significant consequences for students and educators. E-rate supports over 54 million students across 98% of the nation’s counties, and a majority (74%) of school districts have indicated that the termination of E-rate would have catastrophic or major implications for their schools.
ACTE plans to submit comments highlighting the importance of E-rate and urging the FCC to avoid terminating or narrowing the scope of the program. ACTE has also signed onto a petition from the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), and we recommend that members urge their districts to sign on as well. Members can also leverage the resources below to draft their own comments on the importance of E-rate for their district or school.
Comments are due on October 13, and readers with any questions may reach out to ACTE’s Research and Policy Coordinator, Jesus Galvan (jgalvan@acteonline.org)
Additional Resources
