Washington's state superintendent is urging the federal government to maintain funding for the E-Rate program, which provides money to help schools and libraries afford reliable internet connectivity. Chris Reykdal submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) opposing proposed changes to the program, the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction announced today.
The FCC is considering potential changes that could reduce, restructure, or eliminate the E-Rate program entirely. Without the critical support of the E-Rate program, the federal share of funding for maintaining consistent, reliable internet connectivity for schools would fall back to the state and to individual school districts, according to the announcement.
In Washington state, 91 percent of school districts participated in the K-20 Education Network Consortium last year, a 30-year-old program that provides connectivity at a shared, reduced cost through a combination of participant payments, state funding, and federal E-Rate money. Rural schools and those serving large populations of low-income students benefit most from the program, but every school district in the state relies on the E-Rate funding.
Reykdal said in his comments to the FCC: "In today's society, internet connectivity isn't optional; it's a necessity. Reliable, affordable connectivity is the backbone of any modern organization, and public schools are no different. We have made so much progress in Washington to expand connectivity into our most rural areas, and narrowing or eliminating the E-Rate program would put our progress at risk."
The FCC will review the comments it receives and determine how it will move forward with potential changes to the program.