News - Press Releases
TUSD receives $1.6 million in E-Rate funding for network services
Payment is first of several in $10.2 million federal funding commitments that support telecommunications services and equitable access to the Internet
Posted on: February 2, 2012
Tucson Unified School District has received more than $1.6 million in E-Rate funding reimbursements for telecommunications services. The district will also soon receive another $1.6 million in reimbursements for additional services and new equipment purchases that improve Internet access at TUSD schools. Both reimbursements are the result of federal approval of three years of E-Rate funding requests and are part of the $10.2 million in E-Rate funding commitments received by TUSD in May 2011.
TUSD has not had E-Rate funding approval since 2002. District Chief Information Officer John Gay began the application process in 2010 and sought the opportunity to demonstrate that the district was a good candidate for the federal program. After months of reviews and analysis, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) -- a not-for-profit agency that administers the national E-rate program -- determined the district was not only in need, but a good steward for the funds.
"The receipt of our first actual reimbursement checks for E-Rate eligible services is enormously important to TUSD and its students," says Gay, who oversees the district's technology services. "The telecommunications and networking capabilities that this money helps to fund provide direct support to critical instructional programs, as well as starting to create experiences for our students that are relevant to 21st Century life. Equally importantly, the checks represent that TUSD is truly back in play regarding continuing E-Rate funding in this and future years."
Access to digital content is a way of life and a core part of students' educational programs. E-Rate funds ensure equal access to such content, including video streaming for all TUSD students. Online assessments -- critical to determining a student's academic progress -- will be federally mandated in 2014. The E-Rate funds directly support this requirement.
The newly received funds -- reimbursements from vendors who did work for the district from 2007 to 2010 -- are provided retroactively through the E-Rate program, overseen by the Federal Communications Commission.
The FCC established the program in 1996 to assist schools in obtaining affordable telecommunications and Internet access. The USAC administers the program through its Schools and Libraries Division, which provides funds for facilities whose primary function is instruction.
An educational institution may apply to the USAC for a reimbursement request for projects already underway or completed. If the request is approved, the project's vendors may either pass on an E-Rate discount for current projects or apply for reimbursement and return the funds to the institution receiving the approval.
The discount provided to educational institutions is determined through a specific formula. In urban areas, the discounts range from 20 to 90 percent and are calculated on a sliding scale that correlates with the percentage of students who are eligible for the National School Lunch Program. Nearly 70 percent of students in TUSD qualify for the lunch program and the district-wide E-Rate discount is 78 percent.
Consumers may notice a Universal Service Fee charged each month on their phone service bill. This fee supports four programs of the USAC, including the E-Rate program.
To learn more about the E-Rate program, go to www.usac.org/sl.