Bringing the rural classroom into the Digital Age

[Commentary] Why is rural America subsidizing Internet connectivity for more densely populated areas? It's partly because of the administrative hurdles in the E-Rate application process. It can take hours of paperwork, months of waiting, and an understanding of E-Rate's convoluted and antiquated rules to even have a chance of obtaining funding. The most successful schools tend to hire outside consultants to navigate the process for them -- an option that many schools, especially small and rural ones, can't afford.

More important, they shouldn't have to. We need a student-centered E-Rate program. That starts with simplifying the process by reducing the paperwork needed to apply for funding and distributing aid to schools on a more equitable per-student basis (rather than the complex discount formula that the program now uses). And that means giving schools the flexibility to spend E-Rate funds on technologies that directly benefit students. We also need to end the subsidies that result in citizens from rural states like New Hampshire paying for technology services in higher population states like New Jersey. Preparing our children to succeed in the digital world of tomorrow requires us to connect them today. E-Rate must reflect the needs of today's students, regardless of which school they attend. A student-centered E-Rate program would give smaller schools in rural areas a better chance to compete with their urban and suburban counterparts. It would help deliver a brighter future for children in New Hampshire and throughout rural America -- and we stand ready to work with President Barack Obama to ensure that E-Rate lives up to its promise.