K-12 Cybersecurity & E-rate Policy Report

This report brings together four streams of evidence that, taken together, make a compelling case for a permanent, well-funded cybersecurity program within E-rate. The evidence is consistent and overwhelming. Schools are already requesting cybersecurity funding at a scale that dwarfs what the current program can support, and the most vulnerable districts are the most active participants. The question before policymakers is not whether the need exists. The data on that is settled. The question is whether the program will be designed to meet it.

1. Eight years of survey data showing near-unanimous demand from E-rate applicants for cybersecurity eligibility.
2. Survey open-ended comments tracking the evolution of the cybersecurity conversation from general concern to specific, sophisticated requests.
3. Phase 2 cybersecurity pilot data providing the first public view of real-dollar demand by service type, state, and applicant profile.
4. Six years of E-rate firewall funding data, the program’s only current cyber-adjacent baseline, revealing both the value of existing support and the structural limitations that cap it.