School District Leaders Urge Congress to Restore Federal Leadership and Funding for K-12 Cybersecurity and Education Technology

A group of more than 400 school district leaders have signed a Consortium for School Networking petition calling on Congress and the Administration to urgently restore federal leadership and funding for K-12 cybersecurity and educational technology. In a letter to members of the House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee, the group wrote, "The administration’s decision to cut funding for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency—including the discontinuation of vital K-12 cybersecurity programs such as those provided through the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center—removes critical threat intelligence, incident response, and coordination services that many school systems depend on to protect against ransomware and other attacks. At the same time, the elimination of staff from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology strips away national leadership on safe, effective, and accessible use of technology in schools. Without OET, states and districts lose central guidance on pressing issues such as responsible AI use, digital design, digital access, and cybersecurity strategy. These actions put our schools—and the sensitive personal data of students and staff—at greater risk and dismantle essential federal leadership at a time when schools face rising threats and diminishing capacity."