SHLB Coalition Responds to FCC's Planned Review of the E-Rate Program

E-Rate has been, and continues to be, a critical funding source for schools and libraries and for the rural and urban communities they serve. At its core, E-Rate ensures that every student, whether from a wealthy or an underserved community, has the opportunity to learn and flourish at school and beyond. It also provides the high-speed connectivity that keeps core school and library operations running, including security systems, student transportation, HVAC controls, and student information systems. For the tens of thousands of schools and libraries that depend on the fund, E-Rate funding must remain strong and predictable. SHLB and AASA look forward to demonstrating that E-Rate remains essential and to advocating for its modernization and improvement. As part of this review, we should be careful not to conflate intentional, educational technology use with unsupervised personal phone use, and we should recognize that 'screen time' is not a single, narrow concept. We look forward to working with the Federal Communications Commission to find ways to better protect our nation's children while improving a program with thirty years of bipartisan success.