E-Rate Saves District Thousands of Dollars
by Mary Bendixen, Director of Technology & School Improvement
February 05, 2010
Schools today are expected to provide services such as Internet access, phone service, and a district web site. What once were considered luxuries are now the norm. Everyone knows that these services are necessary in today's educational environment, but what most people don't know is how much these services cost a school district.
In the 2008-2009 school year, the Anamosa Community School District's total costs for these services was $66,888. In 2009-2010, the total cost will be $66,215. The projected cost for 2010-2011 is $64,388. How does a school district afford this? Fortunately, there is funding available to defray a large portion of these costs.
The Universal Service Fund sponsors a program that makes discounts available to schools and libraries for telecommunications services, Internet access, and internal connections. This program is commonly referred to as E-Rate and its intent is to make sure schools and libraries have access to affordable services. The process requires a fair amount of paperwork, but the results are well worth the time invested.
The E-Rate program has provided the Anamosa District with a 64% discount on the phone, Internet, and web hosting expenses that are determined to be eligible for funding. This discount will increase to 67% for 2010-2011. How does this affect our total costs? The table below summarizes the impact E-Rate has on our expenditures:
| Total Costs | E-Rate Discount | Cost after Discount | |
| 2008-2009 | $66,888 | $42,808 | $24,080 |
| 2009-2010 | $66,215 | $42,378 | $23,837 |
| 2010-2011 | $64,388 | $43,140 | $21,248 |
| 2008-2011 Totals | $197,491 | $128,326 | $69,165 |
As indicated in the table, over a period of three years the Anamosa District will save $128,326 by participating in the E-Rate program. Rather than spending $197,491 the district will spend only $69,165. Thanks to the Universal Services Fund schools can provide the services teachers and students expect and need at an affordable cost.
