The Schools and Libraries Support Mechanism - 2000 Annual Report

Connecting America's Classrooms and Libraries

Photo courtesy of eSchool News, copyright June 2000. Reprinted with permission.

The Schools and Libraries Support Mechanism - often called the "E-rate" - provides support for eligible schools and libraries to help offset the cost of advanced telecommunications services. USAC administers the Schools and Libraries Support Mechanism, which was launched in November 1997. Three rounds of funding commitments have been made through December 2000.

Eligible schools and libraries receive discounts ranging from 20% to 90% on the following services:

• Telecommunications services, including local and long-distance service
• Internet access
• "Internal connections" projects such as wiring and networking schools and libraries to facilitate the use of advanced telecommunications technology. Providing these connections affords students and library patrons the same access to high technology and near-instant information and resources that once could only be found at the university level.

The range of discounts available to schools and libraries correlates with the household income level of students in their communities and their urban or rural status. Income for a school or district is measured by the percentage of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) administered by the United States Department of Agriculture:

"Gila County Library District serves a county with an area of 4700 square miles and a population of 50,000. The E-rate helps us with the cost of networking eight public libraries and two schools scattered throughout this area, in remote communities as well as small towns. One library is on the San Carlos Indian Reservation, and one is accessible by a two hour trip on an unpaved road. Our e-rate allows us to bring Internet service to population that have no other local public access. Students, parents winter visitors, temporary workers and the general public have all benefited from this connectivity." - Jacque Griffin, Librarian Gila County, AZ

Applicants must develop an approved "technology plan" which demonstrates the relationship between the information technology for which support is sought and the curriculum initiatives or library objectives that will lead to improved education and library services.

Year 3 of the support mechanism, which began on July 1, 2000, saw records broken in two major areas: applicant support requested reached $4.7 billion and applicant support committed exceeded $2.1 billion. For the first time ever, support was committed in all territories and the District of Columbia, in addition to the 50 states. Appendix B provides funding information by state.

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