E-Rate Funding in COVID-19 Relief

While the legislation is still making its way through Congress, there is promising support on the horizon for schools from the next round of COVID-19 Relief.

The package includes over $7 billion in E-Rate funding and the Emergency Educational Connections Act from Senators Markey and Cantwell.

Through the legislation, funds would be available to elementary and secondary schools and libraries, including tribal schools, to provide WiFI-hotspots, routers, and internet-enabled devices to students. The legislation, which should provide much needed support to schools and districts that have had to take on significant expenses to support student learning in the last year, is a welcome sign. Long-term, Congress should consider the benefits of building in this relief as a regular part of the program. This inclusion would acknowledge that, even post-COVID, learning does not start and stop at the school-house doors.