Databus Issue: 2004 3 07/30/2004
The E-Rate Game Plan
Wayne Shimizu education programs consultant.
PDF
Just like a football coach, E-rate applicants need an E-rate application game plan, a plan that adjusts to changing conditions. E-rate program rules are changing and so must its strategies. Strategies for the year 2005 E-rate application need to be aligned with recent program changes.
The most apparent of the changes are the new services eligible for E-rate discounts. These newly eligible services include voicemail, alarm lines, firewall services and servers, and administrative lines (eligible under the new educational purpose definition). Year 2005 E-rate applications should consider these new eligible services.
Year 2005 E-rate game plans should also consider how to apply for Priority 2 Internal Connections discounts. In year 2003, Priority 2 discounts were funded down to the 70-percent level because unused funds from prior years were used to supplement current-year funding. The new strategy should consider that the rollover of unused funds will continue into future funding years. Another reason to update the Priority 2 strategy is a new E-rate rule that allows for Priority 2 discounts for a given site only twice in five years. How will technology implementation plans be affected by this new rule?
Other new E-rate rules affecting the E-rate game plan include E-rate technology plan requirements, a new three-year transfer of equipment rule, and a clarification of eligible basic maintenance services. For example, how will E-rate strategies deal with the following issues?
• E-rate technology plans and addendums must be aligned with and provide detail about discounts for services and products requested on Forms 470 and 471.
• Asset management systems must track E-rate discounted equipment by funding year, funding request number (FRN), and location to document that E-rate discounted equipment was not transferred within the three-year timeframe.
• Discounts on eligible basic maintenance services should be a separate funding request on the Form 471, and maintenance contracts must comply with the new rules.
For more information about these and other topics, visit the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) Web site and link to the following SLD references for further research.
• E-rate Eligible Services List http://www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/eligible.asp
• Rollover of Unused Funds http://www.sl.universalservice.org/whatsnew/2004/032004.asp#030204
• New Educational Purpose Definition http://www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/educational_purposes.asp
• Contracts, Service Substitutions http://www.sl.universalservice.org/whatsnew/2004/FY2004_Notice.asp#contracts
• Free Services http://www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/freeservices.asp
• Technology Plans http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/et/ft/eratemain.asp
• Cost Allocation http://www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/costallocationguide.asp
• Transfer of Equipment, Twice in Five Years, Basic Maintenance
http://www.sl.universalservice.org/whatsnew/2004/FY2004_Notice.asp
E-rate is a tough game. Make sure that you are getting your share!
Wayne Shimizu is the education programs consultant for the California Department of Education, Education Technology Office. He can be reached at wshimizu@cde.ca.gov.
