What’s at stake
A proven program faces its biggest threat.
E-Rate is the fifth largest stream of federal funding in the nation’s schools. It is the only federal education technology program, and over nearly 30 years it has consistently, effectively and responsibly supported connectivity for schools and libraries in every one of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. In June 2026 the FCC opened a rulemaking that asks whether it should continue.
What you need to know
E-Rate helps schools and libraries access the affordable broadband that supports the connectivity and network modern buildings need to carry on the important work of serving students and patrons.
$9.3M committed · 12 public school districtsSee it on the interactive map →E-Rate is a proven program that has single-handedly transformed internet access in classrooms. The program has a long track record of success and enjoys strong bi-partisan support on Capitol Hill. The FCC’s review is expansive and asks more than 100 questions about the program, its future, and its structure.
Read a summary of the FCC’s NPRM (PDF) →How you can engage
Here’s everything you need to know about WHY your voice matters, HOW to craft your response, and WHERE to file it with the FCC.
Comments are due October 13, 2026Read our Call to Action (PDF) →We are fielding a lot of questions as members work through the proposal and begin writing their comments. We have some answers!
Read our FAQ for more information (PDF) →The summary, Call to Action and FAQ are published by AASA, The School Superintendents Association and the Association of Educational Service Agencies, co-branded with the Pennsylvania Digital Trust Hub and the Allegheny Intermediate Unit. Read the AASA blog →
Where the money goes
Two categories. One connected classroom.
E-Rate funds arrive in two forms. Category 1 pays for the broadband circuits that reach the building — long rural miles in a region this size. Category 2 pays for the Wi-Fi and switching that carry it to every desk. Central IU 10's schools depend on both.1
Annual E-Rate commitments across the Central IU 10 region
FY2026 is still open — its lighter bar shows partial-year commitments to date. All 12 public districts across Centre, Clearfield & Clinton counties, funding years 2016–2026. Committed federal share, de-duplicated to the funding-request level. Source: USAC Open Data.
Support that follows need
The less a district can afford, the more E-Rate provides.
E-Rate scales its support to a district's share of economically disadvantaged students, so the region's least-resourced districts draw the deepest support: 8 of 12 districts — two-thirds of the region — qualify at the maximum 90% rate, Keystone Central, Clearfield, and Philipsburg-Osceola among them.2 With 11 of 12 districts classified Rural, this is exactly the kind of territory E-Rate was built to reach — which is why a proposal to sunset the program outright would fall hardest here, ending this support for every district at once.3
See every Central IU 10 district by discount rate
The receipts
What E-Rate delivered, district by district.
Lifetime E-Rate commitments, funding years 2016–2026, for all 12 public districts across Centre, Clearfield & Clinton counties.1 The 90% badge marks maximum-discount, highest-need districts — two-thirds of this region. Every one of these dollars flows directly to an individual district — there is no regional consortium in between — so every dollar lost lands squarely on a local school budget.
Select any district name to see it highlighted on the interactive map.
| District | Category 1 | Category 2 | Total funded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keystone Central 90% | $1.6M | $788K | $2.4M |
| State College Area | $668K | $555K | $1.2M |
| Clearfield Area 90% | $623K | $383K | $1.0M |
| Bellefonte Area | $419K | $514K | $933K |
| Philipsburg-Osceola Area 90% | $611K | $284K | $895K |
| Penns Valley Area | $323K | $294K | $617K |
| Bald Eagle Area | $361K | $183K | $544K |
| West Branch Area 90% | $221K | $208K | $429K |
| Moshannon Valley 90% | $105K | $308K | $413K |
| Glendale 90% | $209K | $182K | $391K |
| Curwensville Area 90% | $219K | $158K | $378K |
| Harmony Area 90% | $87K | $41K | $128K |
All 12 IU10 districts shown. Figures are USAC-committed federal amounts, de-duplicated to the funding-request level (one commitment per request, not per school served).
Your voice is needed — now
Take action to protect E-Rate.
The FCC’s comment period on Docket 26-133 closes October 13, 2026 — a narrow window to show the Commission and Congress what these changes would cost our schools. Here are three ways to help, in the order that matters most.
Sign on with the Digital Trust Hub
Add your district or organization to our coalition standing up for E-Rate. One signature adds your name to the comment we file with the FCC on Docket 26-133 and to our coalition’s letters to lawmakers.
Sign your district on →Write your own comment to the FCC
Your own comment is counted separately from ours, and the Commission weighs individual, evidence-based comments far more heavily than identical form letters. Our partners at AASA (The School Superintendents Association) have a guided tool that turns your words and your organization’s real E-Rate figures into a comment ready to file.
Figures in the builder cover FY2021–25; this page covers FY2016–26. Both are USAC data — they count different years.
Build your FCC comment →Tell Congress to protect E-Rate
Reach out directly to your lawmakers. Our partners at the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) have a one-click tool that finds your U.S. Senators and Representative and sends them your message.
Contact Congress now →Your Pennsylvania delegation
The tool routes to your exact offices automatically. For Centre, Clearfield & Clinton counties that means your two U.S. Senators — Sen. John Fetterman and Sen. Dave McCormick — and your U.S. Representatives — Rep. John Joyce (PA‑13) and Rep. Glenn Thompson (PA‑15) — depending on where you live.
Short on words? Use this template for Step 3 ↓
Make it local: find your district on the regional map and drop your own numbers into the letter — a message grounded in your district’s figures lands hardest.
Sources
The data behind this page.
Every figure on this page comes from USAC's public federal E-Rate Open Data, funding years 2016–2026. Each source is linked below. How we pulled and de-duplicated this data →
- E-Rate funding committed to the region. The federal share of Funded requests for the 12 Central IU 10 districts across Centre, Clearfield & Clinton counties — $9.3M, FY2016–2026.
- Discount rates & student need. Category 1/2 discount rates and the school-level free/reduced-lunch (NSLP) percentages that set them, plus full-time enrollment (~23,600 students).
- Urban / rural classification. USAC's urban/rural status for each funded service — 11 of 12 districts Rural (87% of district funding), reflecting the region's rural character.
- Target universe & Billed Entity Numbers. The 12 IU10 (Intermediate Unit 10) member districts across Centre, Clearfield & Clinton counties — each entity's Billed Entity Number confirmed against USAC's public entity records.USAC entity lookup 7i5i-83qf ↗
- Proposed FCC rule changes. Summarized from the member advocacy update by the Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA) — with the School Superintendents Association (AASA), the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO), and the National Rural Education Association (NREA) — on the FCC's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) reviewing the E-Rate program.
