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.
$10.1M committed · 17 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; Category 2 pays for the Wi-Fi and switching that carry it to every desk. Across the Central Susquehanna region the two run almost evenly — $5.1M for connectivity and $5.1M for internal networks — and the region's schools depend on both.1
Annual E-Rate commitments across the Central Susquehanna region
FY2026 is still open — its lighter bar shows partial-year commitments to date. All 17 public districts of the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit 16, 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: 7 districts qualify at the maximum 90% rate — Shikellamy, Berwick, and Bloomsburg among them — and 14 of 17 districts at 70% or above.2 This is a region of rural communities and small river towns, where reliable, affordable connectivity is hardest to come by — which is why a sunset would fall especially hard here, ending this support for every district at once.3
See every Central Susquehanna district by discount rate
The receipts
What E-Rate delivered, district by district.
Lifetime E-Rate commitments, funding years 2016–2026, for all 17 public districts of the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit 16.1 The 90% badge marks maximum-discount, highest-need districts.
Select any district name to see it highlighted on the interactive map.
| District | Category 1 | Category 2 | Total funded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shikellamy 90% | $1.1M | $594K | $1.7M |
| Berwick Area 90% | $558K | $614K | $1.2M |
| Bloomsburg Area 90% | $524K | $410K | $933K |
| Shamokin Area 90% | $332K | $443K | $774K |
| Selinsgrove Area | $200K | $521K | $721K |
| Milton Area | $88K | $606K | $694K |
| Midd-West 90% | $304K | $319K | $624K |
| Warrior Run | $256K | $359K | $615K |
| Danville Area | $309K | $275K | $583K |
| Mifflinburg Area | $211K | $266K | $477K |
| Central Columbia | $216K | $122K | $338K |
| Southern Columbia Area | $140K | $177K | $317K |
| Mount Carmel Area 90% | $208K | $104K | $312K |
| Millville Area | $252K | $32K | $284K |
| Benton Area 90% | $176K | $103K | $279K |
| Line Mountain | $246K | $11K | $257K |
| Lewisburg Area | $3K | $99K | $102K |
All 17 Central Susquehanna 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 the Central Susquehanna region that means your two U.S. Senators — Sen. John Fetterman and Sen. Dave McCormick — and your U.S. Representatives — Rep. Daniel Meuser (PA‑09) 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 17 Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit 16 districts — $10.1M, 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 (~31,200 students).
- Urban / rural classification. USAC's urban/rural status for each funded service — 10 of the region's 17 districts are labeled Urban and 7 Rural, though the “urban” districts are small river towns rather than cities; a rural-only rule would still strand most of the region's funding.
- Target universe & Billed Entity Numbers. The 17 Central Susquehanna IU 16 (Intermediate Unit 16) member districts across Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, and Union 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.
