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.
$28.5M committed · 21 public school districts and the shared regional networkSee 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 Montgomery County the balance tilts toward Category 2 — $15.0M for internal networks against $10.4M in district connectivity — while the MCIU consortium adds $3.1M of shared Category 1 internet and security services.1
Annual E-Rate commitments across Montgomery County
FY2026 is still open — its lighter bar shows partial-year commitments to date. All 21 public districts of Montgomery County (Intermediate Unit 23) plus the IU-coordinated consortium, 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 county's highest-need districts draw the deepest support: Norristown Area qualifies at the maximum 90% rate and Pottstown at 85%, while the county's more affluent districts receive 40–60%.2 But every district depends on the program — and because USAC labels all 21 non-rural, a rural-only rule would strand the entire county at once, while a sunset would end this support for every district regardless of means.3
See every Montgomery County district by discount rate
Coordinated by MCIU
Shared services across the county: the MCIU consortium.
The Montgomery County Intermediate Unit coordinates a shared-services consortium filed with USAC on behalf of its members — 24 member entities, public school districts and career & technical centers, buying as one region.4 Rather than each district negotiating alone, the consortium delivers internet connectivity, DNS, network monitoring, and DDoS protection at regional scale. $3.1M in Category 1 services flows through the consortium's own Billed Entity Number (17000647), across 25 funded requests — on top of the connectivity and networks each district funds directly.
This is exactly the regional coordination the NPRM would undercut — the shared purchasing and security that lets 24 institutions across one county buy stronger, safer infrastructure than any could alone.
The receipts
What E-Rate delivered, district by district.
Lifetime E-Rate commitments, funding years 2016–2026, for all 21 public districts of Montgomery County (Intermediate Unit 23).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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Penn | $1.4M | $1.7M | $3.1M |
| Souderton Area | $2.1M | $905K | $3.0M |
| Upper Merion Area | $1.5M | $1.1M | $2.6M |
| Norristown Area 90% | $558K | $1.6M | $2.2M |
| Pottsgrove | $1.1M | $531K | $1.7M |
| Lower Merion | $511K | $1.1M | $1.6M |
| Spring-Ford Area | $388K | $1.2M | $1.6M |
| Pottstown | $0 | $1.1M | $1.1M |
| Hatboro-Horsham | $379K | $714K | $1.1M |
| Cheltenham | $517K | $503K | $1.0M |
| Perkiomen Valley | $349K | $648K | $997K |
| Upper Perkiomen | $613K | $355K | $967K |
| Abington | $65K | $746K | $811K |
| Wissahickon | $3K | $706K | $709K |
| Colonial | $226K | $462K | $688K |
| Upper Dublin | $225K | $452K | $677K |
| Methacton | $181K | $397K | $578K |
| Springfield Township | $224K | $302K | $526K |
| Upper Moreland Township | $0 | $294K | $294K |
| Lower Moreland Township | $30K | $121K | $151K |
| Jenkintown | $0 | $45K | $45K |
All 21 Montgomery County districts shown. Figures are USAC-committed federal amounts, de-duplicated to the funding-request level (one commitment per request, not per school served). Consortium commitments are reported separately above.
See it on the map
See Montgomery County on the map.
Every district’s E-Rate funding, drawn straight from USAC’s public data. Hover or tap any district for its Category 1 and 2 totals, discount rate, and USAC urban/rural label.
See the shared network on the statewide mapMontgomery County IU 23 Consortium — 21 districts →
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 Montgomery County that means your two U.S. Senators — Sen. John Fetterman and Sen. Dave McCormick — and your U.S. Representatives — Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA‑01), Rep. Madeleine Dean (PA‑04), and Rep. Mary Scanlon (PA‑05) — depending on where you live.
Short on words? Use this template for Step 3 ↓
Make it local: find your district on the county 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 county. The federal share of Funded requests for the 21 Montgomery County (Intermediate Unit 23) districts and the IU-coordinated consortium — $28.5M, 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 (~109,000 students).
- Urban / rural classification. USAC's urban/rural status for each funded service — all 21 of the county's districts are labeled Urban (100% of district funding non-rural), so a rural-only rule would exclude the entire county.
- MCIU shared-services consortium. Category 1 services committed under the Montgomery County IU 23 Consortium's Billed Entity Number (17000647), as filed with USAC — 24 member entities (districts and career & technical centers), delivering internet connectivity, DNS, network monitoring, and DDoS protection ($3.1M, 25 funding requests). Membership and service details provided by the MCIU technology office.
- Target universe & Billed Entity Numbers. The 21 Montgomery County IU 23 (Intermediate Unit 23) member districts and the IU-coordinated consortium — 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.
