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.
$21.4M committed · 1 public school districtSee 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 School District of Philadelphia the balance tilts toward Category 2 — $12.9M for the internal networks (Wi-Fi, switching, cabling) against $8.5M in district connectivity — the circuits and networks that together carry the internet to nearly 125,000 students.1
Annual E-Rate commitments for the School District of Philadelphia
FY2026 is still open — its lighter bar shows partial-year commitments to date. The School District of Philadelphia (Intermediate Unit 26), funding years 2016–2026. The FY2017 and FY2024 peaks are Category 2 internal-network refreshes. Committed federal share, de-duplicated to the funding-request level. Source: USAC Open Data.
Support that follows need
The deeper the need, the more E-Rate provides.
E-Rate scales its support to a district's share of economically disadvantaged students, and Philadelphia qualifies at the maximum 90% rate — the deepest support the program provides.2 For a district where the overwhelming majority of students are economically disadvantaged, that support is not a subsidy at the margins; it is the foundation the district’s entire connectivity budget is built on. A program sunset would remove it at once, and a rural-only rule would exclude Philadelphia in full.3
The receipts
What E-Rate delivered.
Lifetime E-Rate commitments for the School District of Philadelphia, funding years 2016–2026, split by category.1
Select any district name to see it highlighted on the interactive map.
| District | Category 1 | Category 2 | Total funded |
|---|---|---|---|
| School District of Philadelphia 90% | $8.5M | $12.9M | $21.4M |
Figures are USAC-committed federal amounts, de-duplicated to the funding-request level (one commitment per request, not per school served). The School District of Philadelphia is coterminous with Intermediate Unit 26.
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 Philadelphia that means your two U.S. Senators — Sen. John Fetterman and Sen. Dave McCormick — and your U.S. Representatives — Rep. Brendan Boyle (PA‑02) and Rep. Dwight Evans (PA‑03) — depending on where you live.
Short on words? Use this template for Step 3 ↓
Make it local: see the district on the 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 School District of Philadelphia (Intermediate Unit 26) — $21.4M, FY2016–2026.
- Discount rates & student need. Category 1/2 discount rates and the school-level free/reduced-lunch (NSLP) percentages that set them (Philadelphia at the maximum 90% rate), plus full-time enrollment (~124,900 students).
- Urban / rural classification. USAC's urban/rural status for each funded service — the School District of Philadelphia is classified Urban, so a rural-only rule would exclude it, and all $21.4M, entirely.
- Target universe & Billed Entity Numbers. The School District of Philadelphia (Intermediate Unit 26), coterminous with the city — its 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.
