For nearly thirty years, the E-Rate program has been the quiet engine powering connectivity in American schools and libraries. Now, that foundational funding faces unprecedented scrutiny. 

A recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking has raised questions about the program’s future: Is the mission to connect schools already accomplished? Should funding be restricted solely to rural areas? Should E-Rate be curtailed as a way to reduce student screen time?

If E-Rate funding is reduced or eliminated, the financial blow to school districts will be severe. Because technology infrastructure is an operational necessity, districts will be forced to pull from their general funds to bridge the gap. In many districts, that budget shift inevitably leads to cutting teaching positions and scaling back educational programs.

To protect this essential lifeline, school district leaders can rally their communities. Advocacy requires a coordinated, high-volume effort across every stakeholder group. Here are some ways you can build a unified coalition to advocate for E-Rate.

Decouple E-Rate from the Screen Time Debate

One of the primary threats to E-Rate is the political conflation of infrastructure funding with the ongoing debate over student screen time. To counter this, school leaders must proactively reframe the narrative.

Position your schools as responsible partners in managing digital consumption, not the root cause of the problem. Schools are uniquely equipped with the tools to filter, monitor, and restrict content, ensuring that device usage remains strictly educational. 

When you speak to your community, emphasize that cutting E-Rate does not reduce unhealthy recreational screen time on personal devices. Instead, it strips schools of the infrastructure required to safely manage and secure the networks students rely on for their education.

Translate Data into Human Impact

While data is crucial, numbers alone rarely move the needle. You must translate the abstract dollars of E-Rate funding into the concrete, human impact of its potential loss.

  • Create Local Spend Maps: Use data from advocacy tools like SHLB’s (schools health and libraries) Save Our E-Rate to generate a visual spend map showing the exact dollar impact for your specific district or state. Connect those dollars directly to your budget reality.
  • Share the Dashboard: Distribute these impact maps to local education reporters, parent-teacher associations, and civic organizations so the public can easily consume the financial reality.
  • Highlight What Disappears: Be explicit about what your district will lose. Will you lose the infrastructure that supports dual-credit online courses? Will rural students lose the connectivity they need to access remote learning resources? Will your district be unable to implement critical cybersecurity upgrades? Tell your community exactly what is on the chopping block.

Equip Your Community to Advocate

You cannot expect parents, teachers, and local business leaders to spontaneously advocate for a complex federal program. You have to make the process easy.

Draft targeted elevator pitches and one-page infographics tailored to specific audiences. A parent needs to understand how E-Rate affects their child’s daily learning, while a school board member needs to understand the looming threat to the district’s budget.

Once your stakeholders understand the “why,” give them the exact steps for the “how.” Direct your community to advocacy platforms like the Consortium for School Networking’s Advocacy page with the (CoSN) SaveOurErate.com or the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB) action pages. These tools allow users to simply input their zip code to generate a pre-drafted letter to their congressional representatives.

Orchestrate a High-Volume, Multi-Voice Coalition

When it comes to influencing policy, volume speaks louder than a single authoritative voice. An advocacy letter from a superintendent is a good start, but a flood of personalized messages from diverse community members is what actually drives change.

Stakeholder Their Unique Advocacy Story
IT Leaders The critical need for infrastructure upgrades and the rising costs of cybersecurity.
Special Education Staff How connectivity directly powers assistive technologies for special populations.
Financial Officers The stark reality that replacing E-Rate funds requires cutting staff and core programs.
Parents & Families The necessity of consistent school access and the threat to dual-credit opportunities.

 

To reach these distinct groups, partner closely with your communications and family engagement teams. Tap into broader networks by presenting at regional leadership conferences and leaning on existing consortiums. Engage with charter school associations, community colleges, Chambers of Commerce, and library networks. Libraries, in particular, face the exact same threats to their E-Rate funding and serve as a vital community lifeline. Advocating alongside them strengthens the message that this is a community-wide crisis, not just a school issue.

The survival of E-Rate depends on making its invisible infrastructure visible to the public. By equipping your stakeholders with clear data, compelling stories, and frictionless tools for action, you can build a coalition loud enough to ensure this critical funding remains intact.

RESOURCES 

Published: September 2, 2026

Written by the CoSN Belonging and Community Committee(opens in new tab)

CoSN is vendor neutral and does not endorse products or services. Any mention of a specific solution is for contextual purposes.