• Email List: The National Forest Counties and Schools Coalition has a periodic update newsletter that you may be interested in signing up for. Their website is www.forestco.net, and their email address is forestco@forestco.net.

• The FCC proposed rule changes to E-Rate, the program that provides discounts to assist schools and libraries to obtain affordable telecommunications and Internet access. Discounts for support depend on the level of poverty and the urban/rural status of the population served and range from 20% to 90% of the costs of eligible services.
• Proposed Chnages
• Focuses on an expansion of eligible services for E-Rate.  The big question to answer is whether with $4 billion in demand (on average) each year and a cap at $2.25 billion, can we afford to expand to new services, since demand already exceeds supply with the current list of eligible services?
• Some of the new services are software based. Previously E-Rate has not allowed software purchases. Does this open us up to a slippery slope?
• Children’s internet Protection Act (CIPA) and allowing E-Rate dollars to be used to help schools come into compliance on their filtering software. When CIPA passed congress, there was an agreement that no money should come out of E-Rate for this mandate. This would clearly reverse that original sentiment. How do you all feel about that?
• Dark Fiber as an eligible service. We have not filed on this in the past and I am curious whether this is an issue for you. {Dark Fiber refers to unlit or unused fibers, available for use. Dark Fiber used to be an eligible service, but that was changed in 2004. E-rate applicants who were receiving dark fiber services under a long-term contract had to either convert the contract to cover a lit fiber system, with the necessary modulating electronics being provided (i.e., owned and maintained) by the carrier, or forego E-rate discounts on the service}
• Finally, in the list of new services they are trying to make allowable are elements (texting and voice messaging) that make many of the emergency notification systems work. As more and more districts purchase these systems, should they be eligible for E-Rate discounts.

• The proposed changes would alter the definition of disability.
• AASA is concerned with the impact of changes in ADA of the definition of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act on services for students.
• Although HR 3195 is aimed at amending employment law, it could create new definitions of eligibility for services under section 504 of Vocational Rehab Act.
• This could represent another example of policy that results in unintended increases in costs to public school districts without careful examination of the benefit of the changes.

• Educational Broadband Services (EBS) is a band of spectrum channels available to be licensed by the FCC to local credit granting educational institutions such as your district. Districts are able to lease their unused spectrum to commercial companies, which is a sweetheart deal: license holders are able to generate revenue from their lease and the contracts often include the lessee building out the technology infrastructure in the school/community.
• Earlier this spring, the FCC proposed regulatory changes to the EBS spectrum that may impact the ability of school districts to obtain the licenses. The proposed changes can be summarized in three basic questions:
• WHO gets the licenses? Should they be maintained solely for education groups? Should the FCC expand the ability of entities to obtain licenses?
• WHAT should the licenses look like? Should entities be able to form consortia? How much area should a single license cover? Should licenses be allocated at the state level/business market level/national consortia level? Can remote entities own part of the spectrum as part of a larger collaboration?
• HOW should the licenses be allocated? Through the standard application process? Should there be an auction process? Can schools participate in the auction process?
• Information about who holds EBS licenses in a given city can be found in the FCC database located online at http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/General_Menu_Reports/license_search.cfm
• Additional information can be found in the Education Broadband Services FAQ posted here.

Misc.

• Adopt the AASA Resolution for All Children Will Learn
• All Children Will Learn (PDF) is the 2008 AASA Legislative Agenda. It represents AASA's legislative priorities, and is largely focused on the ongoing reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It creates a continuum of support based on a continuum of need by proposing a systemic plan to improve schools in place of the current collection of 93 separate programs embodied in NCLB.
• The 2009 Legislative Conference was moved to Monday and Tuesday February 2-3.
• The 100th Annual NREA Conference will be held October 27-29 in San Antonio, Texas
• It will be held at the Omni at the Colonnade.
• The NREAC meeting will be held on the last day.
• Full registration and room reservation info is available at www.nrea.net.
• The next NREAC conference call is scheduled for Wednesday September 24 at 1 pm.