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Over the summer, the Federal Communications Commission announced potential changes to rules about the E-Rate program, which provides funding to help schools and libraries afford internet connectivity. OSPI submitted comments opposing many of the potential changes.
OLYMPIA—October 27, 2026—Access to reliable internet is a key tool that schools rely on to serve students. Internet connectivity fuels schools’ daily operations, including learning management systems where teachers share students’ grades with their families, school safety systems, payroll, staff and family communication tools, accessibility tools for students with disabilities, and much more.
Despite its significance, connectivity comes at a steep price. For 30 years, the Washington State K-20 Education Network Consortium has provided school districts, community and technical colleges, universities, libraries, and other educational entities with reliable internet connectivity at a shared, reduced cost. Last year, 91% of Washington school districts participated in the network.
The K-20 Network leverages co-pays provided by participating entities, state funding, and federal funding to pay for the network. All states, including Washington, rely on millions of dollars in E-Rate funds to support educational institutions. Schools in rural areas and those serving high populations of students identified as low-income benefit the most, but every school district in Washington relies on the E-Rate program.
This past summer, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began exploring potential ways to reduce, restructure, or even eliminate the E-Rate program entirely.
Without the critical support of the E-Rate program, the federal share of the cost of maintaining consistent, reliable internet connectivity for Washington’s education community would fall back to the state and to individual school districts.
Earlier this month, State Superintendent Chris Reykdal provided public comments to the FCC strongly opposing the proposed changes to the program.
“In today’s society, internet connectivity isn’t optional; it’s a necessity,” Reykdal said. “Reliable, affordable connectivity is the backbone of any modern organization, and public schools are no different. We have made so much progress in Washington to expand connectivity into our most rural areas, and narrowing or eliminating the E-Rate program would put our progress at risk.”
The FCC will review the comments they receive and will then determine how they will move forward.