Some E-Rate experts predict that the new funding amount is well below the estimated demand from schools and libraries completing applications during the first filing period. The FCC also changed the funding year from a calendar year to a July 1-June 30 fiscal year. As a result, the first funding cycle will be extended by six months to June 30, 1999. Applications approved for funding during the first filing period now will be funded through June 30, 1999.
Heated debate continues on the topic.
Additional congressional action remains a possibility and there are reports that the Department of Education is prepared to take over the administration of the program. Whatever the outcome, the E-Rate is clearly a priority to schools and libraries. According to the ACLU, educators, not congressmen, should make the decisions about what students can learn on the Internet. Kids Online Week A coalition made up of the U.S. Department of Education, community, civic, and corporate interests will celebrate the nation's first Kids Online Week, September 14-20, 1998. A result of the 1997 Internet Online Summit on child safety, the event is designed to educate consumers about making the Internet a rewarding and safe place for kids.