Experts cite paperwork and poverty as the culprits.
Small schools say the 20 to 30 hours of application time aren't worth the few thousand dollars they'd receive. Responding to complaints about bureaucratic application processes, the FCC and Universal Service Administrative Company have streamlined the E-Rate paper trail with online applications and free phone help. Plus graphing calculators with local wireless networking. In this system, students plug their calculators into hubs on their desks, which are wirelessly linked to the teacher's computer. The teacher can then download curriculum material and lesson plans, send individual or group questions, and monitor student progress in real time.