The technology plan has been approved by an outside party, such as the state department of education or the state educational technology department. All the necessary funding in the current fiscal year has been budgeted and approved to pay for nondiscounted portions of the network and telecommunications services along with any additional equipment, services, and staff training needed to use the discounted services effectively. Once application materials are completed and certified, schools submit them to the SLC for review and approval. Venders will have a minimum of four weeks to provide bids. After service begins, the school again contacts the SLC so it can disburse funds to providers.
State government has a role to play in the E-rate program.
First, the public utility commission or its equivalent was to approve instate discounts on telecommunications and network services that match or surpass the federal discounts. Consider New Mexico. In September New Mexico ETDM conducted E-rate training sessions that attracted many of the state's superintendents, principals, and school technology coordinators. In October, state officials in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas were gearing up to offer E-rate assistance to schools, including technology plan approval and application help. All five states offer schools competitive grants that partially cover technology implementation costs not met by the E-rate.