E-rate for School Business Officials Virginia Association of School Business Officials, Fall Conference Susan M. Clair, Ed.D. Learning Infrastructure Coordinator learninginfrastucture@doe.virginia.gov 804-786-9281 October 13, 2017

Get fiber to schools that need it Ensure classrooms have updated and reliable Wi-Fi Help divisions get more broadband for their budgets, and Assist schools with the E-rate process to get the discounts they need for Internet access and internal connections. Assist school with E-rate: What does VDOE provide: Partnership with Governor’s Office , Virginia Secretary of Technology, and EducationSuperHIghway

What is E-rate? Schools & Libraries Program –FCC & USAC Obtain high-speed Internet access, telecommunications, and Wi-Fi connections at affordable rate Schools apply for discounts online (EPC portal) on eligible services by filing FCC Forms Deadline driven program that is highly regulated by the FCC and very procedural (filing procedures) FCC establishes the regulations for the E-rate program USAC administers the E-rate program Schools apply for discounts through the online Erate Productivity Center or EPC 3 things to know about E-rate : 1 deadline driven 2) highly regulated by FCC –must follow E-rate rules 3) very procedural –application process is very procedural (see application process flow chart handout) ; you don’t have to be an E-rate expert but you do have to be knowledgeable about E-rate Rules and filing procedures

What E-rate Support Does VDOE Provide ? Technical assistance, resources, and guidance on E-rate VDOE E-rate web page Annual E-rate training –Feb 2018 VITA state master contracts Consultation with industry experts & EducationSuperHighway ErateVA Listerserv Webinars School Division Site Visits Technology conferences and presentations Be clear about the services that DOE offers related to E-rate Tech assistance for questions about E-rate, resources such as DOE E-rate web page, listserv information, guidance on RFP’s contracts, Offer Annual E-rate training, one in southwest the other in Chesterfield County Connect with industry experts on broadband and the EducationSuperHighway staff to support schools and offer free consultation on bandwidth upgrades, pricing on bandwidth,

E-rate Ownership Establish E-rate Team (Finance,Tech Directors, other tech staff): coordinate the work! E-rate team- meet once per month Finance has user rights in EPC for 498 E-rate resources (USAC, VDOE, ) Meet deadlines Local procurement Bid evaluations RFP’s & contracts VITA state master contracts E-rate consultants Audits Recommendations for how school staff that work on Erate can actually own E-rate Meet periodically with the E-rate team to make sure you are both keeping up to date with: E-rate resources- USAC, News Briefs information Deadlines –meet E-rate deadlines – Window opening and closing dates Local procurement – share local procurement policies and provide guidance Bid evaluations –Competitive Bidding: advertising the RFP, disqualification factors, receiving and evaluating bids, selecting vendors and signing contracts Contracts- should know terms of contract ; the team should know what is stated in the contract Be knowledgeable about VITA state master contracts or do an RFP Be knowledgeable about E-rate consultants, are they reputable consultants? Are they in-state or out of state? Why does that matter? If out of state, are they knowledgeable about VITA state broadband contracts and other state related initiatives like VSPA funding ? Do they know about VITA SMC’s How much do they charge for their services? What do they provide for their service? Are there some things the division can do to save consulting costs (several factors play into this decision-know why you are making the decision to hire a consultant; know what you are paying for )

VITA E-rate Eligible Telecommunications Contracts and Services RFP 2015-17 awarded contracts to 19 suppliers for these services: Telecommunications Internet Access Internal Connections Cabling VITA contract benefits Available for use by all Virginia K-12 schools Competitive procurements already done – eliminates need for RFP, saves time and additional procurement costs Leverage State purchase volumes - contracts require best available price clause Favorable contract terms and conditions

Handout in your folder on VITA SMC’s

VOICE Phasedown/Elimination FCC is refocusing E-rate Program to support high-speed broadband needed for digital learning , the modernization order of 2014 phases out funding for voice. Voice services where phase down applies: The local phone service, long distance service, plain old telephone service (POTS) PRI lines (primary rate interface), radio loop, 800 service, satellite telephone, shared telephone service, Centrex, wireless telephone service such as cellular, and interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). VoIP is treated this way because a VoIP circuit is dedicated to voice.

State Funding for E-rate Virginia Public School Authority (VPSA) Funds 10% match for special construction costs Leased lit, dark fiber, self-provisioning The VPSA funding qualifies as an eligible source of matching funds for special construction projects that meet FCC’s long-term connectivity goals (Schools that applied for self-provisioning – Goochland, Orange, Albemarle, Appomattox, King George,

Category Two Budgets Know your budget for each school in the division ! FY2015-2019 to spend budgets Cannot shift funds between schools Cat 2 for new construction (e.g. cabling, switches) Can spend all Cat 2 funding in one year or spread it out over 5 years

School Business Officials Should Be Involved Throughout the Process Step 1: Competitive bidding Step 2: Selecting service providers Step 3: Applying for discounts Step 4: Application review Step 5: Starting services Step 6: Invoicing (PIN, File FCC Forms 498 & 472 BEAR) School business officials should be involved throughout the entire E-rate Applicant Process Competitive Bidding: Assist with RFP’s or use VITA state master contracts –follow local procurement policies for competitive bidding Select Service Providers –be on team that bid evaluations, mini-bid process for VITA state master contracts, ensure documentation is retained for 10 years ! If you get audited, USAC auditors will want documentation to support their auditing questions Determine if your SCHOOL DIVISION will do SPI OR BEAR Billed Entities using the BEAR payment need to file a 498 (in EPC) To file FCC Form 472 you need a PIN; Instructions on USAC web site on how to get a PIN (Personal ID number) to file BEAR forms Invoicing – 498 – used to collect contact, banking information and payment information for applicants that receive discounts. You are issued a 498 ID it’s a unique number issued to each applicant to ensure reimbursement goes to correct bank account; use the 498ID when requesting BEAR payments;

FCC Form 498 Banking Information Need to apply for a PIN - create a new PIN , download the PIN template, attach the completed template to customer service case in EPC Form 498- Basic Info : Application Nickname , Organization information , General Financial Contact, (Federal Employee Identification Number, Dun and Bradstreet Number (DUNS), and FCC Registration Number) Remittance Information: Name of Financial Institution Transit Number, Account Number USAC 498 User’s Guide

Submit Banking Documentation To Contact USAC, call 888 641-8722 between 9 am and 5 pm EST After submitting the Form 498 (refer to handout) Follow-up documentation Upload a * Voided check or * Data on bank letter head Upload a copy of a voided check or statement from your financial institution ; the name on the account must match the name on the Form 498 You can also fax the banking information

BEAR Form 472 Legacy System FCC Form 472 is not filed in EPC, but in the Legacy System , you need a PIN to get into the system and to certify the BEAR form

FCC Form 472 BEAR Request reimbursement for discount amounts Need a PIN to enter the BEAR legacy system 472 can only be filed online in the E-rate legacy system Submit a separate FCC Form 472 for each Service Provider 472 User’s Guide BEAR is a direct deposit to the applicant’s bank account

USAC Audits Review the Auditors Checklist in your presentation folder Audits determine compliance with FCC Rules Internal control questionnaire Auditors examine supporting documentation Use the audit as a process to review efficiency and effectiveness USAC may suspend or delay reimbursements or discounts

USAC- Client Services Bureau E-rate Resources Universal Services Administrative Company (USAC)- Schools and Libraries Program http://usac.org/sl/default.aspx USAC- Client Services Bureau 888-203-8100 VDOE E-rate Web Page http://www.doe.virginia.gov/support/technology/erate/index.shtml ErateVA Listserv ERATEVA@LISTSERV.COV.VIRGINIA.GOV Go to USAC web site and review resources… User’s Guides Trainings and webinars Tools VDOE web page: State specific information and resources embedded in the steps of the application process such as VPSA Funds, VITA SMC’ information , webinars