1. E-rate for School Business Officials
Virginia Association of School Business Officials, Fall Conference
Susan M. Clair, Ed.D.
Learning Infrastructure Coordinator
October 13, 2017

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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,

5. 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 )

6. VITA E-rate Eligible Telecommunications Contracts and Services
RFP 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

7. Handout in your folder on VITA SMC’s

8. 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.

9. 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,

10. Category Two Budgets
Know your budget for each school in the division !
FY 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

11. 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;

12. 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

13. Submit Banking Documentation
To Contact USAC, call 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. USAC- Client Services Bureau
E-rate Resources
Universal Services Administrative Company (USAC)- Schools and Libraries Program
USAC- Client Services Bureau
VDOE E-rate Web Page
ErateVA Listserv
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