By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Tucson school districts spend millions of dollars every year on internet access for students.
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An FCC program covers more than half the cost, and that funding is at risk.
For nearly 30 years, the FCC’s E-Rate program has helped schools and libraries pay for high-speed internet.
In a new filing, the commission said it is concerned about the impact of screen time on children and the overall cost of the program.
Local reaction to proposed cuts
Pima County School Superintendent Dustin Williams does not support the cuts.
“I don’t think this is about screen time. I think this is about actual loss of opportunity for our students,” Williams said.
But what about an organization that lobbies against screens in classrooms?
Stand for Children Arizona is an organization encouraging schools to limit classroom technology. Executive Director Rebecca Gau said the further a phone is kept from a child, the higher their GPA.
Gau said while Stand for Children supports limiting screen time, FCC funding cuts are not the answer.
“Let’s just punish schools and find a way to reduce funding, when they’re already strapped in so many ways,” Gau said.
Cost of the program
The E-Rate program costs the federal government $2.5 billion every year. It has been paying the vast majority of internet costs for Tucson schools.
“It’s all about connectivity. It’s how you learn to get jobs, it’s how you do education, it’s how you find your homework,” Williams said.
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Over the last five years, the E-Rate program gave Tucson Unified School District more than $7 million for internet. Sunnyside Unified received more than $2 million. Pima County libraries received more than $1 million in the last five years.
Nationwide, the cuts could impact 47 million students and library patrons.
Sunnyside declined to comment at this time while TUSD sent a statement saying:
“Tucson Unified School District relies on the funding…to provide reliable access to the Internet for every student in the District. Internet service is no longer an added benefit, but a learning tool that requires support…If TUSD loses access to these funds, it would force the District to find these dollars in other parts of our budget that would mean a loss of services for students in other places.”
“That could mean cuts inside a system that we’re already seeing burdens on, especially here in Arizona,” Williams said.
What’s next
The commission has not made a decision yet, and the public comment period is open now until Oct. 13.
Some Arizonans have already commented, asking the commission to continue the program.
Isabela Lisco is aReport for America corpsmember covering education solutions for 13 News. Her position is made possible through funding from Report for America and theArizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund.
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