E-rate Program

The E-rate program lowers the cost of Internet access, and telecom and network data services for schools and libraries. It’s a tiered system of reimbursement, for which OSPI applies on behalf of all K-12 schools connected to the K-20 network. 

I Need To…
Check my district’s eligibility for E-rate
Figure out how much E-rate reimbursement we can expect
Locate contracts for network and telecom equipment
Find my district’s SPIN number and NCES code
Access online training for E-rate

E-rate Eligibility Checklist

• Make sure your district technology plan is approved by OSPI.


• File a Form 479 (PDF) annually with OSPI, by the September deadline, to certify your compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Your school district is the “Administrative Authority.”
• Make sure you check Item 6a in Block 2, which verifies compliance for the E-rate funding year — July 1 through June 30. Schools with form 479 (CIPA Certification) filed for E-rate.
• File a Letter of Authorization (Word) with the OSPI’s Educational Technology by September of every other year, which allows us to apply for the E-rate discount on your behalf. Schools with Letters of Authorization filed for E-rate.

Send Form 479s & LOAs to OSPI
Educational Technology
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Old Capitol Bldg, PO Box 47200
Olympia, WA 98504-7200

How Much? E-rate Reimbursement Amounts
The amount of your E-rate reimbursement is based, in part, on the free and reduced lunch program data you report. E-rate reviewers are primarily concerned that the data you report sources directly from the district. That’s why we recommend you use data published by staff in the Child Nutrition department at OSPI. They gather, track and verify data specific to student enrollment in free and reduced price meals programs — directly from every school district in Washington state.

Find your district- and school-level data here, Free & Reduced Price Meals Eligibility. If schools in your district don’t show up in the Child Nutrition data, Susan Tenkhoff, Washington state’s E-rate coordinator, can verify your enrollment counts by working directly with district and school staff. Contact Susan, erate@k12.wa.us, (360) 725-5103, for more information.

Contracts for Network & Telecom Equipment
There are two sources for K-20 network equipment:

1. Find the K-20 Master Contract on our K-20 network home page, right sidebar. OSPI has filed Form 470’s for the equipment and services listed on this master contract — data equipment, cellular service, secondary transport (TDM) and advanced ethernet services. Use the information on this contract for your E-rate bids.
2. Check the Department of Information Services contracts site for Master Contracts.

SPIN Number & NCES Code

• Use the SLD search engine to find the SPIN number (Service Provider Information Number).
• Use the NCES search engine to find the NCES (National Center for Educational Statistics) code for your school.

Training for E-rate
Training materials on the USAC Web site.
E-rate training for Washington state administrators, November 2010

• E-rate for Beginners (50 slides, PPT)
• New & Notable for 2010 (40 slides, PPT)