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Court Grants FCC Request for Stay (for E-Rate and Universal Service Fund) By Noelle Ellerson Ng, Associate Executive Director, Policy & Advocacy, AESA  On the heels of last month’s 5th circuit court decision which challenges the constitutionality of the funding mechanism for the universal service fund (Read related blog posts here and here), the 5th circuit has granted the FCC its…

FY25 Appropriations Update By Tara Thomas, Policy Analyst, AESA  On August 1, 2024, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed its FY25 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) proposal. The bill increased funding for the Department of Education (ED) by $1 billion, including increases for Title I (+280 million) and IDEA (+295 million). This proposal is…

FCC Releases State by State Info on How Universal Service Fund Impacts States By Noelle Ellerson Ng, Associate Executive Director, Policy & Advocacy, AESA  Background: The Universal Service Fund is a $8 billion decades-old mechanism created by Congress in 1996 to support vital communications investments where the marketplace falls short: connecting schools and libraries to high-speed…

AESA Joins EdLiNC Coalition in Expressing Deep Frustration with 5th Circuit E-Rate Decision On July 24, the 5th Circuit struck down the funding mechanism for the universal service fund, which includes the E-Rate program. E-Rate provides $4.7 billion annually for schools and libraries to receive broadband and Wi-Fi services. This is an extreme decision that contradicts two…

USED Issues Resources to Help Schools Prepare for 2024 Title IX Regulations As schools prepare to implement amended Title IX regulations on August 1, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released new resources to support schools in those efforts. The resources are:   Title IX Regulations: Pointers for Implementation, which…

5th Circuit Court Rules Universal Service Fund (Which Covers E-Rate) Unconstitutional On July 24, the 5th Circuit Court handed down its decision in the case Consumers Research et. al vs. the FCC, where the plaintiffs argued that using E-rate funds for Wi-Fi on school buses exceeds the FCC’s authority to provide internet access in schools…

HHS Releases Proposed Rule on Head Start Staff Compensation, Benefits and More By Tara Thomas, Policy Analyst, AESA  On November 20, 2023, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a proposed rulemaking on various aspects of Head Start. The headline of the rule is a significant change to staff compensation and benefits in an effort to improve…