FCC Review Could End School Internet Program. Advocates Plan ‘Very Loud’ Protest

California Governor Gavin Newsom attended the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials conference in Los Angeles on July 14, 2026. Kelly May-Vollmer, superintendent of Desert Sands Unified in California’s Coachella Valley, explained how the district's operations are heavily reliant on its broadband network.

Parents monitor their children's bus arrivals through a tracking app, cafeteria staff rely on cloud-linked meal accounts, and grounds crews use wireless access points for field and landscaping maintenance. The district, like over 96,000 others nationwide, applies for discounts on broadband service through the federal E-Rate program.

This program, created 30 years ago by Congress, significantly reduces the cost of connecting schools and classrooms to the internet, particularly for high-poverty districts where savings can reach up to 90%. However, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which oversees the E-Rate program, has initiated a comprehensive review.

This review aims to assess whether the program should be reformed or even discontinued, as it has reportedly "fulfilled" its mission. The FCC is also considering restricting the program's benefits to rural districts and linking it to current concerns about screen time. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced the review in early June, stating that the decision about the program should be made with an eye to "right-sizing" the federal government's broadband initiatives.

The review process has left educational technology leaders perplexed, yet determined to challenge the changes.