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SETDA Urges FCC to Preserve E-Rate and Protect State and Local Decision-Making on Educational Technology
October 13, 2026 Washington, D.C. – The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) has submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urging the agency to preserve the E-Rate program’s essential role in connecting schools and libraries while leaving decisions about educational technology use to state and local education leaders.
Responding to the FCC’s notice of proposed rulemaking on children’s screen use and E-Rate-funded services, SETDA emphasized that protecting student well-being and ensuring access to effective digital learning are complementary goals. SETDA’s comments encourage the FCC to maintain E-Rate’s core connectivity mission while recognizing schools’ changing technological needs.
“Schools need reliable, secure connectivity, and educators need the flexibility to determine how technology best supports student learning,” said SETDA Interim Executive Director, Greg Wilson. “Federal policy should strengthen the infrastructure that makes learning possible, not impose one-size-fits-all instructional requirements on schools.”
SETDA’s comments to the FCC highlight four priorities: Preserving E-Rate funding; Protecting state and local authority; Avoiding burdensome federal mandates, and Addressing evolving cybersecurity needs. SETDA also cautioned against treating educational technology use and recreational screen time as equivalent, emphasizing that instructional purpose, quality, and implementation matter.
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About SETDA
Founded in 2001, SETDA is the principal nonprofit membership association representing U.S. state and territorial educational technology leaders. SETDA advances policies and practices that promote equitable access to digital learning and innovation in K–12 education.
For more information, please visit our website https://www.setda.org or follow SETDA on LinkedIn