A federal program that lowers internet bills for some public institutions across the country is under review. If it’s cut, the Sitka School District would lose out on some funding.

The E-Rate program is a Federal Communications Commission initiative that provides schools and libraries with discounted internet access. It’s paid for by a fee that’s charged to all telecommunications companies. The FCC launched a review of the subsidy program this summer. A notice said the review is “to better protect children when using E-Rate-funded networks, including to limit screen time.” Education advocates worry the review could lead to either shrinking or eliminating the program.

At the Sitka School Board meeting on Wednesday (10-7-26) Superintendent Deidre Jenson said if it’s cut, it will have ripple effects.

“It is a huge impact on the school districts, and not just our school district. Every school district in in Alaska, because we are we rely pretty heavily on it,” Jenson said. “[It] heavily impacts Alaska’s schools because we rely so much on remote learning, so to speak, or connectivity.”

Board President Phil Burdick said the direct funding isn’t extensive, but the cuts would likely affect a larger portion of the district’s bottom line.

“The direct funding we get from E-Rate is something like $67,000, so that’s not a ton, but it allows us to leverage the money reimbursements in the hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Burdick said.

The FCC is taking comments on the E-Rate program review until October 13.