<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:dt="uuid:C2F41010-65B3-11d1-A29F-00AA00C14882" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is pleased to announce the allocation of $5 million for the purposes of leveraging additional dollars through the federal E-Rate program for special construction builds upgrading
district, intermediate school district (ISD), public school academy (PSA), and library broadband connections. Using these funds, eligible applicants and consortia groups could leverage up to an additional 10% in E-Rate discount award with a dollar-for-dollar
match in state funding. Minimum target speeds, as defined in the Second Modernization Order of 2014, should be 100 megabits per second (Mbps) per 1000 students with plans to support scalability reaching 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) per student.
<a href="https://www.fcc.gov/general/summary-e-rate-modernization-order">With respect to libraries, the Order adopts as a bandwidth target the American Library Association's recommendation that all libraries that serve fewer than 50,000 people have broadband
speeds of at least 100 Mbps and all libraries that serve 50,000 people or more have broadband speeds of at least 1 Gbps</a>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">The MDE has submitted documentation to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) for recognition of the funding allocation and the grant process in which the
MDE will disseminate these funds. Once approval is given, the MDE will disseminate information about the grant process. Eligible entities who are below the federal bandwidth targets as presented in the Second Modernization Order of 2014 will be given funding
priority, but all eligible entities are encouraged to apply when the grant becomes available.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">While the MDE cannot guarantee the availability of these funds in E-Rate Funding Year 2019, if the funds do become available, eligible applicants with qualifying projects should check the box on the FCC Form 471 denoting
that a state match exists. Checking the box will not jeopardize funding for the applicant but will trigger a more robust Program Integrity Assurance (PIA) review of the application. The MDE anticipates funding will be available no later than E-Rate Funding
Year 2020. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">For more information, please send an email to
<a href="mailto:erate@michigan.gov">erate@michigan.gov</a> or contact Joe Polasek, State E-Rate Coordinator, at
<a href="mailto:polasekj3@michigan.gov">polasekj3@michigan.gov</a>, or 517-335-1291.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sonya Schryer Norris<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Library Consultant<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Library of Michigan<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Michigan Department of Education<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>517-335-1498<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:Norriss2@michigan.gov"><span style="color:#0563C1">Norriss2@michigan.gov</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan"><span style="color:#0563C1">https://michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://mel.org/"><span style="color:#0563C1">http://mel.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://michlibrary.org/"><span style="color:#0563C1">http://michlibrary.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>