Education Funding News in Brief

Vast Digital Divide Found in Nation’s Schools

By Sean Cavanagh — April 15, 2014 1 min read
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Applications for federal E-rate money show broad gaps between poor and wealthy school systems’ access to high-quality technologies and varying abilities among districts to purchase connectivity at affordable rates, a new analysis reveals.

The research, released last week by Education SuperHighway, a San Francisco-based nonprofit, is based on data it collected and analyzed from more than 1,000 districts in 45 states. Collectively, the districts made $350 million in requests for funding during the 2013 application process.

The survey found that schools with higher levels of technology buy at cheaper prices and spend more money on Internet services.

A version of this article appeared in the April 16, 2014 edition of Education Week as Vast Digital Divide Found In Nation’s Schools

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