Internet reimbursements come from two sources: 1) E-rate (administered by USAC and the FCC), and 2) the State of Idaho that totals 100% coverage for monthly recurring DIA or WAN services and non-recurring costs, and special construction costs funded by E-rate.

LEAs must either request reimbursement from USAC (BEAR Form 472) or instead to agree with their service provider to discount the billed service and bill E-rate for the funds directly (SPI Form 474). All forms are completed at usac.org.

LEAs must first apply in good-faith for E-rate funding by certifying an E-rate Form 471, and within the program’s allowable reimbursement metrics (see below).

State reimbursements are calculated per Funding Request Number (FRN) and are subject to maximum reimbursement guidelines set by EORC (see next section, “State Reimbursement Guidelines”. LEAs must provide relevant contract documentation and invoices for eligible services. LEAs must also assist the program collect LEA bandwidth usage data (only speed measurements).

Submit your LEA’s most recent Internet service invoice to broadband@sde.idaho.gov, or request a link for document uploads.

Idaho LEAs can automatically qualify for state reimbursement if their connections align with the recommended connection speeds below.

Please note that if a connection exceeds the guidelines, they are not automatically eligible for state reimbursement but can appeal to EORC for approval (please contact a program coordinator to get started)

 Recommended Bandwidth for LEA’s by User Count

E-rate provides significant discounts or reimbursements for Internet service, internal connections such as service distribution hardware, service management, cabling, and fiber construction to the premises (last mile).

Each funding request must start with a Form 470, which must be initiated during the second-half of the calendar year in order to funded in the next calendar year. 

For more details, please see the Calendar for Creating An E-rate Funding Request and the Annual E-rate Cheat Sheet. 

Idaho 33-5603 establishes the make-up of the Educational Opportunity Resource Committee.

• No upcoming meeting scheduled at this time

Annual E-rate Cheat Sheet

• Idaho Procurement Law (Statute Title 67 Chapter 28 – Purchasing by Political Subdivisions)
  • LEAs must first consider the estimated total value of the contract they are seeking.
  • If the estimated value is between $75,000 and $150,000, then LEAs must solicit bids from vendors in accordance with sections 1a-1e of Idaho 67-2806. Section 67-2806 – Idaho State Legislature
  • If the estimated value is $150,000 or greater, then LEAs must create a Request For Proposals (RFP) and hold a competitive sealed bid process in accordance with sections 2a-2j of Idaho 67-2806. Section 67-2806 – Idaho State Legislature
  • To be eligible for B.I.I.G. special construction funds, LEAs must review their RFP with the Broadband Team prior to opening the bidding window.
  • Schedule a meeting with the program coordinators here: https://calendly.com/dvogt-sde/erate

• State Reimbursement Guidelines (EORC)
  • The Broadband Program reimbursement guidelines were voted on by Educational Opportunity Resources Committee June 9th 2022.
  • Detailed Reimbursement Methodology

• What is My E-rate Discount Percentage?
  • E-rate discount percentages are based on 1) rurality and 2) the LEA’s percentage of students eligible for free meals. LEAs may use data from the type of meal plan they participate in (NSLP, CEP, Provision II) or utilize income surveys.
  • See the USAC discount matrix to determine your LEA’s E-rate percentage. Schools should use the most recently available data that can be validated by supporting documentation such as income surveys or state-authenticated data. For assistance confirming your discount percentage, or to request a data verification letter, contact dvogt@sde.idaho.gov.
  • An LEA’s E-rate discount percentage can change from one Funding Year to the next and will not retroactively change previous discount percentages.
  • Reporting Data for E-rate Funding

• Each funding request must start with a Form 470, which must be initiated during the second-half of the calendar year in order to funded in the next calendar year.
• Request for Proposals are always recommended to ensure LEAs receive high-quality and competitive bids for services and hardware.
• For RFP templates, proofreading, and other guidance, contact dvogt@sde.idaho.gov
• Further detailed guidance will be added to section in the near-future.

• Detailed guidance coming soon. For questions or more information, please contact broadband@sde.idaho.gov or schedule a call at your convenience.

• Detailed guidance coming soon. For questions or more information, please contact broadband@sde.idaho.gov or schedule a call at your convenience.
• Once 471 applications are “Funded,” the next step to complete is Form 486. This must be completed in order to receive E-rate reimbursement.
• Form 486 confirms the “Service Start Date” of the approved funding request within each Funding Year, and that the applicant complies with CIPA.
• Deadline is 120 days after… (whichever is later):
  • a) the date of the FCDL (Funding Commitment Decision Letter)
  • b) the Service Start Date (SSD) within the Funding Year
    • must be between 7/1/2023 and 6/30/2024
    • For services currently in use, the SSD is July 1
    • For one-time purchases, it would be considered the installation/turn-up date

• The deadline to claim reimbursement for services and hardware billed between July 1 2022 and June 30 2023 is October 28^th, 2023. LEAs must either request reimbursement from USAC (BEAR Form 472) or instead to agree with their service provider to discount the billed service and bill E-rate for the funds directly (SPI Form 474). All forms are completed at usac.org.
• Eligible category 1 invoices billed between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024 can either be A) uploaded to the LEA’s unique OneDrive link (contact a coordinator to request a link), or B) emailed to a program coordinator. State reimbursements are issued each December and June for the previous six-months of eligible invoices.

• All E-Rate program participants – applicants, service providers and consortia – are required to maintain documentation that demonstrates compliance with the statutory or regulatory requirements for all E-Rate program purchases of service and equipment for a period of 10 years after the latter of the last day of the applicable funding year or the service delivery deadline for the funding request. Examples of such documentation include competitive bidding materials, program forms, contracts, and asset and inventory records of equipment purchased as components of supported Category Two services. Read More.