Maine Warns FCC Against Linking E-Rate to Student Test Scores
Keep the federal connectivity program focused on infrastructure, state says
WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2026 – The Maine Department of Education is urging the Federal Communications Commission not to use student academic performance as a measure of whether schools should receive federal E-Rate support.
In comments filed Sept. 15, Maine said the FCC should not condition E-Rate eligibility, discount levels or reimbursements on student outcomes such as reading and math scores. The department argued that E-Rate is designed to support internet connectivity and network infrastructure, rather than curriculum, instructional applications or student devices.
The FCC is considering whether E-Rate funding should be evaluated in connection with educational practices and outcomes, including literacy and numeracy. Maine said academic results are influenced by factors that extend well beyond a school’s broadband infrastructure, including curriculum, instructional quality, attendance, staffing, student needs, family circumstances and access to specialized services.
“It would not be reasonable to treat broadband infrastructure as the cause of a school system’s academic results,” the department said, arguing that the appropriate measure for E-Rate is whether schools can obtain and maintain reliable, secure, scalable and affordable connectivity.
The comments came as part of a broader FCC proceeding examining the future of the E-Rate program, including questions about the program’s scope, student screen time, the Children’s Internet Protection Act and program integrity.
Maine also pushed back against using E-Rate as a vehicle for federal screen-time requirements. The department said schools should retain authority over decisions involving instructional technology, while families, educators and local school boards should determine how technology is used in classrooms.
The department said technology can serve a variety of educational purposes, including research, collaboration, computer science, assessments, assistive technology and access to instructional resources. Treating all screen-based activities alike, it said, could create problems for students who rely on accessible digital materials, translation tools and other technology-enabled services.
Maine ultimately called on the FCC to preserve E-Rate’s core role while making targeted improvements to accountability, transparency and administration. It specifically urged the agency not to evaluate connectivity infrastructure through student test scores.
Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin did not personally sign the filing.
