SEVEN SCHOOLS, INCLUDING ESTILL AND CLARK COUNTY SCHOOLS ALONG WITH SOME LIBRARIES, WERE ANNOUNCED AS PARTICIPANTS IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES CYBERSECURITY PILOT PROGRAM

 
WASHINGTON, January 16, 2025—The Federal Communications Commission today selected 707 participants for the FCC’s Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program, including 645 schools and districts, 50 libraries, and 12 consortia that includes Estill and Clark County Schools. Seven schools, libraries and consortia were announced as selected participants in the three-year pilot program, and will receive support to defray the costs of eligible cybersecurity services and equipment and provide the Commission with data to better understand whether and how universal service funds could be used to improve school and library defenses against increasing cyberattacks.  

 

“Making sure our students have access to all the opportunities of the digital world has been a cornerstone of my time at the Commission.  It is also vitally important that this access is cybersecure,” said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.  “This issue touches every state in every region of our country, including on Tribal lands, and that range of experience is reflected in the participants announced today.  Through this program, we will be able to provide our federal, state, and local government partners with actionable data about the most effective and coordinated way to address the growing cyber needs of schools and libraries.”

  

The ongoing proliferation of innovative digital learning technologies, and the need to connect students, school staff, and library patrons to information, jobs, and life-long learning have led to a steady rise in the demand for bandwidth in schools and libraries.  However, the shift to modern connectivity has brought with it increased cybersecurity threats and attacks, particularly for K-12 schools and libraries.  To address this challenge, the Cybersecurity Pilot Program will allow the FCC to collect data and evaluate the effectiveness of using universal service funds for cybersecurity services and equipment to protect school and library broadband networks and data.  The $200 million budget uses reserved, unused universal service funds to ensure that gains in enhanced cybersecurity do not come at the cost of undermining E-Rate success in promoting digital opportunities for all and basic connectivity. 

 

To select Pilot participants, consistent with the Commission’s rules, Commission staff first looked at qualifying applicants’ discount rate and National School Lunch Program percentages, prioritizing the highest percentages.  To ensure diversity in the participant pool, including geographic diversity, staff also considered applicants’ entity type, size, and location, among other things, as directed by the Commission. 

 

Consistent with the Commission’s goals, the selected participants represent a diverse set of large and small, and urban and rural schools, libraries, and consortia from various geographic areas with differing cybersecurity experiences and needs, with a particular focus on low-income and Tribal applicants.  A complete list of participants can be found on our website: https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/cybersecurity-pilot-program-participants.xlsx.

 

In addition to announcing selected participants, today’s Public Notice provides further information and instruction to Pilot participants regarding the requirements for competitive bidding and completing and submitting Part 2 of the Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program Application (FCC Form 484); requests for funding; invoicing; and the initial, annual, and final reports.

  

The Cybersecurity Pilot Program is part of Chairwoman Rosenworcel’s Learn Without Limits initiative to address the Homework Gap by ensuring connectivity to and within schools and libraries.  This initiative includes Wi-Fi on school buses, the Wi-Fi hotspot lending program, and E-Rate support for libraries in Tribal communities.