🎯 Digital Divide: Schools Face Tech Funding Crisis After Pandemic

Key points from today's deep dive into education technology funding challenges:

• During the pandemic, federal relief money helped boost student internet access, with 92% of school districts using funds for edtech purchases
• Current State:
  • Only 27% of states have plans to maintain K-12 technology
  • Key federal programs have expired, including:
    • Emergency Connectivity Fund
    • Affordable Connectivity Program
    • ESSER funding
• Impact:
  • Schools face budget shortfalls leading to layoffs and closures
  • Districts are "ruthlessly" reevaluating their edtech purchases
  • 3 million households risk losing internet access
• Solutions Being Explored:
  • New Mexico is considering device leasing programs
  • Connecticut uses usage tracking dashboards to optimize software spending
  • Some states are turning to digital materials and open educational resources to cut costs

Source: Article by Daniel Mollenkamp for EdSurge