E RATE 2.0: LESSONS LEARNED AND CHANGES FOR FY2016*file2.pasbo.org/handouts/ERate2/WH_ERate2.pdf ·...

2015‐2016 Workshop Series

E‐RATE 2.0: LESSONS LEARNED AND CHANGES FOR FY2016* December 1, 2015

Webcast (9:30 – 11:00 AM) Vast and sweeping changes occurred with last year’s revisions to the E‐Rate program. The gradual decrease in certain Category 1 discounts and the immediate addition/increase in Category 2 (Internal Connection) discounts had short‐range as well as long‐range budgeting implications that all districts must address. In addition, many changes are coming for FY2016 related to the new E‐rate Portal, the new Forms 470 and 471, and entirely new rules related to fiber. This webcast will discuss the challenges, benefits, and planning that went into last year’s filing under the new guidelines and format, as well as provide an update on upcoming changes. Learn about: ‐ Overview of E‐Rate changes as implemented for 2015‐16 ‐ Changes for Funding Year 2016 ‐ Discussion on How E‐Rate Impacts the Budget Process ‐ E‐rate EPC Portal Requirements ‐ E‐Rate Audit Considerations ‐ Reminders for FY 2015 and Timeline for FY 2016 Filings INTENDED AUDIENCE: Technology Directors, Business Managers, Superintendents, All staff involved in the E‐Rate filing process. SPEAKERS: Julie Tritt Schell, PA E‐rate Coordinator Bryce Cossitor, PRSBO, Director of Technology, Altoona Area SD

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

All participants must sign‐in on the Webcast Attendance Form found at the back of the handout packet for attendance/credit tracking. The site coordinator is asked to collect and submit information on every participant at your site. For credit to be given, forms must be returned to PASBO by December 8.

Your webcast experience will be only as good as your Internet connection. If you are having technical difficulties, close all other browsers on your desktop and reconnect, or restart your computer. If you are disconnected at any time during the program, please repeat the log‐on procedure to reconnect.

You can submit a question at any time using the “Chat” function at the left side of your screen – type your question in the message box and click on “Enter” to send.

Please track your CEU credits for PASBO Professional Registration. (Professional Registration CEUs = 1)

Your evaluation of this program is important to us. The primary contact will receive an evaluation link via email. Please provide feedback to ensure that PASBO programs are meeting your needs.

This program is being recorded to provide access to those not able to participate in the live program and serve as a review tool. Find information in your handout and check out the PASBO Store at http://www.pasbo.org/store_home.asp for other webcast titles.

Thank you for your participation!

Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials

Mailing Address: Office Location: P.O. Box 6993 2608 Market Place Harrisburg, PA 17112-0993 Harrisburg, PA 17110 Telephone 717-540-9551 www.pasbo.org FAX 717-540-1796

PASBO Webcast Presentation 1

E‐RATE 2.0: LESSONS LEARNED AND CHANGES FOR FY2016

December 1, 2015 Webcast (9:30 – 11:00 AM)

Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials

‐ For Internet audio ‐ go to the “Start” tab and click “CONNECT”

‐ If you prefer to listen by phone ‐ go to the “Start” tab, dial‐in using the numbers provided, then click “I AM DIALED IN”

1

Presenters

• Julie Tritt Schell, PA E‐rate Coordinator

• Bryce Cossitor, PRSBO, Director of Technology, Altoona Area SD

2


Let’s Recap What Changed in FY 2015

Discounts• District‐wide simple average calculation for both C1 and C2

requests (no more weighting)• Rural/Urban Definition ‐ Individual school and library is designated

as "urban" if located in an "Urbanized Area" or "Urban Cluster" with a population of 25,000 or more – Any school or library not designated "urban" is considered

"rural" and will receive the additional rural discount• Community Eligibility Program (CEP) ‐ Schools opting into CEP will

benefit from the 1.6 multiplier as is currently permitted by USDA and other federal programs– Translation: Generally higher E‐rate discounts– If you have a CEP school, this must be designated in the new

EPC Portal Profile for that school– In the PDE NSLP file, I will indicate which are CEP schools, and

then list the % of directly certified students in a separate column

3


Category 1 Services (previously Priority 1)• Phase‐out of voice services by 20%/year• Many smaller voice services no longer eligible (DIDs, custom

calling services, text messaging, directory assistance, etc.)• Webhosting, paging, hosted e‐mail no longer eligible• Equipment is prohibited from being bundled at no cost with

an eligible service• This includes free cellular phones, iPads/tablets, and VOIP

equipment

4



Cellular Data/Mobile Broadband• Cellular data plans and mobile broadband services (such as

wireless services to an iPad or aircards) are no longer eligible in buildings that have Wi‐Fi access

• In buildings without Wi‐Fi: These services are only eligible upon a showing that individual data plans are the most cost effective option for providing internal broadband access for portable mobile devices– Must prove either that installing a WLAN is not physically possible, or provide a comparison of the costs of individual data plans vs. installing a WLAN solution

– Be prepared for extensive cost effectiveness review from PIA

5


Category 2 Equipment/Services (previously Priority 2)• Voice and video equipment – not eligible• Servers – not eligible (except caching servers)• Cloud functionality of eligible equipment

– Including licenses• New service: Managed Internal Broadband Services (MIBS)– Paying an outside vendor to own/maintain the equipment

– Paying an outside vendor to maintain school‐owned equipment

– Eligible for $30/year/student

6



Category 2 Building Budget Caps• Each school is entitled to a pre‐discount cap of $150 per student,

or a minimum building cap of $9200, on a rolling five years– AVTS budget is based on maximum density of students– Library budget is $2.30 per square foot, ($5.00 per square foot for urban libraries)

• Money must be spent during funding year (cannot apply for full budget and spend down over multiple years)

• Can use entire budget all in a single year or space out over multiple years– If enrollment increases, you receive benefit of extra students next year

7


Category 2 Building Budget Caps• Money is allocated per school (not on a district‐wide basis), and

applicants cannot move funding from one school to another– For central equipment in separate Network Operations Centers (NOCs), applicants must allocate a portion of each school’s $150 budget toward the purchase of such equipment

• All competitive bidding requirements will continue to apply and applicants can only apply for what they need

• Students who attend multiple schools, such as those that attend CTCs or Intermediate Units part‐time, may be counted by bothschools

8


Category 2 Funding Budget Example

• The Budget Cap is the pre‐discount price. E‐rate discounts will then apply on top of the budget cap.

• In this example, district would still owe 30% non‐discounted share.

* Although 50 x $150 = $7,500, the minimum floor is invoked because school has less than 62 students

School Enrollment Budget Multiplier

5‐Year Budget Cap

E‐rate Discount

E‐rate Funding Cap

Plainfield Elementary 50 $150 $9,200* 70% $6,440

Jacksonville Middle School

105 $150 $15,750 70% $11,025

Newville High School 325 $150 $48,750 70% $34,125

9


• Maximum Category 2 discount will change from 90% to 85%– All other discounts remain the same

• Installation and configuration are eligible– Do not have to be provided by the same vendor (new)

• Multi‐year licenses are eligible and can be requested in full in first year

• Eligible equipment may be purchased and/or installed on or after April 1 prior to the beginning of the funding year– Must be purchased/installed before September 30 of the following year

10



• Any funding commitments that include a school or library as a recipient of service in that funding year will count against your pre‐discount budget for that entity

• If not all committed funding is spent, you can file a Form 500 to return the remaining unused commitment to USAC• If entities are sharing the service, USAC will need specific information

so that they know how to apply the returned funds to specific entities

• Limited C2 Budget Calculator:http://www.fundsforlearning.com/schoolDistCalculator.php• USAC C2 Budget Calculator, including impact of previously‐

committed funds, will be available soon

11


Expanded Document Retention Rules– The document retention requirement has been expanded from 5 years to

10 years from the last date to receive service or service delivery deadline, whichever is later• Example: For FY 2015, the last date to receive service is June 30, 2016.

All documents related to FY 2015 must be kept through June 30, 2026 • For multi‐year contracts, contract documentation and bids must be kept

10 years from the last date of service under the contract– Example: A 5 year contract started July 1, 2015 expires June 30, 2020.

All documents related to this contract must be kept through June 30, 2030

Be sure to coordinate this new requirement with your business office

12



• Strict BEAR deadlines– One 120 day invoice deadline extension will be granted if the request is made on or before the original invoice deadline (which is typically October 28 following the funding year)

– Late invoice deadline extension requests will notbe granted by USAC

13

What’s New for FY 2016?

14


Direct BEAR Reimbursement Payments

• Beginning July 1, 2016, applicants using the BEAR process will submit BEARs directly to USAC without service provider approval

• USAC will send funds directly to applicants (will not pass through the service providers)

• All reimbursements from USAC will be made using electronic funds transfer (EFT)

• Applicants will need to provide bank account information to USAC in order set up EFT arrangements– This will be done by completing the Form 498 in EPC, beginning

in January– Must be done by an school or library official – details coming

15

Direct BEAR Payments

• When completing the Form 498 in EPC Portal, the school or library “official” will need entity’s EIN number and DUNs Number– Most entities already have DUNs Number– You can search for your organization, by name, through D&B’s online

D‐U‐N‐S database: https://iupdate.dnb.com/iUpdate/companylookup.html or call (866) 705‐5711 to speak to a representative

– If your organization does not have one, you can apply online through Dun & Bradstreet’s website: http://www.dnb.com/get‐a‐duns‐number.html

16


Dark Fiber Eligibility Changes

• E‐rate eligibility for leased lit fiber and dark fiber equalized this year

• “Dark Fiber” is unlit fiber that is leased from a vendor– Applicant must install the modulating electronics and light the fiber

• Modulating electronics and equipment necessary to make the dark fiber service functional are now eligible to be purchased with Category 1 funds

• Special construction charges for dark fiber may include the costs of installing fiber from the service provider’s network all the way into the applicant’s building– Previously only cost of installing from curb into building was eligible

17

Construction and Ownership of Fiber ‐ New

• Commonly referred to as “self construction” or Build Your Own WAN (BYOW)

• A RFP must be issued along with posting a Form 470• Applicants must solicit bids for both lit fiber, dark fiber service

and construction in the same Form 470 – If an applicant previously posted a Form 470 for lit or dark services and did not

receive any bids, then the applicant is only required to bid self‐provisioning– Bidding period must be longer than 28 days – recommended to be 6 weeks

• If construction and ownership of dark fiber facilities is found to be most cost‐effective, this option is new for E‐rate funding in FY 2016

• Cost effectiveness must be evaluated over the entire life cycle of the facilities and must include all related costs of service and total cost of ownership

18


Special Construction Charges

• One time charges incurred for installation of new service

• Special Construction includes:– Construction of network facilities– design and engineering– project management

• Policy is suspended of requiring charges > $500,000 to be amortized over 3 years– Can be paid by E‐rate in Year 1

• Applicants are allowed to ask vendors for up to a 4 year payment plan for the non‐discounted share of these costs– Provision included on the new Form 470

19

What’s New for 2016?

E‐rate Productivity

Center20


What is EPC?

• EPC = E‐rate Productivity Center• New account and application management portal• Over the next 10 months, all E‐rate forms, letters and interactions will phased in to the EPC Portal system

• Advantages?– All forms, submitted documentation and requests will be archived in a single location

– Forms will be pre‐populated with information– Lots of data will be entered into EPC prior to filing the application

– Supposed to provide streamlined reviews• You MUST be in EPC to apply for E‐rate

21

Establishing Your Initial EPC Account

• USAC created an EPC account in their database for each applicant entity and identified an Account Administrator

• The AA can perform these functions:– Create Users– Assign Users’ Rights/Permissions– Change AA to another user– Join Consortia– Link to Your Consultant– Enter Enrollment/NSLP Data*

• As of last week, ‘full and partial rights users’ also are able to perform some of these functions (*)

22


Who is the Account Administrator?

• USAC initially established each applicant’s AA as the person who signed the FY 2015 Form 471– unless it was a consultant

• In July, each AA received an e‐mail from USAC indicating that their EPC Account had been created (in the backend) and that they should establish their password– If you are the AA and did not receive this e‐mail, contact CSB at 888‐203‐8100 to have AA account set up in their system

23

How to Change the AA to Someone Else

• Three methods:1) If the current AA has set up their password, they can log‐

in to the system and change AA authority to another User

2) If the current AA has not yet set up their password, the AA can send an e‐mail to [email protected] requesting that the AA be changed to another person• Must provide full contact information for new AA

3) If the current AA is no longer with the organization, the new AA can send an e‐mail to [email protected] that they be designated the new AA– Be sure to explain that the original AA is gone– Must provide full contact information for new AA

• For 2 and 3, the new AA will then receive an e‐mail from EPC inviting them to establish their EPC password

24


Setting Up Your EPC Account

• Click on District Name (first entity on the list)• Then > Related Actions on left toolbar• Perform these functions using > Related Actions• Establish other users and giving them permissions (if any)

– Be sure those users then establish their passwords, and accept their terms and conditions

• Review your school list to make sure all buildings are listed• Add your NIFs by creating a customer service case with

USAC• Ensure that the addresses are accurate for each building, as

well as the “profile” information for each school• Join a consortium, if applicable• Link to a consultant, if applicable• Update your enrollment/NSLP data

– May want to wait until the PDE data comes out in January– NSLP data should already be in your portal from FY 2015

25

Questions about EPC?

• If you’re unsure if your account has been established, or run into problems...

• Call USAC at 888‐203‐8100– They are the only entity that can troubleshoot EPC problems

• USAC’s EPC Website: www.usac.org/sl– Contains FAQs– User Guides– Video Tutorials

• PA EPC presentation will be posted to the PA E‐rate website soon...

26


Accessing EPC...

27

New Form 470 for FY 2016

• Form 470 is new and must be filed in EPC• Much simpler than previous years

– Much of “profile/contact” information is ported from EPC profile

• EPC Full Rights Users can create/submit form– Partial Rights Users can create but must have FRU submit the form

• Form 470s being accepted now!– Try to post by Thanksgiving– PA Form 470 training on Wed., Nov 18

• Form 470 Receipt Notification Letter will no be mailed– Instead, a notice of the 470 posting will appear in your EPC Newsfeed

28


Describing Services and Equipment

• New Form 470 has drop down service/equipment menu

• Must specific minimum and maximum quantity

• Provide additional information in narrative box

• Other quirks...

29

Requests for Proposal

• New requirement to upload RFP, if one is being issued– In fact, must upload before describing the service– Can’t come back and upload at the end of the form– If addenda are issued, they also must be uploaded to the 470, post submission using the Related Actions link in the left toolbar

• E‐rate defines a Request for Proposal as any supplemental documentation that an Applicant shares with Vendors in addition to posting a Form 470 (no matter what its called)

• E‐rate does not mandate the use of a RFP except for dark fiber or construction of fiber procurements

30


470 – File Inside Your EPC Portal

31

32


33

Use the narrative box to describe your services more fully. For example, if you want pricing for 50 and 100 mb of Internet, list that here.

34

Use the narrative box to describe your services more fully. For example, if it’s voice services, list what you actually need. Like 20 business lines, plus 2 PRIs.


35

Always select YES! Then use the narrative box to tell vendors what their instructions are. For example, they must have a SPIN, must submit bids to X person by X date in X format. Must provide discounted bill. Must submit 3 references of districts where identical services are provided, etc.


• Form 471 is new and must be filed in EPC• Survey questions have been eliminated• More detailed service questions

– Want to know if Internet includes circuit– Want to know if circuit is fiber or copper based

• Block 4 will automatically be pre‐populated from EPC profile for each school

• Contracts must be uploaded into EPC prior to completing the Form 471– All contract related information (dates, etc) will be done outside

of 471 in EPC– Then just refer to that contract in the 471

• Data transparency is the most important part of the new 471

• Form 471 Receipt Acknowledgement Letter (RAL) will no be mailed– Instead, it will be posted in EPC 36



• 471 Window dates will be announced in December

• Window expected to open early January, close mid‐late March

• Be sure to file your 470s in enough time to have the contracts placed on your Februaryboard meeting agendas

• I will schedule a separate 471 webinar when the draft form becomes available

37

Let’s Talk Category 2...

38


Will There Be Funding Available?

YesYesYes

• FY 2016 cap will be $3.913 billion + additional $1 billion that has been set aside for C2 + inflation adjustment, bringing available funds to over $5 billion– FCC has stated that they will fully fund all eligible C2 requests, regardless of demand

39

Category 2 Bidding Options in PA

1) Post Form 470 and RFP (public school entities)– Most appropriate for wiring projects

2) Use IU 16 PEPPM Contract– Can be used by public and nonpublic schools only (E‐rate rule)

40


Category 2 Bidding: 470 plus RFP

Post Form 470 and RFP (public school entities)– RFP required if cost of equipment exceeds $19,400 (state law)– Form 470 and RFP bidding must be done concurrently and

bidding window required to be open for at least 28 days before bids are due (E‐rate rule)

– RFP must be published in at least 2 local newspapers of general circulation once/week for 3 consecutive weeks (state law)

– Assuming all RFP requirements have been met, schools must accept the lowest‐price bid (state law)

– School board must approve contract prior to signing• Contract must be signed before submitting Form 471

– Sample equipment RFP available and will be sent to the listserve– If issuing an RFP, it MUST be uploaded at the time the 470 is

posted• All addenda also must be uploaded to the EPC Portal at time of issuance

41

Category 2 Bidding Timeline –470/RFP

Post 470/Release RFP/Dec 4Bids due or Jan 4Evaluate bids Jan 4 ‐ Jan 15February board approvals of contractsSign contracts by February 27Upload contracts to EPC Contract Wizard by March 1Complete 471 no later than March 7

42


Category 2 Bidding: PEPPM Mini‐Bid

Conduct PEPPM Mini‐Bid– No Form 470 required (PEPPM filed Form 470 when contracts

were being competitively bid)– More appropriate for equipment/installation, rather than cabling project

– New: Sign contract with the vendor and use those contract dates – not PEPPM dates (new)• Can be as simple as signing vendor quote• Be sure to include these items:• Contract signing date (must be before 471 filing date)• Contract term: 4/1/2016 through 9/30/2017• Purchase is contingent upon E‐rate funding and local funding approval

– School board must approve contract prior to signing• Vendor contract must be signed before submitting Form 471

43

Category 2 Bidding: PEPPM Mini‐Bid

More on PEPPM Bidding:– Cannot just go to PEPPM list and select vendor and equipment you

want/need– Must then request ‘mini‐bids’ from all vendors in that category– A ‘category list’ will be sent to the PA E‐rate listserve soon along with

instructions and equipment list template (slightly different than last year)

– Can list preferred manufacturer, but must seek bids for “equivalent” products

– Minimum 2 week bidding period suggested (new)– Then conduct bid evaluation among all product lines that offer the

‘category’ of service, including equivalents– Can consider other factors besides price

• Price of eligible equipment must be the most heavily weighted factor– New EPC Contract wizard requires you to list # of bids received (new)

• Keep these losing bids because you may be asked to submit them

44


Join the PEPPM Consortium in EPC

• !! Before issuing your PEPPM Mini‐Bid, please log‐in to EPC and join the PEPPM Consortium !!

45

Join the PEPPM Consortium in EPC

46

PEPPM

X


Example: PEPPM Mini‐Bid Category List

47

ManufacturerPEPPM Awarded Vendor

Name

Wireless

Equipment/Services

Cabling/Connectors

Caching

Servers

Firewall

Equipiment

Switches

Routers UPS Racks

Awarded Vendor Contact

NameAwarded Vendor Contact

Email

ACE Computers Ace Computers x John Samborski [email protected]

Adtran, Inc. ADTRAN X X X Patrick Foster [email protected]

Aerohive Networks Aerohive Networks X X X Zach Harrissales‐[email protected]

Alcatel‐Lucent Alcatel‐Lucent Enterprise USA, Inc. X X Neal Tilley

neal.tilley@alcatel‐lucent.com

Allied Telesis, Inc. En‐Net Services, LLC X X X X Ed Floyd efloyd@en‐netservices.com

APC ePlus Technology, Inc. X X XNick D’Archangelo [email protected]

Arista Networks Carahsoft Technology Corporation X Jack Dixon [email protected]

Aruba Networks Corporation Aruba Networks X X Andrew Tanguay

[email protected]

Atlona Technologies

Sage Technology Solutions, Inc. X X

James Van Fossen [email protected]

Avaya Avaya, Inc. X X X X X David Smith [email protected]

B&B Electronics En‐Net Services, LLC X X Ed Floyd efloyd@en‐netservices.com

Find ‘category’ then send equipment list to all vendors with x

PEPPM vs RFP

48

PEPPM• Don’t have to post Form 470/Issue RFP• Don’t have to advertise in newspaper• DO have to conduct mini‐bid of every

vendor that sells equipment in that category

• Don’t have to wait full 28 days during mini‐bid process

• Can consider non‐cost factors as long as costs of E‐rate eligible equipment/services are most heavily weighted factor

• Can require compatibility and interoperability with existing equipment

• More appropriate for equipment/installation, rather than cabling project

RFP/470• Must post 470 and upload RFP• More appropriate for cabling

projects, in addition to equipment/installation

• Can provide greater specificity about requirements


• Can list binary disqualification factors

• Don’t have to solicit bids from any vendor

• Cannot consider non‐cost factors during bid evaluation. If all RFP criteria have been met, must select lowest bid


Category 2 Bidding Timeline –PEPPM Mini‐Bids

Issue PEPPM Mini‐Bids by December 15Bids due or Jan 4Evaluate bids Jan 4 ‐ Jan 15February board approvals of contractsSign contracts by February 27Upload contracts to EPC Contract Wizard by March 1Complete 471 no later than March 7

49

Managing Your E‐rate Play Clock

• The earlier you file, the more flexibility you’ll have to make changes, negotiate contracts, and navigate through the new EPC Contract Wizard and Form 471

• The new Form 470 is easy, but you must be registered in EPC to file

• Start now!

50


E‐rate Help

SLD Client Service Bureau (CSB) E‐rate “Help Desk” where applicant & service providers can get answers to questions

Accessed via 888‐203‐8100 Submit a ‘Customer Service Case’ on SLD website

Hasn’t been working well – it’s better to call USAC PA E‐rate Coordinator E‐mail [email protected] www.e‐ratepa.org

51

Lessons Learned

• Do not disregard the long‐term impact of those services that are no longer discounted or that are phasing out over the next 3 years

– By 2019 – or sooner ‐ this could be a significant impact on your discounted savings if you do not consider filing for discount‐eligible Category 2 purchases

52


Lessons Learned

• Understand that Category 2 projects are now being funded regardless of demand

– Eligible Cat 2 purchases are no longer funded based on residual funds (which used to mean that only 90% discount typically saw funds)

53

Lessons Learned

• Develop a WORKABLE 3 to 5 year Technology Plan that focuses on Infrastructure upgrades, replacements, and enhancements

– This plan will become the basis of your timeline for future e‐rate filing, which typically means planning at least 9 months prior to the fiscal year of the purchases

– Approved technology plans are no longer an E‐rate requirement, but districts should continue to have them

54


Lessons Learned

• Keep the entitlements simple!– Recall there is a 5‐year pre‐discount cap of $150.00 per student in each building

– You can slice and dice this any way you like, but be prepared to keep an inordinate amount of spreadsheets to manage piece‐meal use of the money over a five year period for each building• District‐wide projects, which will also pull money per student across all buildings, complicates this even further

– I suggest managing your projects to make the most of your discount in larger investments once every 5 years per building• Note that multi‐year licenses can be paid in year 1 and discounted accordingly

55

Lessons Learned

56

PEPPM• Don’t have to post Form 470/Issue RFP• Don’t have to advertise in newspaper• DO have to conduct mini‐bid of every

vendor that sells equipment in that category

• Don’t have to wait full 28 days during mini‐bid process

• Can consider non‐cost factors as long as costs of E‐rate eligible equipment/services are most heavily weighted factor


• More appropriate for equipment/installation, rather than cabling project

RFP/470• Must post 470 and upload RFP• More appropriate for cabling

projects, in addition to equipment/installation

• Can provide greater specificity about requirements


• Can list binary disqualification factors

• Don’t have to solicit bids from any vendor

• Cannot consider non‐cost factors during bid evaluation. If all RFP criteria have been met, must select lowest bid

PEPPM vs Competitive Bids – DO YOUR HOMEWORK!


Lessons Learned

• Be careful of the timeline for 470 posting and make sure you educate your administration and school board as to the filing requirements under E‐rate

57

Lessons Learned

RECALL JULIE’S EXAMPLE:Post 470/Release RFP/Dec 4Bids due or Jan 4Evaluate bids Jan 4 ‐ Jan 15February board approvals of contractsSign contracts by February 27Upload contracts to EPC Contract Wizard by March 1Complete 471 no later than March 7

58


Lessons Learned

• Take advantage of templates, spreadsheets, form letters, etc. that Julie posts to the ListServ– Don’t try to reinvent the wheel– Educate your administration as to the necessary language and documentation for e‐rate compliance

– Heed the record retention advice!

59

Lessons Learned

• Take advantage of the opportunity to purchase equipment prior to July 1, if your budget can support it– Eligible equipment may be purchased and/or installed on or after April 1 prior to the beginning of the funding year

– P.O. must be for the full amount of the purchase and realize that your discount reimbursement will be dated July 1 or later

60


Lessons Learned

• Be very careful of the requirements for documentation on the Purchase Orders for Category 2 funded purchases

• Keep Inventory records that readily identify all purchased items that include an e‐rate discount. Note the required data that must be maintained (FRN#, Funding Year, etc.)

• Note the specific required data that must be included in tagging of all E‐rate discounted equipment

• SEE JULIE’S JUNE 5, 2015 Email (Category 2 E‐Rate Purchasing Guide – Strings Attached) for all the details

61

Lessons Learned

Regardless of who is responsible for the actual application filing, now more than ever:

E‐Rate applications must be a collaboration between the IT Office and the Business/Purchasing Office

62


• Send text questions using the “Chat” function at the left side of your screen.

• Type message in box and click “Enter” to send.

Time for Questions

63

Thank you for your participation!

REMINDER: Webcast sites are asked to have every participant sign‐in on the Attendance Form and return to the PASBO Office for attendance and credit purposes.

Forms must be received by December 8.

64


Join us for these upcoming programs:

• FREE MEALS THROUGH THE COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION: A LOOK AT YEAR ONE* ‐ December 3/Webcast

• ELEMENTS OF HUMAN RESOURCES – December 3/Kulpsville

• WILL YOU BE READY WHEN THE IRS KNOCKS ON YOUR DOOR?* ‐December 9/Webcast

• COMMUNICATING WITH ALL YOUR MARKETS ‐ December 10/Webcast

• WHAT TO DO WHEN THINGS GO WRONG ‐ December 15/ Webcast

• ELEMENTS OF MANAGING TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS* – December 17/Harrisburg

• FOOD SERVICE BENCHMARKING & BEST PRACTICES* ‐ January 13/Webcast

• RECRUITING AND RETAINING SUBSTITUTES ‐ January 22/Webcast

• FOOD SERVICE PROCUREMENT* ‐ January 26/Webcast

For info, visit www.pasbo.org/workshops65


E-RATE 2.0: LESSONS LEARNED AND CHANGES FOR FY2016 Webcast Recording Order Form

Vast and sweeping changes occurred with last year’s revisions to the E-Rate program. The gradual decrease in certain Category 1 discounts and the immediate addition/increase in Category 2 (Internal Connection) discounts had short-range as well as long-range budgeting implications that all districts must address. In addition, many changes are coming for FY2016 related to the new E-rate Portal, the new Forms 470 and 471, and entirely new rules related to fiber. This webcast will discuss the challenges, benefits, and planning that went into last year’s filing under the new guidelines and format, as well as provide an update on upcoming changes. Learn about: - Overview of E-Rate changes as implemented for 2015-16 - Changes for Funding Year 2016 - Discussion on How E-Rate Impacts the Budget Process - E-rate EPC Portal Requirements - E-Rate Audit Considerations - Reminders for FY 2015 and Timeline for FY 2016 Filings

A recording of the webcast program will be available for download approximately one week after the program date. Whether you use it as a review or share it with fellow employees unable to attend the live webcast, the information is at your fingertips!

Fill out and send your order form to PASBO today!

Name: Title:

School Entity/Employer:

Address:

City: State: Zip:

Phone: Ext. Fax:

Email:

If you are tax exempt, enter your tax ID here:

(If tax ID is not provided, add 6% sales tax to your order below)

Webcast Attendee by December 15* Non-Attendee or after December 15 (*Available to paid webcast attendees only)

Online Access @ $10 PASBO Member Online Access @ $40

Plus sales tax if applicable $______ Non-member Online Access @ $65

Plus sales tax if applicable $______

Total Amount Due $______ Total Amount Due $______

METHOD OF PAYMENT (Select one – Payment required with order)

Check Made Payable to PASBO Credit Card

Account Number: Expiration:

Cardholder’s Name:

Signature:

Check out other available webcast recordings at http://www.pasbo.org/store_home.asp

Attendee Early Bird Discount Offer – December 15 deadline!


http://www.pasbo.org/store_home.asp

Use this form

to submit the names of all atten

dees view

ing the web

cast at your location.

All participating LEA

s will be charged

one web

cast reg

istration fee. (Th

ere is NOT a fee

for additional atten

dees from the same LEA.)

Web

cast Date:

12/

1/15

Web

cast Title

: :E-R

ate

2.0:

Les

sons

Lea

rned

and

Cha

nges

for F

Y201

6

Paid Registrant:

Registrant’s LEA/organization:

You m

ust sign‐in on the form

below (including the paid reg

istrant if watching the program) to be counted as atten

ding.

If you are req

uesting PASB

O CEU

or Accountant CPE Credit, you m

ust check the appropriate column and provide your em

ail address.

By completing below, I certify that I p

articipated in

the en

tire live web

cast presentation.

PRINT NAME CLEARLY

JOB TITLE

SCHOOL/ORGANIZATION

EMAIL

(Req

uired

for Credit)

CEU

Credit

CPE

Credit

Please return this form

no later than

7 days follo

wing the program

date by ONE of the follo

wing methods.

Scan

and email to [email protected] Fax to 717‐540‐1796 (C

over sheet is not required) M

ail to PASBO, 2608 M

arket Place, H

arrisburg, PA 17110

CPE Certificates will be m

ailed. Credit is available for the live program

only, not the recording.

P:\Workshops\15‐16\W

EBCASTS\WebcastAtten

dance‐CPE.doc

PASB

O W

ebcast Atten

dance Form

ALL ATTEN

DEES SIGN IN

ON THIS SHEET


E RATE 2.0: LESSONS LEARNED AND CHANGES FOR FY2016*file2.pasbo.org/handouts/ERate2/WH_ERate2.pdf ·...

Documents

Transcript of E RATE 2.0: LESSONS LEARNED AND CHANGES FOR FY2016*file2.pasbo.org/handouts/ERate2/WH_ERate2.pdf ·...