November 21, 2008
Toward Even Greater Service:
CSSC and Ten Charters Develop a Technology Consortium

A new technology service for charter schools is in development at the Charter School Service Center (CSSC).

Today in Indianapolis, charter school representatives met with Mike Huffman of the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) to discuss federally funded E-Rate benefits. The meeting was an initiative of the Charter School Service Center, whose primary purpose is to support Indiana Charter Schools and support the charter movement.

Greater Educational Opportunities Foundation (GEO Foundation) founder Kevin Teasley and CSSC Associate Director Melanie Dozier were joined by Michael Evans, Regional IT Director of Imagine Schools; Connie Monroe of Rural Community Academy; Evan Hawkins of the Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School and Challenge Academy; and J.C. Lasmanis, Ph.D., of S.E.N.S.E. – representing a total of ten Indiana charter schools.

The meeting was designed to assist charter schools in understanding E-Rate eligibility requirements and filing procedures. E-Rate is a federally funded program that offers reimbursements and discounts on specific technical equipment and services such as telephones, computers, internet access, and software for public schools and public libraries. Based upon free and reduced lunch status, an individual public school may get up to 90% reimbursement of certain technology expenditures through E-Rate.

The IDOE has put together a consortium of public schools (traditional and charter) that receives discounts and reimbursement of internet access expenditures through E-Rate. Any charter school can join that consortium. In addition, representatives from the ten charter schools are working with CSSC to construct a technology consortium for all the other benefits allowable through E-Rate. This consortium does not compete with any program of IDOE.

“We are hoping this collaboration will simplify the E-Rate paperwork and significantly lower the cost of much needed technology equipment for the consortium members,” says Dozier.

“Charter schools need the continuing help of organizations like the Charter School Service Center that can use the leverage of numbers to locate and arrange for benefits and services. We’re always happy to be able to make something more affordable to our member schools,” says Teasley. “Developing a consortium of schools that receives reduced rates and reimbursement of technology expenditures is one such possibility.”

The group is getting together in December to continue building the technology consortium. Schools interested in joining the technology consortium should contact Melanie Dozier at 317.713.4209.

A project of the GEO Foundation, the Charter School Service Center serves every charter school in Indiana by promoting interaction among and the free flow of information between charter school founders, principals, and teachers, by developing online and print publications to promote the charter school movement, and by securing money-saving benefits for its members such as insurance consortia and reduced rate providers of services from legal to IT to marketing.

For more information about Charter School Service Center benefits or how to become a member, please visit www.incssc.org, or call Associate Director Melanie Dozier at 317.713.4209. For more information about E-Rate, http://www.fcc.gov/learnnet/ is a good place to start.