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Updated E-rate Discounts Now Online
Message Posted December 21, 2001
Three weeks ago we told you that the PA district discounts were now on the PA E-rate website. Since then, several of you have pointed out some rounding errors, slight calculation errors and even a rural/urban classification error (Potter County). The spreadsheet has now been corrected and is back online: E-rate Discount for School Districts (Excel file).
Each year, we post a list of the raw National School Lunch Data for schools in Pennsylvania to the PA E-rate website. This year, we have taken it one step further, and turned that data into a district-by-district, E-rate discount spreadsheet. This resource should be a huge help to new applicants and especially libraries, who must use their school district's discount. The data used is what was submitted to PDE in October 2000. The data submitted to PDE in October 2001 is still being reconciled and isn't yet available on the website. Because the new data is not yet available, districts (and libraries) have the choice of using last year's data or this year's data (recently submitted), or, of course, more accurate eligibility data if you have it available.
As you'll see, the online calculations are designed with the same columns as a Form 471, Block 4A worksheet -- column headings included. The only element that is not included are the individual school entity numbers; you'll have to add them yourselves on the 471 application.
One last note: the spreadsheet is organized a little strangely. It's sorted by county, then alpha by district within the county (so Adams County is first, then Allegheny, etc.) The easiest way to find your district is to use the 'find' feature under the Edit heading and search for your name.
Julie Tritt Schell
Director, Office of Educational Technology
Pennsylvania Department of Education
(717) 705-4486
(717) 787-7222 - fax
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