Finding Text
Finding 2024-001: Reporting (50000)
Assistance Listing # 32.009 – U.S. Department of Communications, Pass through: N/A
Repeat Finding? No
Criteria: According to 47 CFR section 54.1710, the school should only seek support for eligible equipment and/or
services provided to students and school staff who would otherwise lack connected devices and/or broadband services
sufficient to engage in remote learning.
ECF Program-funded devices and services must be used primarily for off-campus educational purposes and by
students, school staff, and library patrons with unmet needs. Per-location and per-user limitations are imposed to
maximize the use of limited funds. An eligible school will be reimbursed for no more than one connected device and
no more than one Wi-Fi hotspot per student, school staff member, or library patron during the COVID-19 emergency
period, and no more than one fixed broadband connection per location. However, unlike the per-location limit for
fixed broadband, a similar per-location limitation will not be imposed on Wi-Fi hotspots because Wi-Fi hotspots
distributed by schools and libraries may be insufficient for multiple users and many homes with multiple students,
school staff, or library patrons may need more than one Wi-Fi hotspot to fully engage in remote learning.
According to guidance published on the Commission’s website, the Commission did not adopt a minimum number of
days that hotspots or connected devices must be in use to justify reimbursement, but imposed an obligation on
applicants and service providers, who agree to invoice on behalf of applicants, to not to seek support for services or
equipment that are not being used. The stated goal is to avoid having applicants seek support for devices that are
being warehoused.
Condition: Due to substantial delays in receiving the requested devices, the District was not able to place the devices
in service prior to June 30, 2024, the end of the grant period. Devices were not received until February and March of
2024. Because they were received well into the school year, the devices were keep in inventory and not assigned out
to students or staff. The District plans to assign them in the subsequent school year. Consequently, the majority of
devices received were not assigned to students or staff for the entirety of the grant period.
Cause: There were substantial delays in receiving the requested devices.
Context: Not applicable
Questioned Cost: None
Effect: Devices received under the grant were not assigned or in use during the grant period.
Recommendation: Not applicable, District is at the end of the grant period for these funds.
Views of Responsible Officials: The District is aware of the issue and understands that the devices should have been
assigned to students and staff during the grant period. Delays in receiving the devices pushed back the district's
deployment to the beginning of the 2024-25 fiscal year. As of the start of the new school year, all devices have been
deployed to staff and students.