One hundred percent of K-12 district administrators participating in a national survey responded that Web hosting should remain funded as a Priority One Service within the E-rate program.
Key findings from districts that participated in the survey include:
· 98 percent state that district, school, and classroom websites perform critical educational functions.
· 95 percent state that websites provide a cost effective mechanism for sharing relevant and timely information.
· 85 percent state that websites strengthen parent engagement.
· 75 percent state that websites increase out-of-school learning time.
· 61 percent state that websites level the playing field across rural and urban schools
Web hosting includes storage, access, and website administration tools for the creation and maintenance of a district’s website. In addition, Web hosting includes interactive communication features such as blogging and webmail, and other features that facilitate real-time interactive communication, such as instant messaging and chat. More than 5,000 school districts nationwide filed for E-rate support for Web hosting for the 2014-2015 funding year.
