In the 1995 fiscal year budget Congress appropriated $49 million in new funding which, combined with a Star Schools Program and other Department efforts, constitutes our technology inititative. State and local governments provide over 93% of the nation's investment in elementary and secondary education. The federal Department of Education has provided planning grants to 41 states and D.C. for planning in the use of technology and education at the state and local district levels.
Vice President Albert Gore challenged industry to wire every classroom to the information superhighway by the year 2000. Only 3% of the classrooms are connected today. Achieving Gore's goal will come about largely through the efforts of the state and local governments as well as the private sector. Broadly speaking the private sector's role is to provide telecommunications services and applications for education and lifelong learning. The private sector will build the telecommunications infrastructure. For example, Pacific Bell has committed to providing data links for all California schools, colleges, and universities.
There are various other funding sources available. For example, according to Wayne Sanstead, the North Dakota superintendent of instruction, the Goals 2000 technology grants have enabled his state to link technology planning with the overall plans in his state: "we now have 189 districts organized into 11 regional consortia focused on school improvement and utilizing technology to benefit all students."
What about poorer school districts? School districts in poor and isolatd parts of our nation will have the most difficulty acquiring and using technology. Congress has appropriated $27 million in competitive grants to support partnerships that include at least one local education agency with a high number of children living below poverty level with business partners such as state and local government agencies, cable companies, and others. These grants are called Challenge Grants.
