Item 4g. EFG E-Rate Services _ Chronology

Chronology – Educational Funding Group (E-Rate Consultant)
DeKalb County School District and Educational Funding Group (EFG) have maintained a steady and
trusted partnership since 2014. During that time, the District has been served by a consistent core team
including the company’s President, E-rate Attorney and Compliance Officer, and dedicated DCSD
Account Manager. Due to this long history, EFG has a special understanding of DeKalb’s unique needs
and has developed a deep working relationship with the District’s personnel.

EFG’s primary function is to guide DCSD successfully through the myriad of rules and regulations of the
federal E-rate program. This program provides funding for critical technology needs, such as the
District’s WAN infrastructure, internet access and equipment needed to provide broadband across the
DeKalb County Schools. EFG provides the following services to the District:

     ▪   Technology Review: Reviews District’s existing technology needs relative to E-Rate eligible
         services to maximize District’s E-rate funding opportunities;

     ▪   Form Preparation: EFG prepares and processes all necessary E-rate applications and forms on
         behalf of District (which are submitted to the District for approval prior to being filed);

     ▪   Competitive Bidding: EFG guides the District through the E-rate competitive bidding processes,
         which is done in collaboration with DCSD’s procurement procedures. It also works with the
         District to review E-rate service provider proposals and help determine the most cost-effective
         eligible services that best suit the District’s needs

     ▪   Participation in USAC Review Processes: EFG prepares written responses to higher level USAC
         reviews, such as USAC Program Integrity Assurance (PIA), Cost-effectiveness, Payment Quality
         Assurance (PQA) and Selective Service (SSR) Reviews, and other audits related to, or arising
         from, work done by EFG.

     ▪   Post Commitment Actions: EFG prepares and submits post-commitment changes and
         corrections, such as Service Substitutions, SPIN changes, Service Certifications, and Appeals and
         Requests for Waivers to USAC and/or the FCC. EFG also reviews vendor invoices for E-rate
         accuracy prior to invoicing for reimbursement.

     ▪   Document Retention: EFG retains copies of all documents associated with the funding years
         contracted by the District for the time period necessary to remain in compliance with FCC rules,
         which is currently ten (10) years from the last date of service.

     ▪   E-rate Compliance and Legal Matters: As necessary, EFG apprises the District of the FCC’s and
         USAC’s E-rate rules and regulations.

     ▪   Ancillary Services: EFG also tracks the District’s Category 2 budgets; Evaluates NSLP/CEP data,
         as necessary; and reconciles all E-rate reimbursements.
Over the past ten years EFG’s guidance has resulted in DCSD acquiring funding awards of more than 30
million dollars from the E-rate program:

   Funding             Current                     Pending
     Year          Reimbursements              Reimbursements                        Notes

    2014             $1,314,858.77                    N/A                             N/A

                                                                        Large Equipment Projects; First
    2015             $9,847,654.00                    N/A              Year of Voice Services Reduction

                                                                         Second Year of Voice Services
    2016              $765,278.44                     N/A                         Reduction

                                                                          Final Year of Voice Services
    2017              $395,072.26                     N/A                          Reduction

    2018              $365,119.15                     N/A                      No Voice Services

                                                                          Fiber & Equipment Projects
    2019              $192,084.47           Approx. $1,000,000.00          Pending Reimbursement

                                                                         Equipment Projects Pending
    2020              $121,029.30           Approx. $3,600,000.00               Completion

                                                                         Equipment Projects Pending
    2021              $176,169.70           Approx. $5,300,000.00               Completion

                                                                            Fiber Services Pending
    2022              $441,335.88             Approx. $90,000.00               Reimbursement

    2023              All Pending           Approx. $9,000,000.00             Equipment Projects

    2024              All Pending            Approx. $200,000.00                      N/A


    Totals          $13,618,601.97         Approx. $20,000,000.00



DCSD has received a total of approximately $13.6 million in disbursements from the E-rate program
between 2014 and 2022. An additional, approximately $20 remains to be disbursed – either pending
project completion (most funding disbursement is awaiting project completion from Funding Years
2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023) or is in the BEAR reimbursement process. Many of the outstanding projects
from 2020-2023 are connected and were delayed for reasons beyond the District’s, vendors’ and EFG’s
control (mostly pandemic-era delays that necessitated project restructuring). They are all currently in
progress.

The District has also applied for funding in 2024, but award for that funding has not yet been issued.
Continued close collaboration between Educational Funding Group and DeKalb County School District
has ensured that the District has received the maximum benefit from the E-rate program and allowed
the District to build further upon their networks and infrastructure. EFG looks forward to continuing its
successful partnership with DCSD and bringing more E-rate program funding to the District in future
years.