Unfortunate to Report: NM School Connectivity Mired in Delays by Federal Government

As shared by the 1st-Mile Institute, here are "listings of NM schools affected by US government delays.    The details and reasons are not available. Nationally, 61 fiber projects have been unfairly denied.
In New Mexico, that includes:
•    Bernalillo Public Schools
•    Central Consolidated School District 22
•    Farmington Municipal School District 5

Nationally, 38 fiber projects are still waiting on decisions from last year.
In New Mexico, that includes:
•    Dulce School District
•    Socorro Consolidated School District

"E-Rate, a federal program intended to help school districts attain better access to the internet is under fire. Advocates for connectivity say  the Federal Communications Commission is leaving many rural districts in limbo with long delays and denials. Most of the concerns surround applications for federal aid to connect rural schools to fiber optic  networks through the E-rate program. “Red tape and bureaucracy… are causing huge delays in getting their projects reviewed,” said Evan Marwell, CEO of EducationSuperHighway, a nonprofit that has long advocated for school connectivity. The group estimates it takes an average of nine months to get a decision on a fiber project. He said that the contractor in charge of reviewing applications and FCC administrators “are so concerned, so focused on waste, fraud and abuse, and making sure a dollar doesn’t get spent the wrong way, that they are losing sight of the real goal, which is to get kids connected. They’re making it really hard.” EducationSuperHighway launched a website to track delays and denials, hoping to put pressure on the FCC. According to the site, 38 fiber optics projects in 17 states have been awaiting decisions since last year. In addition, the group says 61 projects in 28 states have been “unfairly denied.”  

​A number of NM school districts are among the delayed and denied, noted on the web site.  http://delaysanddenials.org

​ See also: 
> https://morningconsult.com/opinions/closing-school-broadband-gap