A major part of any long-range technology plan, of course, is developing a plan to pay for the technology. At least in the short term, a new model of education based on the use of technology is likely to be very costly. As an education leader, you and your colleagues will have to make hard choices about how existing monies are spent, where the priorities are in the use of public funds, and where and when to ask for more public money.

Link to ideas for funding at the following levels:

• Federal Funding

You will want to investigate all opportunities for Federal funds. Federal funds are obtainable, refer to this section to explore the many resources awarding Federal funds.

• State Funding

Some states have begun to allocate the funds needed to wire schools for telecommunications under school reform legislation or other initiatives. Even if state grants don’t at first appear to target technology, you might be able to use the money to acquire technology in pursuit of another purpose, such as improving math and science skills. Refer to this section to research state funding resources.

• Local Funding

Locally, you can enlist the aid of nearby businesses by organizing a forum of local business leaders who know what skills your students need to join the work force. Schools with successful technology programs enhance their communities and help attract new businesses, making them excellent community economic development tools. This is a strong argument for partnerships at the local level.

• Finding Money Within the Budget

It is often possible to find money within the existing capital and operating budgets. Learn a new way of looking at technology resources and how to allocate funds for emerging technology.

• Other Funding Ideas

When you have exhausted all your known resources, turn here to identify some other sources you may not have thought of.

• Funding Technology Resources

A compilation of resources to refer to when researching technology funding.

In this Module:

In the Toolkit: