EPC window is open. Two deadlines next week.
The EPC admin window is open; finish before Friday night maintenance. Oct 28 invoices. Oct 29 Form 486 only if both conditions apply. Patch BeyondTrust if you self-host.
USAC's Sign In button now opens One Portal
Same credentials, new landing page. Sign in once and confirm you still reach EPC. Ignore Return Funding unless USAC has told you to send money back.
BEAR payments are on hold without a SAM UEI on Form 498
As of September 8, USAC pays BEAR invoices from the bank account on your SAM.gov UEI. If that UEI is missing from Form 498, the invoice files and the money sits.
E-Rate Category 2 for small districts: the FY2026–2030 reset
The five-year internal-connections budget started over. Unused money from the last cycle did not roll. Here is the math, the floor, and the filing detail that actually changes a small shop’s plan.
Cybersecurity if you are a two-person team: a 90-day plan
You will not build a SOC. You can still close the holes attackers actually use on K–12 networks. A sequenced plan mapped to free CISA and K12 SIX guidance.
The school-year IT calendar for a 3,000-student district
Imaging in July, testing in spring, E-Rate in winter. A month-by-month calendar you can steal and trim to your staff count.