THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
November 13, 1997

STATEMENT OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
ON THE TECHNOLOGY LITERACY CHALLENGE FUND

Three years ago, President Clinton and I set out on a mission to connect every classroom to the Internet by the year 2000. In order for us to ensure that our children have their shot at the American dream, we need to empower them with the tools they need to succeed in the Information Age. Today, when the President signed the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill, we took one more step toward completing our mission.

I am very pleased that this bill provides for the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund, which will benefit every state in the nation. Through this fund states, communities, and schools will receive $425 million -- more than twice as much as what was appropriated last year -- to acquire software, hardware, and Internet connections.

However, this is not just about connecting children to computers, it is about connecting children to the future. Independent research has shown that federal, state, and local funding for educational technology has a direct and positive impact on student and teacher access to technology.

If we fail to ensure that our children have the technological resources they need to compete in an ever-changing information economy, our nation will be poorer for it. The Technology Literacy Challenge Fund will provide students more access to educational technology and will result in more opportunities for our nation's young people.

Technology Literacy Challenge Fund
Title III Estimated State Allocations - 1998

Technology Literacy Challenge Fund. The Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill provides $425 million, more than twice as much as the $200 million appropriated last year, to help States, communities, and schools acquire hardware, software, and connectivity linkages; provide professional development in the integration of technology into the curriculum; and apply technology to support school reform efforts and opportunities for all students.

1997Allocation Estimated 1998 Allocation
ALABAMA $3,536,029 $6,767,676
ALASKA 1,000,000 2,125,000
ARIZONA 2,772,006 6,403,705
ARKANSAS 2,113,832 4,050,741
CALIFORNIA 20,568,622 46,549,397
COLORADO 1,872,235 3,922,640
CONNECTICUT 1,481,944 3,803,227
DELAWARE 1,000,000 2,125,000
FLORIDA 7,901,240 18,631,872
GEORGIA 4,792,173 10,891,218
HAWAII 1,000,000 2,125,000
IDAHO 1,000,0002,125,000
ILLINOIS 9,100,428 17,992,404
INDIANA 3,085,379 6,162,855
IOWA 1,449,079 2,695,752
KANSAS 1,487,041 3,037,380
KENTUCKY 3,525,385 6,949,329
LOUISIANA 5,348,827 10,272,812
MAINE 1,000,000 2,125,000
MARYLAND 2,447,779 5,528,434
MASSACHUSETTS 3,424,955 8,115,371
MICHIGAN 8,621,429 18,215,451
MINNESOTA 2,321,232 4,888,611
MISSISSIPPI 3,511,568 6,696,008
MISSOURI 3,246,535 7,002,554
MONTANA 1,000,000 2,125,000
NEBRASKA 1,000,000 2,125,000
NEVADA 1,000,000 2,125,000
NEW.HAMPSHIRE 1,000,000 2,125,000
NEW.JERSEY 3,954,548 8,969,777
NEW.MEXICO 1,671,215 3,516,603
NEW.YORK 17,313,404 37,787,905
NORTH.CAROLINA3,693,671 7,698,246
NORTH.DAKOTA 1,000,000 2,125,000
OHIO 8,504,025 16,650,418
OKLAHOMA 2,357,624 4,787,553
OREGON 1,894,570 3,785,276
PENNSYLVANIA 8,617,07818,328,348
RHODE.ISLAND 1,000,000 2,125,000
SOUTH.CAROLINA 2,596,8405,107,330
SOUTH.DAKOTA 1,000,000 2,125,000
TENNESSEE 3,457,692 7,184,544
TEXAS 16,339,913 35,344,118
UTAH 1,000,000 2,125,000
VERMONT 1,000,000 2,125,000
VIRGINIA 2,851,387 6,155,251
WASHINGTON 2,800,894 6,112,694
WEST.VIRGINIA 1,975,565 3,973,755
WISCONSIN 3,473,991 6,840,340
WYOMING 1,000,000 2,125,000
DISTRICT.OF.COLUMBIA 1,000,000 2,125,000
PUERTO.RICO 7,139,865 13,930,405
AMERICAN SAMOA 240,930 509,392
NORTHERN MARIANAS 114,340270,923
GUAM 234,542 477,433
VIRGIN ISLANDS 410,188 867,252
BIA $1,000,000 $2,125,000
EVALUATION SET-ASIDE$750,000 $2,000,000
TOTAL $200,000,000$425,000,000

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