Krishnan questions DOE on technology contracts and spending
Krishnan asks how many of DOE's 73 technology contracts involve instructional software or hardware. DOE staff report $105 million was spent on educational software in fiscal year 2026, and discuss the process of reviewing contracts for compliance with new policies.
I want to lastly ask about the contracts.
At the fiscal 2027 preliminary budget hearing for the Education Committee, DOE stated that there were 73 technology contracts in the DOE's budget.
How many of these contracts involve instructional
or classroom software or hardware?
Thank you for the question.
For our procurement team, it's not with us today, but we have some information.
I'm not sure if I have the answer with me today on that specific question.
You guys got homework, the audits, the contracts.
That's okay.
We don't mind homework.
Nor should you if you're the education department.
Do you want me to share the information?
Please.
Sure.
Yeah, what we have.
Thank you for that question, Chair.
So with regard to software specifically,
In fiscal year 26, which is the last full year that we have spending information,
for, and just to be clear, this is both school-based and central software spending.
$105 million was spent on educational software for that fiscal year.
Wow, I'm in the wrong business.
That's a lot of money.
And how many of those contracts needed to be amended based on the screen time and AI policy?
That's something that we're working through right now for sure.
We're working with our vendors to figure out the whole turn off, turn on AI situation and all of that.
And we can get back to you on that once we've worked through that.
And are there any specific contracts?
That the DOE is contracted for a service that is now no longer necessary and no longer required, you no longer require given the new screen time and AI policies?
Yeah, again, that's something we have to work through.
Is your product still usable under screen time policies?
Can it still work without AI?
Is it a tool that's used in both high school as well as in middle school?
So there's still some use.
So for every tool, we're going to have to really take a closer look at that.
And of course, at some point saying, is your tool effective?
Utilizing our DOE rubric, right?
Okay.