The Lawrence school district is appealing a finding that it violated rules by receiving free residential internet service

The Lawrence school district has appealed a nonprofit’s finding that the district violated rules by receiving free residential internet service.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports (http://j.mp/2iMTWJ0) Lawrence Unified School District 497 this month appealed the ruling from the Universal Service Administrative Co., which found district officials violated rules by receiving free residential internet service accounts from a company that supplies internet access to the district.

USAC is a nonprofit that the Federal Communication Commission has tasked with administering funds and programs aimed at promoting universal broadband connectivity.

If the district loses, its FCC filing indicates it’ll need to pay back more than half a million dollars in federal subsidies.

The district’s FCC filing also says its contract with the provider included 15 free at-home internet accounts, and those accounts didn’t influence decision-makers.