The Westbrook School Department will be receiving up to $39,800 in federal money as part of a program designed to help boost technology in schools.

The program, known as the E-Rate program, was included as part of the 1996 federal Telecommunications Act, and was authored in part by Sen. Olympia Snowe.

“I firmly believe that access to advanced technologies is a critical necessity for students so they can compete on a level playing field,” Snowe said in a written statement.

In Westbrook, the money will be used to help partially offset the cost of a third mobile laptop computer lab at the high school, said Tyler Dunphy, director of technology for both the schools and the city.

Dunphy said the schools have received E-Rate money for the past several years. He said the school department is required to spend the money on technology that has a direct benefit on student instruction and cannot be used on things like salaries and benefits. “It goes back into hardware and software that directly benefits students,” he said.

While the school department has received a commitment letter saying it is eligible to receive up to approximately $39,800 this year, Dunphy said the school would not necessarily receive that entire amount. He explained that the actual amount of money received is tied into what the department spends on telecommunications service during the year.

Dunphy said the program is set up so the school department receives the federal money in the form of a rebate of a percentage of the money it spends on telecommunications such as phones and cell phones. Dunphy said the percentage is generally in the neighborhood of between 50 and 55 percent.