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Calvert County schools approve $237,523 districtwide Zendesk help‑desk contract
Summary
The Calvert County Board of Education voted unanimously to award a three‑year contract to CDW Government to expand Zendesk Suite Pro districtwide, paying $237,523 from software and data processing accounts.
The Calvert County Board of Education voted to award a three‑year contract to CDW Government of Vernon Hills, Illinois, for Zendesk Suite Pro help‑desk software, a move district staff said will expand an existing tool now used by IT and transportation to cover the whole school system.
Sheldon Taylor, supervisor of purchasing for Calvert County Public Schools, told the board the award uses the Omni Partners National IPA Technology Solutions Education Cooperative contract 2018011 and that the district would pay $237,523 over three years from CCPS software and data processing accounts. "Today, I have two recommendations for your consideration," Taylor said during his presentation.
Taylor said a competitive comparison showed the Omni/IPA contract provided at least $36,000 in savings compared with the next‑lowest bid over the three‑year term. Staff explained the vendor proposed a lower first‑year installment and higher second‑ and third‑year installments; board members asked whether the district pays the full three‑year amount up front or in annual installments. District staff said payments will be made annually, with the first installment due in the current fiscal year and the second installment due 07/01/2026.
The board moved and seconded the item and approved it by a 5‑0 vote. Board members did not identify a mover or seconder on the public record during the meeting. No amendments were offered at the meeting.
District officials said the contract would fund the licensing through 06/30/2028 and that all costs would be charged to the CCPS software and data processing accounts; no new local tax or bond funding was requested during the presentation. Staff who answered board questions said the vendor pricing structure concentrated margin in years two and three rather than spreading it evenly across the three years.
The approval authorizes the purchase and upgrade of the Zendesk license to a districtwide Suite Pro package and does not itself create any new district policy. Staff said they will return to the board if any subsequent approvals or budget changes are required.
The board chair called for the question, and the motion carried 5‑0.
