District seeks $141,441 for fiber strands to add redundancy, cites 2022 bond funding

Director Isom, the district's technology director, asked the Okemos Public Schools Board of Education to consider a planned fiber upgrade funded by the 2022 bond to add additional fiber strands and network redundancy between sites.

The proposal would add strands to the line that runs from the district headquarters to the new school and to the high school so the district can use an alternate Internet service provider pathway (Zayo/STAR NET) as a backup to its primary ISP. Isom said the work is intended to create a resilient backbone and a disaster-recovery connection housed at the high school.

Vendor selection and cost: Isom said three vendors submitted bids and he recommended Challenger Technology because the company submitted a complete, detailed proposal and would handle "make ready" work required where utility lines and poles are adjusted. He asked the board to approve Challenger's base bid of $128,582.90, plus a 10% contingency of $12,858.29, for a total not-to-exceed cost of $141,441.19. "I'm asking for, you guys to approve that quote for $128,582.90. I'm adding a 10% contingency of $12,858.29 for a total of $141,441.19," Isom said.

Funding and procurement: Isom said the 2022 bond sets aside $150,000 for WAN/fiber work; the recommended contract and contingency would fit under that allocation if the board approves the purchase at a future meeting. He told trustees Challenger was not the lowest dollar bid but was the only complete, fully responsive bid among the three and that prior work experience and thoroughness were important in his recommendation.

Next steps: Isom said the purchase request will appear on a future board agenda for formal approval.

Speakers quoted or consulted for this article: Director Isom (technology director, Okemos Public Schools); Trustee (questioning bidder comparisons).

Ending: The board did not vote; Isom said the item will be placed on the next agenda for formal action.