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District to replace aging FortiGate firewall; purchase is E‑rate eligible
Summary
The committee recommended replacing the district’s FortiGate 1500D with a FortiGate 900G and related services to restore full security updates; the purchase is E‑rate eligible with differing discount rates for hardware and subscription.
The Germantown School District finance committee voted to forward a recommendation to replace the district’s aging FortiGate 1500D firewall with a FortiGate 900G and purchase associated installation and security services.
IT staff said the current unit, purchased in 2018, is on long‑term support until Dec. 26, 2026 and cannot receive the latest updates; the older software already causes protocol and connectivity problems. The recommended purchase includes (1) new firewall hardware with a one‑year subscription for security updates, (2) professional services to install and migrate settings from the old unit, and (3) a Qualys vulnerability scan the vendor requires to validate the installation.
Staff said the hardware purchase is E‑rate eligible at an approximate 40% discount for hardware, while the one‑year security bundle is eligible at a lower E‑rate discount (about 11%). The proposed hardware delivery and installation target August to have the unit ready for the new school year.
Motion and next steps: The committee approved forwarding the purchase recommendation to the full board with a corrected “not to exceed” price. Staff will direct the vendor to proceed with E‑rate filings and schedule the installation.
Endnote: Staff described the replacement as a preemptive security upgrade to avoid the current unit becoming a liability as support ends.
