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District staff recommend CIT for structured cabling replacement under tech bond; work to start at elementary buildings and Farmington Central
Summary
District staff recommended awarding the first-round structured cabling replacement contract to CIT and described a phased plan to replace aging Category 5/5e infrastructure with Category 6 cabling and upgraded fiber trunks.
District staff presented a structured-cabling proposal Tuesday and recommended awarding the contract for the first round of cabling replacement to CIT, the lowest qualified bidder and a vendor already working in the district.
Presentation and recommendation: Amy Sassina, manager at Plant Moran (district construction oversight), and Wes Prescott, the district’s technology director, told the board the project replaces more than 20-year-old data cabling with Category 6 cabling, upgrades fiber runs between wiring closets, and modernizes wiring closets (new cabinets and organization) to improve stability and support newer technologies.
Scope and schedule: The recommended first-phase scope covers all elementary buildings, the STEAM building, Farmington Central High School, and the Transportation and Facilities buildings. Work for secondary buildings (other middle and high schools) is planned for the following summer to align with E‑Rate cycles and vendor capacity. Most work is scheduled for summer months to avoid conflicts with school programming; transportation and facilities work may be done after hours during the school year.
Procurement and funding notes: The district received five bids and undertook clarifications and reference checks. Staff said the recommended award is the lowest qualified bid. District staff also explained they will pursue E‑Rate funding to recover approximately 50% of eligible costs for the current funding cycle (the E‑Rate cycle cited runs through 2025); secondary buildings are slated for the next E‑Rate cycle so the district expects similar reimbursement for that work.
Board questions and clarifications: Trustees asked about cable type (Category 6), whether fiber optic trunks would be replaced between closets (yes), and whether the price shown in the packet reflects E‑Rate discounts (the price presented is the full vendor award; the district expects to be reimbursed roughly 50% under E‑Rate for eligible costs). Staff estimated some existing cabling is older than 20 years and noted that newer cables increase capacity to support future needs.
No formal award vote recorded: Staff made the vendor recommendation to the board and answered questions, but the transcript does not record a formal contract award vote at this meeting.
Ending: Staff said they will coordinate with summer programming and special-education scheduling to avoid disruptions and will return with contracting details. The work is presented as part of the district’s technology bond implementation.
