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School board terminates awarded fiber WAN contract after E-Rate denial; new RFP issued
Summary
The board voted to terminate an awarded $1.28 million dedicated fiber WAN contract for the Academy of Environmental Science and the Marine Science Station after the district's E-Rate funding request was denied; staff reissued a corrected RFP and said E-Rate funding typically covers about 90% of the cost.
The Citrus County School Board moved to terminate an awarded Request for Proposal (RFP) for a dedicated fiber wide-area network (WAN) serving the Academy of Environmental Science and the Marine Science Station after the district's E-Rate application was denied.
School technology staff told the board the federal E-Rate application was rejected for clerical and technical verbiage issues in the original submission. Because E-Rate typically funds about 90% of these connections, staff said the district needed to cancel the existing award and reissue a corrected RFP immediately to remain within E-Rate timelines.
District staff reported they have posted a revised RFP on Vendorlink and expect to bring recommendations back to the board in March. The previously awarded vendor, Zayo Group, had an earlier award for roughly $1.28 million; staff said the new RFP will be open to Zayo and other vendors and that final contract pricing could change.
Board members asked whether the district would be on the hook financially if E-Rate funding were again denied; staff and legal counsel confirmed cancellation language tied to funding availability was included in the district's documentation and that the district would not be obligated if the funding is not approved.
A motion to terminate the previously awarded RFP and reissue it drew unanimous approval.
Why it matters: the project would have provided high-capacity network connectivity to school academies. The E-Rate program is a federal funding program administered under FCC rules; denial of E-Rate funding requires the district to re-bid to preserve eligibility and timelines.
Action details: motion to terminate the awarded RFP for the 2024 dedicated fiber WAN for AES and the Marine Science Station and reissue a corrected RFP; outcome: approved unanimously. Staff said E-Rate would provide about 90% of the project cost if funded; remaining local share may be paid from impact fees.
