Board approves 5-year extension for wide area network contract to maintain district fiber connectivity

The Caswell County Board of Education approved a proposal to extend the district'wide wide area network (WAN) contract with Contera for a five-year term to preserve high-speed fiber connectivity linking schools and administrative sites and to maintain eligibility for forthcoming state/federal connectivity funding.

District technology staff explained the original WAN contract was a 10-year agreement that expires at the end of the 2025'26 school year; to apply for next-year connectivity funding the vendor-extension notice and contract term must be in place 180 days before the application window. Technology staff said the district historically receives a large portion of the connectivity cost through state programs and pays a local share (described in the meeting as 9% or 10% in recent years); the local portion was cited around $9,300 in recent years though staff cautioned allocations vary by year and program.

Board members asked whether the district was required to use the same vendor if they extend the contract and whether the vendor'response time for repairs has been satisfactory. Technology staff said the nature of the fiber network and the vendor'provided backbone limit practical alternatives and that Contera has generally met repair response expectations (staff cited multiple rapid-response repairs in recent months). The board discussed procurement options and noted the scale of building a comparable fiber network would be extremely large for the district.

A motion to approve the contract extension was moved and seconded and the board approved the extension by voice vote.

Ending: Staff will execute the contract extension, proceed with the connectivity funding application and continue to monitor service levels and costs; the district will cover local share obligations as required by future funding solicitations.