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Board approves E‑Rate agreement to upgrade school Wi‑Fi and accept state cybersecurity grant
Summary
The school board approved an E‑Rate category agreement and authorized Central Technologies to install new access points using excess E‑Rate funds; the district also accepted state cybersecurity services including CrowdStrike and training.
Lake County Schools’ board voted to approve participation in an E‑Rate category agreement that will fund replacement of aging wireless access points and expand district cybersecurity services.
Motion and vote: Board member Jimmy Dowell moved to approve the E‑Rate category agreement; the motion was seconded by Jody and carried by roll call vote. Board members recorded their approval during the meeting.
Technology staff explained that federal E‑Rate funding—created by legislation in the 1990s to subsidize Internet access for schools and libraries—reduces the district’s Internet costs and supports equipment purchases. The district piggybacked on Anderson County’s procurement process and solicited bids for access‑point replacement. Two bids were received; Central Technologies submitted the lower bid and was recommended for award.
Staff said the district has roughly $73,000 in excess E‑Rate funds available for Category 2 (equipment such as access points and switches). The full project cost for the approved scope is nearly $70,000, of which the district would pay about $11,000 after E‑Rate discounts; Internet service itself is subsidized at about 90 percent under the program and equipment at about 85 percent, staff said.
Separately, the board reviewed and accepted a state cybersecurity grant award that will provide CrowdStrike endpoint protection for district switches and accompanying state‑provided cybersecurity training for staff. The technology director said the upgrades to access points and switches are coordinated so the new cybersecurity tools can be deployed effectively.
Board members discussed litigation in other districts involving E‑Rate vendors but were told the district’s funding is in place and the procurement follows accepted piggyback procedures. Staff said pending budget approvals would cover the district share of the project.
Ending
Staff will finalize vendor agreements and order equipment after the board’s approval and pending budget allocation; technology staff will coordinate installation and cybersecurity deployment across campuses.
