Moorhead schools told dark-fiber build must be finished by July 1 to keep e‑rate funding

Moorhead Area Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Lunick and district technology staff told the school board on May 12 that a contractor is on track to complete construction of a dark‑fiber ring connecting seven remote school sites but must finish and transfer the network by July 1 to preserve federal e‑rate reimbursement.

The update, given by Dan Markert, described work already completed at the high school and at several other buildings and outlined remaining tasks at Reinertsen, Horizon Middle School and West Central Academy. “We are only using 42 of those strands,” Markert said of a 144‑strand cable pulled into the high school, “so this company is pulling additional strands for future growth.”

The district is relying on a narrow timeline to secure e‑rate funds. Markert said the district intends a technical cutover and testing the week of June 19 and would begin billing July 1 if construction is accepted. He told the board that permits and approvals delayed some work: the city will not issue a permit while frost remains in the ground, and the West Central Academy run required additional approvals because it sits on Clay County property inside Moorhead’s footprint.

Board members asked about physical security for fiber vaults and exposed cable. Markert said vault lids use specialized fasteners and heavy covers (about 250 pounds) and that underground vaults require either a shovel or a special key to access; exposed coils above ground are more vulnerable until they are covered. “Once it’s covered up in the ground, you need a shovel or the special key to get at it,” he said.

Markert described construction milestones: fiber pulled into the operations center and into several schools, borings and locates completed under Minnesota’s 48‑hour locate requirement, and splice work at the high school where technicians fused more than 144 fiber splices. He said some sites show fiber sitting in vaults but “not yet terminated” at the rack, and that testing and termination remain to be completed at those locations.

The presentation emphasized that the e‑rate reimbursement rules require the district to have the constructed fiber in service by the funding deadline. If the district cannot transfer the constructed network by July 1, Markert said the district must seek an extension or risk losing reimbursement funds. The presentation did not include dollar amounts for the project nor the name of the winning bidder beyond the contractor references used in the update.

The board did not take action during the update; the presentation was informational and followed by a brief question period.