Fox C‑6 board awards Internet services contract to Charter after federal E‑rate review
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Summary
The board approved Charter Communications for district Internet service after competitive bids under the federal E‑rate program; staff cited better reliability with Charter despite a modest price difference versus AT&T.
The Fox C‑6 Board of Education on March 25 approved an Internet service agreement with Charter Communications Operating LLC after the district’s competitive E‑rate bidding process. District staff said the Internet services qualify for the federal E‑rate program, which will reimburse roughly 50% of the cost.
Staff presented two complete bids: Charter at $10,455 per month and AT&T at $10,330 per month. District technology staff recommended Charter despite the slightly higher monthly price, telling the board that the district had experienced better service quality and responsiveness from Charter during the last three years. After the E‑rate reimbursement, staff said the difference between providers would be roughly $62 per month.
When asked about previous outages and vendor responsiveness, JP, a district technology staff member, said the district had a harder time working with the prior vendor and that the board considered reliability and support when weighing the small price difference.
The board moved to approve the Charter agreement and approved it on a voice vote. Staff noted the new contract is about $2,354 per month less than the district’s prior agreements, reflecting savings from the current competitive process.
The contract will be reimbursed partially through E‑rate funding and will underpin connectivity for classroom devices, printers, security systems and other district services.