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Grants‑Cibola board discontinues $27,000/month Sharp help‑desk after 90‑day trial
Summary
After a 90‑day trial and presentations from district technology staff, the Grants‑Cibola County Schools board voted to end the Sharp help‑desk contract, citing minimal use and high monthly cost. The vote was carried by roll call.
The Grants‑Cibola County Schools Board of Education voted to discontinue the district’s Sharp help‑desk contract following a review of usage and performance during a 90‑day trial.
Board President Lee called for discussion after staff reported low help‑desk utilization; a motion to end the help‑desk portion of the Sharp contract was moved by Doctor Archambault and seconded by Mister Ortiz and passed by roll call.
Why it mattered: Board members said the help‑desk contract — billed at $27,000 per month — delivered little value for the price during the trial period. Technology staff told the board that engineering support from Sharp had addressed a small number of outstanding assessment findings, but many fixes were completed in‑house.
District technology presenter Mister Wagner told the board: "Last week, we had 2 total phone calls into their help desk." He characterized the help‑desk’s day‑to‑day utility as low, saying, "So for that, if we’re looking at it day to day, we’re paying around $1,000 a day for them to provide assistance." That usage figure was central to board members’ concerns.
The board mover, Doctor Archambault, summarized the rationale during debate: "It is very costly, and the use of it was minimal." President Lee corrected an early characterization of costs and underscored the scale: "It's actually $27,000 a month." After discussion, the motion to discontinue the help‑desk services carried on a roll‑call vote.
What the board decided and next steps: The board’s motion discontinued the Sharp help‑desk contract (the engineering relationship and other Sharp services were discussed separately). Staff were directed to finalize the scope of in‑house support, pursue transition plans for any remaining services, and incorporate lessons learned into the district’s technology master plan and future RFP drafting.
Background and context: Technology staff reported the district had commissioned an assessment that found 34 items; most were resolved by district staff and a small number were completed with Sharp’s engineering assistance. The district has rolled out Dynabook devices for teachers and administrators, and SentinelOne antivirus has been implemented as a cloud‑based replacement for the prior Symantec solution. Board members pressed for continued staff training and clearer transition steps before ending contracted help‑desk services.
The board approved the motion to discontinue the Sharp help‑desk contract by roll call; the district will report back with transition details at a future meeting.
