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District trims technology budget, expects E-rate rebate of about $70,000
Summary
Administrators reported a $350,000 technology budget for the year (down about $30,000 from the prior year), identified roughly $50,000 in immediate savings from procurement through CM Consultants, and said the district expects an approximately $70,000 E-rate reimbursement in the next fiscal year.
District technology spending for the coming year is budgeted at about $350,000, roughly $30,000 lower than the prior year, administrators told the board.
Staff credited CM Consultants with identifying cost savings on purchases to date that amount to about $50,000. Administrators also told the board the district is eligible for E-rate reimbursement on certain internet services and hotspots; at a 60% reimbursement rate the district expects roughly a $70,000 rebate to arrive in the following fiscal year.
The board discussed multi-year contract strategies to reduce per-unit costs (for example three-year firewall or device contracts) and a Chromebook replacement schedule that aims to extend device life to five or possibly six years where feasible. Staff noted past federal connectivity grants had been used to replace aging devices required for state testing and the technology team supports both the elementary one-to-one device program and shared carts across buildings.
The board recorded the technology-budget numbers in the meeting packet and asked staff to continue pursuing procurement savings and to return updates as contracts and rebate timing are finalized.
