Board hears E‑rate plan for 565 wireless access points and firewall upgrade; district has $8.1M tech fund

Dave Feight, the district’s director of information technology, briefed the board on two large E‑rate–eligible capital projects: replacement and expansion of wireless access points across the district (about 565 indoor units plus exterior coverage) and a more robust firewall appliance plan. Feight said each project received six bids in the district’s procurement process and that parts of the firewall purchase are non‑E‑rate eligible, which raises the district’s out‑of‑pocket estimate. "That project will encompass this building, our transportation building and all nine schools," Feight said, describing the scope.

Feight explained E‑rate rules to the board: eligible equipment must remain in use for five years and vendors must extend warranties to cover the E‑rate service period; UPS devices and generator backup in the data center provide redundancy in case of power events. When discussing cost sharing, administrators said E‑rate discounts apply and the district intends to use its technology fund — which Feight said holds about $8.1 million — to cover district shares and ongoing capital needs.

Board members asked whether the district was maximizing eligible E‑rate requests and how replacements would be handled if equipment failed within the five‑year period. Feight said the district consults an independent E‑rate consultant to identify eligible items and that vendor warranties typically cover failures not caused by the district. There was no final procurement vote during this presentation; administrators indicated recommended contracts and renewals will return for formal action as required.