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IT staff warns board of firewall and Wi‑Fi upgrades; seeks decision on multi‑year contracts
Summary
District technology staff outlined an urgent need to replace the firewall and upgrade Wi‑Fi access points, gave rough multi‑year cost estimates and asked the board to consider awarding a contract at the next meeting; staff noted potential E‑Rate funding next year.
District technology staff briefed the board on aging firewall hardware and Wi‑Fi access points and recommended a timely replacement strategy to preserve network security and capacity.
IT staff described the firewall as the component sitting between the Internet and the district network and called it “one of the most important components of our network.” Staff said hardware quotes and multi‑year subscription options carry different cost profiles: hardware was described in the meeting as a mid‑five‑figure item, while recurring subscription and security‑service fees raise total three‑ to five‑year costs into the low‑to‑mid five‑figure range. IT staff also recommended upgrading access points to support newer Wi‑Fi standards and estimated approximately $30,000 for the Wi‑Fi access‑point replacements and associated software updates.
Board members asked for written quotes and a multi‑year timeline. CDW and other vendors were referenced; one staff comment during Q&A indicated a CDW software quote for the firewall service alone of approximately $44,000. Staff said they will present formal vendor quotes and an implementation timeline at the next board meeting and noted that E‑Rate funding could be pursued next year to offset a portion of the cost.
What the board asked for: Several trustees requested a three‑to‑five‑year procurement timeline with vendor quotes, lead‑time estimates and an outline of which costs would be locally funded versus E‑Rate–eligible. IT staff committed to deliver the requested documentation before the next meeting; a decision on procurement was anticipated at that subsequent meeting.
The board did not take a purchasing vote at this meeting; staff flagged long vendor lead times and the need to finalize orders once a budget and contract decision is made.
