Board approves E-Rate-funded Wi‑Fi access-point replacement and fiber upgrade to support 10Gb traffic

The board approved two technology projects at the March 11 meeting: replacement of aging wireless access points and a fiber upgrade between district buildings to handle 10-gigabit traffic.

The district’s technology director explained the spending and E-Rate funding mechanics, saying the district qualifies for approximately 80% E-Rate funding because its free-and-reduced-lunch percentage remains just above 50%. "So, any projects that I put in and the hardware that I'm proposing, that's funded at 80%. So, of that $29,000 ... we are responsible for 20% or around $5,000," he said.

The two recommended projects on the March agenda were a $29,004.67 purchase of Ubiquiti access points and an installation/recurring-cost proposal for fiber to link AMS, Schuler and Washington (the motion cited $238/month). The board moved and voted to approve the recommendations by roll-call voice vote.

The director also described a third, planned project to standardize school cameras on a single platform (estimated at roughly $30,000) but said that purchase would be considered later after existing DVR/storage infrastructure work is complete.

Board minutes show the motion passed; the recorded vote included trustee responses in the meeting audio (Christy/Christie, Jody, Jenny and Chet among those saying yes). Staff will complete E-Rate paperwork and proceed with procurement under the approved funding plan.

Because E-Rate timelines and bidding rules apply, the technology director said paperwork must be filed by the end of the month to secure discounts and to align with multi-year vendor contracts.