Brenham ISD board approves E‑Rate–funded internal network upgrades

The Brenham ISD Board of Trustees voted to approve a district contribution to an E‑Rate Category 2 internal connections project to upgrade switches and classroom access points, a project with a total cost of $86,707.85.

"This is just 1 step in our continuous improvement process," said Britney Kalix, the district's director of information technology, during a presentation explaining how aging switches and single‑gig SFPs limited classroom speeds and contributed to lag during state testing and daily instruction. Kalix said the district requested 10 network switches (with licensing), 20 SFPs and five access points (with licensing) to improve reliability and security across campuses.

Kalix told the board that E‑rate Category 2 funding covers 80 percent of eligible internal connections costs, reducing the district’s share to $17,341.57. She gave concrete examples: outdated equipment at Alton Elementary that could not support speeds above one gigabyte and a junior high dance/cheer room lacking an access point that degraded phones, video playback and created a safety concern. Kalix noted E‑rate’s procurement process produced 20 vendor bids and the administration’s vendor‑selection matrix appears in the board packet.

Board member Kelvin Raven moved to approve the district contribution of 20 percent of the total project cost, with the remaining funds covered by E‑rate support; Bonnie Brinkmeyer seconded. The presiding officer called for a vote and the motion carried. The administration said it has budgeted the district share in the technology fund and expects to place orders and begin installations under the E‑rate timeline once federal approvals are finalized.