IT staff recommend new wide‑area network contract after vendor bids show savings
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Summary
Information technology staff reviewed responses to a wide‑area network RFP and recommended the lowest bidder for a 10‑gig service that would reduce monthly costs compared with the current contract; staff noted implementation would be scheduled to avoid downtime and emphasized service‑level agreements.
Brad McBride (IT staff) briefed the board on a request for proposals for the district’s wide‑area network (WAN) — the fiber links that connect the central office to school buildings. He said the district’s existing WAN contract (from 2014) expires at the end of June and the RFP returned three bids with a range of pricing and link‑speeds.
McBride said the district currently uses 10‑gig links and that the lowest bidder proposed 10‑gig service at approximately $750 per link per month (the RFP sheet summarized multiple speed tiers and monthly link pricing). He noted that the lowest bidder also is the district’s internet service provider; that relationship likely explains why that proposal omitted an extra “head‑end” charge other vendors included. McBride estimated the new contract would lower current monthly costs (about $8,900 today) by roughly $2,400–$3,500 per month depending on vendor and configuration, producing substantial savings over a five‑ to ten‑year contract.
McBride recommended accepting the lowest‑cost 10‑gig option with the caveat that being both WAN vendor and internet provider creates some dependency; he said the risk of simultaneous outage is low and that all vendors must meet uptime and response SLAs in the contract. He described implementation as a summer project to avoid classroom disruption and said the new provider would install parallel services before cutover to minimize downtime.
Staff framed the procurement as a threshold item that exceeds the division director’s procurement authority because the multi‑year cost crosses the district’s board approval threshold (about $300,000 over five years); McBride asked the board to note the recommendation so staff can proceed with contract award consistent with procurement rules.