Board approves E‑Rate–subsidized network switch refresh at seven schools

Ogden — The Ogden City School District board approved RFP 26008 to refresh core network switches at seven schools, citing aging equipment and risks of outages.

Mike Kibbe presented the procurement plan and said the selected vendor, Valcom, will supply chassis switches for Highland, Mount Fort, Mount Ogden, Heritage, Odyssey, Shadow Valley and Wasatch. He said the switches are more than nine years old and replacement parts are becoming scarce. ‘‘We just wanna reduce the risk of unexpected outages and increase the replacement parts as they become harder and more expensive to find,’’ Kibbe said.

The total contract cost is $287,746.93. Kibbe said the federal E‑Rate program is expected to subsidize about 80% of the cost (approximately $230,000), leaving a district share of roughly $57,500 to be paid from the existing technology budget. The district will purchase the equipment after E‑Rate funding is confirmed; installations will be scheduled to minimize disruptions.

Board member Peterson made the motion to approve the RFP; Vice President Anderson seconded. The motion carried in a voice vote; no opposition was recorded in the transcript.

Next steps: once E‑Rate approval is final, the district will issue purchase orders and coordinate installations with impacted schools, aiming for completion before the next school year or during scheduled summer windows.