Fessenden-Bowdon School District - FY26

Category 1: Narrative of Services and Equipment Sought Our school is a single-site PK12 educational facility serving all grade levels within one building. We are seeking E-rate support to ensure reliable, scalable, and high-quality broadband connectivity for all students, faculty, and staff. Category I: Data Transmission and Internet Access Under Category I, we are requesting services to support broadband connectivity to our school. Specifically, we seek E-rate discounts to help offset the ongoing monthly costs associated with data transmission and internet access services provided by our current or prospective vendor. Our instructional environment relies heavily on digital learning platforms, cloud-based applications, and online assessments. Students are issued school-owned Chromebooks and primarily access the network through secure wireless connections distributed throughout the building. Our internal network infrastructure utilizes multiple wireless access points, aggregation points, and switching equipment to ensure consistent connectivity across classrooms and common areas. In addition to wireless connectivity, several critical devicesincluding servers, network management systems, and select instructional or administrative equipmentare connected via wired Ethernet to ensure high reliability, speed, and low latency. The requested Category I services are essential to: Support one-to-one student device usage Enable uninterrupted access to online instructional resources Maintain network performance during peak usage times Ensure compliance with state testing and digital learning requirements
Category 2: We are a k-12 building. Server needs replacing. We would like to use E-rate funds for the operating software and licenses to run the eligible hardware. Service agreement needed to keep network hardware operational. Category II: Internal Connections and Equipment Under Category II, we are seeking E-rate support for internal connections and network-related equipment necessary to maintain and enhance our local area network infrastructure. The requested equipment includes: Rack-mounted server to support local network services and applications Ethernet 1 GB adapter to support network interface expansion Ethernet 2-port adapter to increase connectivity options and redundancy 960 GB Solid State Drive (SSD) to improve system performance, storage reliability, and speed Two (2) APC Smart UPS units to provide battery backup and power protection for critical networking and server equipment These components are necessary to ensure the stability, security, and performance of our network environment. The equipment will support both instructional and administrative functions, minimize downtime, and protect against data loss or hardware damage due to power disruptions.
Requested services (10 line items): - Category 1 — Data Transmission And/Or Internet Access — Category One Maintenance And Operations - Category 2 — Internal Connections — Racks - Category 1 — Data Transmission And/Or Internet Access — Internet Access And Data Transmission Service - Category 2 — Internal Connections — Antennas, Connectors, And Related Components - Category 2 — Internal Connections — Uninterruptable Power Supply/Battery Backup And Necessary Software And Licenses - Category 1 — Data Transmission And/Or Internet Access — Category One Network Equipment - Category 2 — Basic Maintenance Of Internal Connections — Antennas, Connectors, And Related Components - Category 2 — Basic Maintenance Of Internal Connections — Racks - Category 2 — Managed Internal Broadband Services — Existing Equipment - Category 2 — Basic Maintenance Of Internal Connections — Uninterruptable Power Supply/Battery Backup
State/local procurement requirements: Below, is a summary of our procurement policy from our policies manual.
HCAA PURCHASING All purchases made on behalf of the District shall be conducted in a fair, equitable, and legal manner to ensure the best value for the District and its taxpayers. This policy establishes procedures to support that goal. Purchasing System The Board delegates overall purchasing authority to the Superintendent, who serves as Chief Procurement Officer (CPO). The CPO is responsible for developing and administering an efficient and economical purchasing program, including a requisition and purchasing system and maintaining complete purchasing records. To maintain proper internal controls, the CPO may approve purchases but shall not directly make them. General Requirements All purchases must comply with applicable state laws and protect confidential or proprietary information. Purchasing shall be conducted in good faith and in a manner that promotes fair competition. All purchases must be documented through a p-card, purchase order, contract, invoice, or receipt and submitted to the CPO. Purchases must have adequate budget appropriations; otherwise, Board approval is required. Prior to purchasing, staff shall verify need, check inventory, and determine if items are available through cooperative purchasing agreements. Purchases through such agreements are exempt from standard procurement procedures. Procurement shall not be artificially fragmented to avoid competition or dollar thresholds. Any necessary fragmentation must be documented. Purchases using restricted funds must comply with all associated requirements. This policy does not apply to legal services or construction/public improvement projects. All contract purchases must comply with applicable laws and district standards. Purchasing Thresholds The CPO or designee shall evaluate procurement needs and estimated costs based on market research or prior purchases.
P-Cards: The CPO may implement and regulate p-card use, including setting spending limits and allowing exceptions for items not easily obtained through competitive processes. Under $10,000: May be delegated to administrators. At least one reasonable quote is required, and vendor rotation is encouraged. $10,000$50,000: Managed by the Business Manager with at least three informal bids or proposals unless documented as impractical. Over $50,000: Must comply with NDCC 15.1-09-34 and Board policy.
Conflicts of Interest If a conflict exists, the CPO shall assign a qualified individual without a conflict to oversee the procurement. Contracts All contracts must be approved by the Board prior to execution. Contracts of $10,000 or more, or those with renewal options, must be reviewed by legal counsel. Contract terms are generally limited to one year unless otherwise permitted by law. The District shall not enter into contracts containing indemnity or additional insured clauses that benefit another party.
Reference documents (Form 470 / RFP): https://publicdata.usac.org/EPC/Prd/Form470/260026228/134483/22077193-USAC_FCC_FORM_470_APPLICATION_260026228_CERTIFIED.pdf, https://publicdata.usac.org/EPC/Prd/Form470/260026228/134483/21409768-RFP%20Narrative.docx