Q&A for Pender County Schools Erate Applications. Updated as questions are received, preferably by email but also by phone or in person. 30 days from the 470 filing will be Feb. 3, 2011.
Web Hosting - due within 30 days from the date of the 470 filing:
We currently use SharpSchool for our web hosting vendor. We are satisfied with this vendor. Any new proposals must include porting the current site (all pages and users) over from the current site, and include all necessary training for our staff at our convenience. We are not asking for student email accounts as we use Google for student emails.
Switches - due within 30 days from the date of the 470 filing:
We are currently a Cisco shop for all switches/routers. We prefer Cisco switches/routers because we have a small staff that is Cisco trained and they have been extremely reliable. Our switches are currently 10/100 and we are looking to upgrade to 10/100/1000 switches countywide. However, we may only be able to afford to do some individual schools, so any bid will have to be organized so that we can pick the schools we want to upgrade (We have 15 schools plus offices, but may decide to only upgrade 10 sites, depending on finances).
Any competing vendor with Cisco will have to provide reliability data, reference sites that are similar to ours, and train our staff to program/service (equivalent to Cisco certification) the switches at no cost to us. In addition, we will need all switches installed to have the current programming ported to an equivalent status for the new switches, as we are not knowledgable in other programming languages.
Additionally, any disruption in service (network outages, etc.) over and above the current status due to switches or their programming, will be charged to the vendor for a duration of 12 months from installation (the school's service may not be disrupted for installation of the switches nor may the school day for classes be disrupted). Afternoons, evenings and weekends (no-classes in session) may be used to install switches. Disruption fees/expenses will be part of the contract. If it is necessary to call an outside vendor in to ultimately correct problems, all additional expenses will also be covered by the original contracted switch vendor. This should be part of the contract.
The list of our switches may be downloaded from this site. It is an Excel file format. If there are any questions, please feel free to contact Landon Scism at 910-259-2187 or email (ERATE in subject line) landon_scism@pender.k12.nc.us.
PCS_LAN_Upgrade file
PCS LAN Upgrade file - Revised (Jan. 21, 2011)
The only error in this file is that all switches are now installed whereas the file stated some were to be installed. My error.
Currently the newer switch models (3560, 3750) use SFP fiber modules. Older models (2900, 3550, 4506, 4510) use GBICs (multimode fiber).
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Additions/Modifications:
- The Form 470 was certified on January 4, 2011. 30 days is February 3, 2011. 5:00pm (close of business) is the last any item will be accepted. (1/13/2011)
- Feel free to view the Evaluation Worksheet. (1/13/2011)
- GBICs currently use multimode fiber) (1/13/2011)
- EIGRP is the routing protocol we use between the switches (CISCO). (1/17/2011).
- PCS LAN Upgrade file - Revised (Jan. 21, 2011)
- Naming Conventions" CFE: Three Letter School Initials (In this case Cape Fear Elementary)
DR: Location (In this case Data Room)
01: Switch number (In this case this is the top switch #1)
- A: The switches are not stacked. In each closet they are simply cascaded and connected to
each other via fiber, gbic/sfp and operate independently. There is one switch in each closet that
links back to the MDF\IDF.
- A: Most school IDFs are connected back to the MDF through a single link but a few of schools
have different arrangements most notably Burgaw Elementary and Pender High. These schools
have multiple links coming in to one of the IDFs. As long as we have enough fiber ports noted
in the spreadsheet for each closet listed we should be good.
- A: We will be upgrading all schools listed except Topsail High, Topsail Middle, Topsail Elementary, South Topsail Elementary, and HeadStart.
Added March 13, 2011.
- We will be upgrading all schools
listed in the LAN Upgrade file above except Topsail High, Topsail
Middle, Topsail Elementary, South Topsail Elementary, and HeadStart.
- Public opening of bids will be March 23, 2011 at 4:00pm at the CO.
- Contract must be included and approvable by the BOE attorney at that time. See below for some contract items.
- Please contact Landon Scism at 910-259-2187 for all questions.
Contract Items: Erate requires a signed contract. Please submit your company's signed contract with your bid.
1) Be sure to include a summary of the configuration, along with a summary
of price quotes, including a breakout of prices, taxes, shipping and handling,
total price and whether the item(s) are 100% erateable or not. If not please
list the percentage that is erateable and why the full amount is not erateable.
If shipping is included in the quoted pricing, you must state so. NC Taxes must be listed.
2) Since the bids are being submitted so close to the last day
to file for
Erate, please include a contract for the purchase. The contract must be
approved
by the BOE attorney before the BOE will accept the bid. The following
items must be included, but are not limited to, in the contract:
a) SPIN Number
b) Contract Number (use our phone number if you don't have any way to
assign a contract number to a purchase 9102592187)
c) 470 application number (31425000088213)
d) Entity number (127007)
e) "Non-Appropriations Clause or Funding Denial Clause - Customer’s
obligations to pay the charges (and any other amounts due) are contingent upon
the appropriation of funds by its governing body and the approval of all funding
sought by Customer through the ERate Program. In the event that either of these
conditions are not met, Customer may terminate this Agreement without any
termination fee, charge or other liability"
4) If your contract to purchase is involved or may require changes
according to our attorney, then you may want to submit it in advance, as
it may
be impossible to correct in time for our BOE approval at 5:00pm, March
24, 2011. All bids and contracts that are not approved by the BOE
attorney will be considered
ineligible for consideration. If you submit a sample contract, do not
include
bid prices, etc. that may give away your bid prices prior to the
opening/viewing
at 4:00pm on March 23, 2011.
5) We will notify everyone bidding of the results no later than the next
day, Thursday March 24, 2011 after the BOE makes a decision.
6) We reserve the right to reject any or all bids from consideration.
7) Sample purchase contract
is downloadable by clicking on this link. This is not the only form of
contract acceptable. But this minimally meets our requirements. Intended
as a sample/starting point only.