When: Penn Manor school board meeting, March 3. School board member Frederick Herr was absent.
What happened: The school board voted to approve a three-year contract with a new internet service provider, Glo Fiber. The contract goes into effect July 1. The district’s services will be discounted 80% because of the Federal Communications Commission’s E-Rate program, which gives districts discounts on internet connectivity and building equipment, such as wireless access points, Charlie Reisinger, chief technology officer, said at the Feb. 18 meeting.
Background: This year the district’s agreement with its ISP FirstLight is up. The district received five proposals from companies for a new contract. Glo Fiber submitted the lowest bid. The district’s costs will decrease from $3,000 per month to $2,500 per month because of the new contract.
E-Rate: The annual cost of using Glo Fiber would be $30,000, but with E-Rate, it goes to $6,000 per year, Reisinger said Feb. 18. Since 2016, the E-Rate program has saved the district $2.1 million.
Court case: The E-Rate program is the subject of an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case. A conservative advocacy group called Consumers’ Research is challenging the program, arguing it is unconstitutional. The case is likely to be on the Supreme Court’s docket in March, according to Reisinger.
Quotable: “If we were to lose the 80% discount, that would be catastrophic for our budget, because, as you see, we’re saving substantial funds not just annually, but over the course of many years,” Reisinger said Feb. 18.
Comprehensive plan: The board voted to approve the district’s comprehensive plan. The state requires districts to submit a comprehensive plan every three years.
Priorities: On Feb. 3, Jerry Egan, assistant superintendent for personnel and operations, outlined Penn Manor’s plan. It includes three main priorities: improving students’ proficiency in English language arts in grades 7-12; creating end-of-unit assessments to help with instruction in English language arts, math, science, and social studies; and helping English learners meet language proficiency goals, Egan said.
Next meeting: The board meets again on Monday, March 17.
