13 Apr 2004
Moses Calls the Investment in Technology Significant Boost for District's Technology Efforts
DALLAS—Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Mike Moses on Tuesday announced that the district has received $122.8 million for technological improvements in 188 district schools through what is commonly called the "E-rate."
The total funding is $122,838,123.52, with the district providing $13.4 million in matching funds in order to receive the allocation. Work that will be done involves five areas of development, including network infrastructure cabling, network electronics enhancements, e-mail system upgrade and enhancements, qualified server upgrades, and a video teleconferencing system for each of the 188 schools.
"This is great news for the Dallas Independent School District as we strive to build the best technology infrastructure possible in our district," Moses said. "Because of these funds, our students and teachers will experience increased opportunities to use and benefit from technology so they have the important skills necessary to compete in an ever-advancing technological world."
What this means for the district:
•Cabling: More than 55,000 additional network jacks will be added to numerous locations in these schools including classrooms, auditoriums, meeting rooms, common areas, gymnasiums and labs. Additional fiber optic cables will be added. Portable buildings not slated for elimination will be connected with underground fiber optic cable and network Ethernet switches.
• Network Electronics: Network infrastructures in these schools will be upgraded so that they run faster. In addition, each school will have a secure wireless network.
•E-mail System Upgrade: An e-mail system upgrade will be completed for higher availability and reliability. All computers using the district e-mail will have the latest e-mail software installed.
•Servers: Hundreds of servers will be added or upgraded.
• Video Teleconferencing: Each of the 188 schools will have one video teleconferencing terminal installed and the district's central media control unit will be enhanced to accommodate a much greater number of simultaneous conferencing sessions.
The Schools and Libraries Division of the Universal Services Administrative Company administers the Universal Service Support Mechanism for Schools and Libraries, commonly called the "E-rate."
The E-rate program was established as part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to afford access to telecommunications services for all eligible schools and libraries, particularly those in rural and inner-city areas. The program is run under the auspices of the Federal Communications Commission, which is ultimately responsible for its proper administration. Funded at up to $2.25 billion annually, the program provides discounts of 20 to 90 percent on telecommunications services, Internet access and internal connections. Discounts are based on the entity's percentage of students eligible for free and reduced meals.