Fort Smith School Board approves deal with tech-services vendor

The coronavirus pandemic required the district to use technology in “unprecedented ways” to provide services to both students and the community.

FORT SMITH — The School District took a step forward Monday in addressing technological needs for the coming school year.

The School Board approved a professional services agreement with Crux Technology and Security Solutions, which has offices in Fort Worth, Texas, and Tulsa, Okla. The district wants to use Crux to evaluate options for internet access to students at home, as well as other technology issues.

The coronavirus pandemic required the district to use technology in “unprecedented ways” to provide services to both students and the community, according to the meeting’s agenda packet.

“Continued planning and research are needed to identify a feasible, long-term solution for student internet access,” the outline states. “An independent assessment is also needed in the coming year of the district’s data center at the Rogers Center.”

The projects are estimated to cost $15,000. The School Board authorized $30,000 a contract to study an LTE 4G network for the district.

“This is … separate, but it’s complimentary in that once we have that feasibility study, that’s going to be part of the things that we put in [a request for proposal] out to bid to say, ‘Vendors, develop a solution for Fort Smith that’s cost effective,’ and then we look at those different options and bring you the best one,” Superintendent Doug Brubaker said. “So they dovetail, but it’s not an overlap of work.”

Brubaker said the district also needs help determining if the Rogers Center should continue housing some of its most sensitive equipment in the long term.

An abstract in the agenda packet for a June 1 meeting said the district did a survey indicating 22% of elementary students and 4% of secondary students don’t have home internet. The survey also shows 18% of elementary staff members in the district and 15% of secondary staff members don’t have home internet.

The board approved buying 2,500 LTE modems, or hot spots, and related services using the most cost-effective vendor.