ISD network project denied by Centreville schools

The Centreville school board last week denied a request from the St. Joseph County Intermediate School District for support in moving forward with a 2020 Wide Area Network project.

The proposal would have allowed the district to purchase and own its own fiber-optic-cable network.

Ben Daugherty, director of information services for the St. Joseph County Intermediate School District, presented the proposal, which would cost about $2.3 million over a 10-year period.

However, if the ISD was approved for E-Rate funding, there would be a 99-to-100 percent discount on the project, he said.

Centreville’s up-front cost for the project would be about $15,000. Board president Jeff Troyer said fiber already exists between the ISD and Centreville, so he didn’t see a reason to support the proposal.

Earlier in the meeting, Superintendent Stephanie Lemmer had told board members that she anticipated next year’s per-pupil funding allowance from the state to be cut anywhere from $325 to $1,000.

Daugherty said the districts would be spending money during the next year, but over 20 years they would be saving money.

A motion to approve the proposal failed for lack of a second.