ETS is beginning to implement a District-funded initiative in which standards-based wireless network equipment will be installed in all High Schools and some Middle Schools by June of this year.  Implementation of the remainder of the district will take place as funding is available in the following years. The initial focus of the wireless coverage at each site will be the schools’ media centers.  All schools involved in this project will receive the following equipment:

·         1 intelligent network switch with the capacity to support up to 36 access points located anywhere in the school facility.

·         2 Wireless Network Access Points mounted in the ceilings of the school’s Media Center to provide wireless network medial center coverage.

·         District Support, Management and Training.

Project Goal: The long term goal of this project is to provide students, staff, and administrators throughout the District with wireless network coverage in schools and departments. The initial phase is designed to extend the reach of High Schools’ computer networks using a secure, centrally managed wireless network framework. Future phases of the wireless initiative will expand the project to other grade levels, move towards broadening the areas of coverage on each campus, and adding improved security measures to the wireless network.  Just as ETS manages the District hardwired network, this project will ensure that wireless coverage is extended only to those places, and to those users, fully authorized to access its digital resources and operational systems. 

Site Implications:  Impact on each school during installation will be minimal. District approved vendors will install two single data drops and access points in the ceiling of the media center and a small wireless network appliance in the central equipment room.  The site must ensure two existing network ports are available to enable the access points.  The placement of the third Access Point will be left up to the school to manage.

Once each of these schools has been outfitted with the core wireless switch, ETS will gladly work with sites that want to more rapidly expand the area of coverage beyond their Media Center.  Additional access points can be purchased by schools to construct additional hotspots on their campuses, or even campus-wide overlays. Adding additional wireless equipment will be handled using the same process as is the case when adding to the District’s hardwire infrastructure.  School technology specialists will need to work with ETS analysts to add additional wireless network equipment as needed.

Next Steps:  ETS will provide technical staff with follow-up training, and instructions on how to extend wireless network coverage at their sites. School-based technology staff members will also receive information relating to purchasing standards based wireless network equipment and where to find District information pertaining to wireless standards. Further information can be provided by contacting Mike Brown at 754-321-0344.