Public Schools of North Carolina
State Board of Education
Department of Public Instruction
Report to the North Carolina
General Assembly
School Connectivity Initiative
SL 2007-323 (HB 1473), SECTION 7.28.(d)
Date Due: January 15, 2017
Report # 44
DPI Chronological Schedule, 2016-2017
2
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
SBE VISION: Every public school student will graduate ready for post-secondary education and work, prepared
to be a globally engaged and productive citizen.
SBE MISSION: The State Board of Education will use its constitutional authority to lead and uphold the system of
public education in North Carolina.
WILLIAM COBEY
Chair :: Chapel Hill – At-Large
A.L. COLLINS
Vice Chair :: Kernersville – Piedmont Triad Region
DAN FOREST
Lieutenant Governor :: Raleigh – Ex Officio
DALE FOLWELL
State Treasurer :: Raleigh – Ex Officio
MARK JOHNSON
Secretary to the Board :: Raleigh
BECKY TAYLOR
Greenville – Northeast
Region
REGINALD KENAN
Rose Hill – Southeast Region
AMY WHITE
Garner – North Central
Region
OLIVIA OXENDINE
Lumberton – Sandhills
Region
GREG ALCORN
Salisbury – Southwest Region
TODD CHASTEEN
Blowing Rock – Northwest
Region
WAYNE MCDEVITT
Asheville – Western Region
ERIC DAVIS
Charlotte – At-Large
PATRICIA N. WILLOUGHBY
Raleigh – At-Large
NC DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
Mark Johnson, State Superintendent
301 N. Wilmington Street :: Raleigh, North Carolina 27601-2825
In compliance with federal law, the NC Department of Public Instruction administers all state-operated educational programs,
employment activities and admissions without discrimination because of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, color, age, military
service, disability, or gender, except where exemption is appropriate and allowed by law.
Inquiries or complaints regarding discrimination issues should be directed to:
Dr. Rebecca Garland, Deputy State Superintendent
6368 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-6368 :: Telephone: (919) 807-3200 :: Fax: (919) 807-3388
Visit us on the Web :: www.ncpublicschools.org M0116
3
SCHOOL CONNECTIVITY INITIATIVE
Legislative Update
Submitted to:
Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Information Technology
Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee
Office of State Budget and Management
State Chief Information Officer
Fiscal Research Division
Prepared by
Connectivity and E-rate Services Section
Technology Services Area
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
4
FOREWORD
The School Connectivity Initiative (SCI) was created by Session Law 2007-323 SECTION 7.28.(d) as
follows:
SECTION 7.28.(b) As recommended in the Joint Report on Information Technology, February
2007, the State Board of Education shall contract with an entity that has the capacity of
serving as the administrator of the School Connectivity Initiative and has demonstrated
success in providing network services to education institutions in the State. The funds
appropriated in this act shall be used to implement a plan approved by the State Board of
Education to enhance the technology infrastructure for public schools that supports teaching
and learning in the classrooms. The plan shall include the following components:
(1) A business plan with timelines, clearly defined outcomes and an operational model
including a governance structure, personnel, E-rate reimbursement, support services
to LEA’s and schools and budget;
(2) Assurances for a fair and open bidding and contracting process;
(3) Technology assessment site survey template;
(4) Documentation of how the technology will be used to enhance teaching in learning;
(5) Documentation of how existing State-invested funds for technology are maximized
to implement the school connectivity initiative;
(6) The number, location and schedule of sites to be served in 2007-2008 and in 2008-
2009; and
(7) Assurances that local school administrative units will upgrade internal networks in
schools, provide technology tools, and support for teachers and students to use
technology to improve teaching and learning.
The NC State Board of Education approved the School Connectivity Initiative Implementation and
Operating Plan on Thursday, August 2, 2007. The SCI program was managed through the NC ITS
Enterprise Project Management Office supervising projects that gained initial EPMO approval in
September 2007. Within the Implementation and Operating Plan were the following deliverables, all of
which were completed in 2009:
• All 115 Local Education Agencies (LEAs) connected to MCNC’s North Carolina Research and
Education Network (NCREN)
• Establishment of Client Network Engineering Services for LEAs
• Establishment of E-rate Filing Assistance Bureau
• Development of a Technology Master Plan
• Development of Governance and Funding Plans
Each year since the inception of the SCI program, the State Board of Education and the Department of
Public Instruction produces a School Connectivity Initiative Report that summarizes the fiscal and
functional performance of the program and provides insights into the work of the coming year.
5
“High-speed broadband connections to schools and
advanced Wi-Fi inside classrooms have become essential
tools for teachers and students. A major conclusion of the
FCC's recent modernization of the E-rate program is that
local jurisdictions benefit substantially from state-level
assistance in the design, procurement, and ongoing
support of this complex communications infrastructure.
In our nationwide review of state approaches, we found
North Carolina's model to be one of the most effective in
the country. State-level support in North Carolina not
only with matching financial resources but also
purchasing and technical expertise from a dedicated
professional staff at the state level has had a major
positive impact for schools across North Carolina that
stands out as a leading national example.”
Jon Wilkins
Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau
Former Managing Director
Federal Communications Commission
6
BACKGROUND
The School Connectivity Initiative launched in earnest with the publication of the Developing Regional
Education Networks report in May 2006. In the ten years since the inception of the SCI program, NC
public schools have procured nearly $800,000,000 in network services and infrastructure with State
appropriations totaling $184,000,000 leveraged against over $600,000,000 in federal communications
commission (FCC) E-rate discount funding. During the ten-year stretch, the telecommunications and
computing markets have shifted dramatically, the regulatory environment has been in near constant
flux, and the NC legislature has called for and invested in a digital transition in public schools. Perhaps
most impressively, NC public schools Internet usage has grown from about 1000 Megabits per second
(Mbps) in 2009 to over 98,000 Megabits per second at the writing of this report – with a similar growth
forecast for the foreseeable future.
As illustrated by the timeline above, the SCI program has exhibited extraordinary productivity and
opportunistic adaptability over its ten-year history. Just a few highlights include: connecting all LEAs to
the NC Research and Education Network using an opt-in approach; establishing the Certified Educational
Chief Technology Officer (CeCTO) training program; developing, designing and implementing the
NCEdCloud identity and access management service; partnering with MCNC and the Golden Leaf
Foundation to bring competitive fiber connectivity to rural NC schools and libraries; and, adapting to the
NC Digital Learning Plan, the FCC E-rate modernization order, and the growth of 1:1 programs fueled by
the release of inexpensive computing devices. While the SCI team has accomplished much in its first
decade, there are many opportunities on the horizon. SCI leadership has initiated SCI 2.0 to establish
the priorities and framework for school connectivity innovation and support moving forward.
The balance of this report provides a summary of 2016 accomplishments, a financial summary, capacity
and usage summary, considerations for 2017, and appendices containing detailed supporting data.
2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016
2007 2009 2011 2013 2015
May 2006
Developing Regional
Educa1on Networks
All 115 LEAs
connected to NCREN
May 2009
June 2014
First E-rate
moderniza1on
order
MCNC completes
final phase of BTOP-GLF
fiber expansion
August 2013
NC Digital Learning Plan
published. NC legislature
adds $12M [R] to SCI.
September 2015
November 2010
Inaugural class of 34
CeCTO students graduate
NC Legislature Funds
SCI with $12M [R]
July 2007
February 2012
NC Educa1on Cloud
Iden1ty and Access
Management plan
published
August 2008
NC Legislature
adds $10M [R]
for a total of
$22M [R]
November 2016
SCI 2.0 launch
Google introduces
Chromebook
May 2011
7
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The School Connectivity Initiative (SCI) continues to deliver high quality Internet access, client network
engineering, Identity services, E-rate support and funding that benefit all NC public schools. Pursuant to
the Appropriations Act of 2015 (S.L. 2015-241), the 2016-17 SCI budget is $31.9M. Major calendar year
2016 SCI accomplishments include:
- Upgraded Internet access to 46 LEAs and 100 charter schools – adding over 40Gbps of aggregate
Internet capacity;
- Connected 16 new charter schools to the NC Research and Education Network (NCREN);
- Provided firewall services to 75 LEAs and 95 Charter Schools;
- Provided web security (Internet filtering) services to 79 LEAs and 92 Charter Schools
- Supported 51 LEAs and 40 charter schools with client network engineering (CNE) support
services, through 148 total CNE engagements (91 LEA and 57 charter school);
- Continued to focus on high-quality, cost-effective training for public K-12 network
administrators in North Carolina. Part of the professional development model is to contract with
professional trainers and industry experts for three to five-day intensive training institutes. In
2016 this included a wireless certification course, and as a result, twenty LEA and charter school
technology personnel received a highly regarded Certified Wireless Network Administrator
(CWNA) certification;
- Managed a wireless infrastructure and services procurement supporting over $55M in
purchases for 72 LEAs and 25 charter schools.
- Issuing (in December 2016) a request for proposals soliciting new pricing for Internet access
services.
Supporting North Carolina’s Digital Learning Plan
Reliable and consistent network access at the classroom and individual device level is imperative to
supporting digital-age learning environments in our public schools. In the initial eight years of the SCI,
the focus was on high performance and highly available Internet access delivered to the district and to
school buildings. The resulting operating and support models for connectivity to the school serve
students and educators well. The focus in the most recent two years has shifted to providing similar
reliability and performance inside of the school. The SCI team has worked with LEAs and charter schools
to upgrade classroom connectivity, targeting summer of 2018 to have all schools and classrooms served
with sustainable digital-ready school networks. In 2015 and 2016, NC LEAs and charter schools have
invested nearly $98M in internal school infrastructure and services, supported by the SCI program and
requiring only $14M in appropriated State funds – with the remaining $84M covered by E-rate ($75M)
and USED RttT funds ($9M). The 2016-17 legislative expansion of SCI funding by $12M recurring is
imperative to sustaining reliable NC school networks.
Optimizing School Connectivity Efficiency and Return On Investment
While the SCI planning, design, and deployment has focused on upgrading classroom connectivity, we
continue to emphasize efficiency and return on investment. Efficiency of operation will always be
important for the SCI program as usage continues to grow at a phenomenal pace – and though
connectivity service costs continue to drop, the increase in usage and the addition of at least a dozen
charter schools per year can easily make for a steeper rise than can be accounted for with cost
decreases. Further, through modeling and forecasting we are developing approaches to optimizing E-rate
returns and to inform district fiber connectivity build-versus-buy decisions.
8
The School Connectivity Initiative delivers services to LEAs and charter schools alike that address
pressing needs in an ever-changing environment that moves at Internet speed.
“I wish to take a moment to share how important the partnership between Avery County Schools and
MCNC is to our students, staff and community. In the summer of 2011, Avery County Schools was able to
enter into a district-wide 1:1 instructional project that provided an iPad for every child and staff person in
grades K-5 and a MacBook for every student and staff person in grades 6-12. Our Internet utilization
immediately went from less than 1000 computers used occasionally throughout the school day to over
2500 devices in use consistently all day long. The connectivity afforded to us by NCREN gives our school
community stable, scalable and effective access to content, services and other resources. The funding
provided through the NC Connectivity Project that offsets the unfunded E-rate discounted costs of
connectivity lets us apply local funds toward other critical needs and helps us work toward our vision of
being a national model of education. We are very grateful for the support and service provided by
MCNC.”
Dennis Brown
Chief Technology Officer
Avery County Schools
“This <wireless certification> class was absolutely incredible. It's probably the best class I've ever gone
through where I learned so much daily that directly impacts my day-to-day job role and scope at work.
The instructor was incredible. I really appreciate him teaching it from the perspective of teaching us a
technology first, learning something, then the test second. Even with that style he prepared us so well for
the test so it's a win-win. I just can't say enough good things about this experience.”
Jeremy Fisher
Network Administrator
Harnett County Schools
“My work with the CNE team began in Spring 2015 with a request for a network assessment. Based on
the findings in the report, we drew up plans for a new network, priced out various platforms from
different vendors, and leveraged E-rate 2.0 monies for the eventual purchase. Our work culminated in
Summer 2016 with the installation and configuration of the new network, which the CNE team helped
with, going so far as to help physically mount switches and run cabling in the network closets. Over those
15 or so months, the CNE team consistently provided a high level of service, and the resulting product is
of very high quality.”
Evan Menchini
Technology Director
Voyager Academy
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PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW
Financial Summary
For 2016 the School Connectivity Initiative is a $125M program supported with legislative funding of
$31.9M leveraged against FCC E-rate program reimbursements in excess of $93M. The table below
summarizes SCI costs and related State funding and FCC E-rate reimbursements.
Most SCI expenses are eligible for FCC E-rate discounts. E-rate eligible expenses are grouped into
Category 1 and Category 2. Category 1 expenses include high-speed fiber optic1 connections to schools
and districts and Internet bandwidth charges. Category 2 expenses include wireless and wired
infrastructure and services deployed inside schools to connect classrooms to the Internet. For 2016, the
total cost of E-rate eligible expenses is in excess of $121M with E-rate discounts of over $93M leaving a
State share of $28.1M. The $3.8M balance of SCI expenses comprises non-E-rate eligible services
including identity and access management, client network engineering support, and program
administration. Specifically, SCI program expenses include the following.
1. Category 1 School Fiber Connections – Most LEAs contract with private providers to connect
their schools into a district network via high-speed fiber optic connections2. Private providers
include Time Warner Cable, AT&T, CenturyLink, Broadplex, Conterra, and others. These school
connections are eligible for FCC E-rate discounts of up to 90%. The SCI provides support and
training in acquiring school connections and provides funding allotments to cover the non-discount
share of costs to all NC LEAs. NCDPI calculates allocations based on actual contracts
and invoices and delivers funding via PRC 073. Since the inception of the SCI, funding totals
1 Over 99% the 2694 schools in North Carolina are connected via fiber optic connection – the remaining 22 schools
are connected via a high speed wireless solution, with 9 of those slated to transition to fiber in the coming year.
2 A dozen NC LEAs connect schools via fiber that is owned and managed by either the school system or a
community collaborative. SCI provides funding allotments to these districts based on actual maintenance costs.
Total Cost E-rate Share State Share
Category 1 School Fiber Connec3ons $43.2M $34.0M $9.2M
Category 1 Consor3um Internet - LEAs $17.7M $14.2M $3.5M
Category 1 Consor3um Internet - charters $3.3M $2.1M $1.2M
Category 2 Classroom Connec3ons $57.5M $43.3M $14.2M
E-rate Eligible Totals $121.7M $93.6M $28.1M
Iden3ty and Access Management $1.5M - $1.5M
Client Network Engineering $1.6M - $1.6M
Program Administra3on – NCDPI and FI $0.7M - $0.7M
Non E-rate Eligible Totals $3.8M - $3.8M
Grand Totals $125.5M $93.6M $31.9M
10
have remained in the $9M to $10M range – even with substantial upgrades to school bandwidth
and services each year.
2. Category 1 Consortium School Internet – Core to the SCI is that all NC LEAs and charter schools
have access to reliable high-speed Internet access via the NC Research and Education Network
(NCREN) managed by MCNC – the same network that provides Internet access to the UNC
system universities, NC community colleges, most NC private colleges and universities, and all of
State government. Internet connections are monitored and upgraded on demand as usage
exceeds 60% of available capacity. Charter schools have the option of either receiving a per
ADM allotment via PRC 0363 or receiving State-funded Internet access.
3. Category 2 Classroom Connections – In Spring of 2016, NC LEAs and charter schools procured
over $57M in classroom connectivity infrastructure and services; over $55M of those
procurements used contracts established by NCDPI in 2015. The SCI provides support and
training in acquiring internal school infrastructure and provides funding allotments to cover the
non-discount share of costs to participating LEAs and charter schools. NCDPI calculates
allocations based on actual contracts and invoices and delivers funding via PRC 073 to LEAs and
PRC 036 to charter schools.
4. Identity and Access Management – The 2015 appropriations act expanded the SCI budget by
$12M annually effective FY2016-17. Identity and access management (IAM) services are
included in the expansion budget. NCEdCloud IAM services provide for a single user ID and
password for students, faculty and staff to access network accessible content. IAM services
automate the provisioning and management of nearly 2.5 million user accounts and the
integration of those accounts with cloud-based applications and services. NCDPI manages the
NCEdCloud IAM service, including a $1.5M per year contract with an identity services provider.
5. Client Network Engineering (CNE) – MCNC provides CNE services under contract to NCDPI. LEAs
and charter schools engage MCNC for high-level troubleshooting, network design consultation,
and related training services. NCDPI also engages MCNC directly through the CNE contract to
provide specific network and Cloud services management functions for LEAs and charter
schools. MCNC bills quarterly for actual hours serving districts and charter schools. The CNE
contract allows for up to $1.6M in billings for the 2016 fiscal year.
6. Program Administration – SCI program administration includes NCDPI school connectivity staff,
Friday institute contract support, and related travel supplies and materials costs. Six NCDPI staff
members provide technical consulting, E-rate training, and related SCI support at a combined
salary expense of $409,0004. A Friday Institute contract provides for planning, design,
forecasting, modeling, and documentation support at an annual cost of $215,000. It is notable
that administrative costs associated with managing the SCI account for less than 2.5% of the
$31.9M State appropriation and 0.6% of the $125M total annual cost of services.
3 PRC 036 allotments are calculated based on the per ADM sum of CAT1 fiber connections and consortium Internet
in the host county/LEA.
4 SCI provisional language allows for up to 8 FTE and $1M. See Appendix C – Connectivity Staff Salary Report for
details.
11
The SCI program has substantial funding, budgeting, procurement and oversight elements that are
imperative to the delivery of reliable connectivity to public schools. It is through the Client Network
Engineering and E-rate services that many LEA and charter school staff interact with the SCI program.
“As the new CTO in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, getting a third-party assessment of our district's
network health was a fundamental need in being able to guarantee the digital services that are
indispensable to teaching and learning today. I knew from previous experience that comprehensive third-party
assessments can be prohibitively expensive. I learned about the offerings of MCNC and how they
could help. MCNC was incredibly quick to respond for an informal meeting to discuss our needs and in
establishing a timeline for our network assessment. The assessment we received was incredibly detailed,
and is being supported by the engineer who completed the assessment, as he is able to come back and
help us develop a project plan to realize the report's recommendations. To have access to this level of
expertise is critical in helping us ensure we provide a safe and secure network for our staff, students, and
parents.”
Daniel Curry-Corcoran, PhD
Chief Technology Officer
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
“Lake Norman Charter launched a full 1:1 technology initiative (1:World) in the 2014-2015 school year
that has positively and significantly changed how our students synthesize, collaborate and creatively in
present their work. Simply put, would not have been possible without MCNC’s support and Internet
connection. As we prepared to move forward with the program, MCNC provided frequent consultation
and when needed, an on-site engineer to help us to prepare our infrastructure. They have also continued
to help monitor our usage needs and provided more capacity as the students & staff expanded their
usage. We are grateful to have had MCNC’s support to help us to make this transformational shift at
LNC!”
Shannon Stein
Superintendent
Lake Norman Charter School
“Jeannene Hurley <Lead E-rate Analyst, NCDPI> provides an invaluable service to the LEAs across North
Carolina, training, assisting and generally informing districts on navigating the E-Rate program for
schools and libraries. At Watauga County Schools, we have relied heavily on her training and guidance in
order to comply with the many aspects of E-Rate filing, which is so critical to the success of the
technology in our schools. The importance of the commitment that North Carolina has made to the E-Rate
consultants supporting our districts and ultimately our students cannot be overstated.”
Nancy Zeiss
Director of Technology Services
Watauga County Schools
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Capacity and Usage Summary
Internet usage continues to grow as districts add more devices, allow students to bring their own
devices, and employ more online resources for instruction. MCNC bills the State for Internet Bandwidth
each month based on a contracted bandwidth level for each district and charter school. There are ten
bandwidth levels ranging from 100 Mbps to 15,000 Mbps (i.e., 15 Gbps). As LEAs and charter schools
exceed 60% usage measured against the bandwidth service level, the SCI team initiates upgrades to the
next highest service level.
The chart above illustrates the CY2016 month-over-month growth in contracted Internet bandwidth.
The monitoring and upgrade process ensures that schools have access to enough Internet capacity to
support growth in devices and applications while at the same time protecting against expending funds
for over-provisioning. Aggregate contracted bandwidth grew from 140 Gbps in December 2014 to over
171 Gbps in November of 2015. Each bar shows the bandwidth contribution in each of the ten service
tiers. The SCI team regularly works with the service provider community to add new service tier options
to accommodate growth as efficiently as possible. To that end, a 15 Gbps tier was added in December
2015 for Wake County Schools and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, both of whom transitioned from
then current 10,000 Mbps services. The SCI team manages the scheduling of upgrades to avoid adding
new services and expense during the summer months. As illustrated in the chart below, only two LEAs
remain at the lowest 100 Mbps service tier, while 66 LEAs enjoy at least 1000 Mbps (1 Gbps) of Internet
capacity – with those 66 LEAs representing nearly ninety percent of the students.
13
Aggregate bandwidth usage continued the trend of phenomenal year-over-year growth in calendar year
2016. All told, K12 is the largest single user of MCNC’s NCREN backbone, contributing double the traffic
of the UNC system, the independent colleges and universities, and the community college system,
combined. MCNC’s network continues to perform exceedingly well – maintaining high availability and
low delay. Furthermore, MCNC peering, commodity offload, and caching solutions keep content close
to the users and keep costs in check – even as usage doubles year over year.
14
The graph above plots contracted bandwidth against peak daily 95th percentile utilization and per
student utilization over the most recent three years. Peak daily 95th percentile utilization represents the
aggregate peak day for each month while per student utilization represents the monthly average across
all districts. Tracking both peak and average informs decisions related to defining enough bandwidth
and enough headroom. Peak daily 95th percentile utilization for November 2016 is 121 Gbps while per
student utilization is 82 Gbps. A year ago peak was 91 Gbps and average per student utilization was 61
Gbps.
Internal Connections Summary
Session Law 2015-241 expanded SCI funding to support the sustainability of internal school connections
– adding $2M in 2015-16 and $12M recurring in 2016-17. During 2015, the SCI team established a
dozen contracts for wireless and wired network equipment and related services. In 2016 LEAs wrote
purchase orders against these SCI contracts totaling over $55M. The table below summarizes 2016 E-rate
category 2 internal connections procurements by discount percentage. Most NC LEAs receive 80%
discounts on E-rate eligible internal connections products and services – accounting for $35M of the
$55.6M in 2016 procurements. NC public schools requested $41.8M in E-rate funding for an aggregate
discount rate of 75%.
With an investment of over $42M in 2015 and $55M in 2016, the SCI program has made substantial
progress in the provision of digital-ready classrooms in NC public schools. According to the 2016 Digital
Learning and Media Inventory (DLMI) data, 70% of NC schools report at least one wireless access point
per classroom – one indicator of digital readiness. At the current upgrade and installation pace, the
target is to have all NC schools at the one access point per classroom standard by June 30, 2018. It is
notable that more than 72% of charter schools responding to the DLMI survey report less than one
access point per classroom. Due to variations in charter school facilities and class size, as compared to
traditional public school counterparts, access point counts are a less reliable indicator of digital learning
readiness. Moreover, tracking investments in infrastructure and services provides a limited view of
readiness related to classroom access. There are many operational elements of internal school level
infrastructure and services that are not easily measured in a comprehensive manner. It will be
important to understand these operational considerations in order to have a more accurate picture of
actual digital readiness.
E-Rate
Discount %
Total Contract
Cost
E-Rate Funding
Request
Number of
LEAs
% of Total
E-Rate
Commitments % of LEAs
85 $4,501,558 $3,826,324 24 9.2% 24%
80 $35,750,928 $28,600,742 42 68.5% 43%
70 $2,479,172 $1,735,420 4 4.2% 4%
60 $12,111,815 $7,267,089 13 17.4% 13%
50 $384,802 $192,401 6 0.5% 6%
40 $389,645 $155,858 8 0.4% 8%
20 $20,160 $4,032 1 0.0% 1%
Total $55,638,080 $41,781,867 98
15
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CONSIDERATIONS FOR 2017
Classroom connectivity performance monitoring
Explore the use of network sensors and applications that can be used by school and district technology
staff and teachers in the classroom to measure school Wi-Fi performance at specific times, such as
before standardized tests or when streaming video performance is poor.
Efficiency in procurement of school fiber connections
Investigate regional convenience contracts for external school connectivity services that include dark
fiber options to increase competition. Consider making PRC funding tied to efficiency, similarly to how
transportation is funded.
Firewall and web security funding
Increase funding for web filtering, firewall services and other security and privacy measures that may be
deemed prudent in order to mitigate network risks. Some of these services were previously federally
funded, but they are no longer eligible for E-rate funding after the changes made to the program in
2015.
Procurement Policy
Investigate procurement provision that allows DPI to establish contracts for LEAs to include libraries and
any other State entity that is eligible for E-rate. Modify that statute (SL 2013-360 Section 7.6) so that
the contracts bid from the University (or specifically NCSU) can be used by an LEA or library.
SCI 2.0
With the expansion of the SCI budget and scope, coupled with changes in the marketplace and in E-rate
rules, the SCI team will be reshaping the SCI program during calendar year 2017. The reshaping will
include:
• Establishing school fiber build and wide area network procurement guidelines;
• Establishing fair and efficient allotment strategies for internal connection funding;
• Developing a strategy for addressing the growing issue of Charter School bandwidth costing
disproportionately higher per student as compared to LEAs;
• Developing strategies for more granular monitoring – including content and application usage
statistics;
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SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
LEA and charter school connectivity allocation data can be found at the link below.
http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/connectivity/links/funding/
NC Digital Learning Plan documents including the 2015 Detailed and Summary reports, the wireless
infrastructure survey, and wireless infrastructure RFP can be found at the links below.
http://ncdlplan.fi.ncsu.edu/findings-and-recommendations/technology-infrastructure-and-devices/
http://ncdlplan.fi.ncsu.edu/category/publications/
An interactive map that illustrates LEA and charter school aggregate and per student network utilization
statistics can be found at the link below.
https://www.mcnc.org/ncren/portal/reporting/ncren_utilization_map
A data dashboard presenting connectivity usage data and related statistics can be found at the link
below.
http://friday.institute/scireport
The balance of this report includes supporting data as follows.
APPENDIX DATA
A 2016 PRC 073 Category 1 school connection allotments by LEA
B 2016 PRC 160 Category 2 school infrastructure allotments by LEA and charter school
C 2016 PRC 036 allotments by Charter School
D The NCDPI connectivity staff salary report
E North Carolina E-rate funding history report
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APPENDIX A - 2016 LEA PRC 073 ALLOTMENTS
These are the allotments for the E-rate Category 1 LEA school connections. Specifically, LEAs requested
E-rate funds during spring of 2015 with service funding year between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016.
PRC 073 allotments distributed during calendar year 2016 to cover non-E-rate costs for eligible school
connections. In total $8,568,457 was allotted and leveraged against $43,986,249 in committed E-rate
funding.
LEA LEA Name PRC 073
10 Alamance-Burlington $85,032
20 Alexander County $29,707
30 Alleghany County $30,370
40 Anson County $22,332
50 Ashe County $36,960
761 Asheboro City $22,243
111 Asheville City $52,075
60 Avery County $19,819
70 Beaufort County $39,943
80 Bertie County $25,024
90 Bladen County $50,667
100 Brunswick County $78,201
110 Buncombe County $119,907
120 Burke County $85,224
130 Cabarrus County $230,597
140 Caldwell County $88,375
150 Camden County $21,725
160 Carteret County $121,344
170 Caswell County $11,905
180 Catawba County $100,224
681 Chapel Hill-Carrboro $43,308
190 Chatham County $50,453
200 Cherokee County $26,827
210 Chowan County $31,351
220 Clay County $10,800
230 Cleveland County $76,080
821 Clinton City $24,000
240 Columbus County $62,891
250 Craven County $53,539
260 Cumberland County $265,941
270 Currituck County $46,379
19
280 Dare County $50,314
290 Davidson County $147,617
300 Davie County $68,607
310 Duplin County $38,442
320 Durham Public $143,916
330 Edgecombe County $18,618
861 Elkin City $7,000
340 Forsyth County $231,360
350 Franklin County $76,080
360 Gaston County $156,216
370 Gates County $16,042
380 Graham County $3,000
390 Granville County $54,715
400 Greene County $21,034
410 Guilford County $372,960
420 Halifax County $52,150
430 Harnett County $183,291
440 Haywood County $75,816
450 Henderson County $78,003
460 Hertford County $12,570
181 Hickory City $50,965
470 Hoke County $54,878
480 Hyde County $4,169
490 Iredell County $482,266
500 Jackson County $17,700
510 Johnston County $111,960
520 Jones County $11,977
132 Kannapolis City $22,618
530 Lee County $63,118
540 Lenoir County $43,210
291 Lexington City $12,355
550 Lincoln County $70,941
560 Macon County $64,500
570 Madison County $8,880
580 Martin County $35,053
590 McDowell County $42,828
600 Mecklenburg County $324,384
610 Mitchell County $17,429
620 Montgomery County $16,908
20
630 Moore County $89,712
491 Mooresville City $11,176
862 Mount Airy City $20,929
640 Nash-Rocky Mount $18,919
650 New Hanover County $175,190
182 Newton-Conover $7,312
660 Northampton County $9,951
670 Onslow County $275,588
680 Orange County $70,656
690 Pamlico County $10,000
700 Pasquotank County $48,791
710 Pender County $75,804
720 Perquimans County $21,040
730 Person County $37,469
740 Pitt County $172,440
750 Polk County $10,639
760 Randolph County $106,845
770 Richmond County $33,992
421 Roanoke Rapids City $25,486
780 Robeson County $64,200
790 Rockingham County $125,236
800 Rowan-Salisbury $150,406
810 Rutherford County $14,185
820 Sampson County $29,400
830 Scotland County $36,825
840 Stanly County $91,446
850 Stokes County $94,204
860 Surry County $41,805
870 Swain County $15,000
292 Thomasville City $11,635
880 Transylvania County $18,336
890 Tyrrell County $3,000
900 Union County $427,315
910 Vance County $47,698
920 Wake County $578,280
930 Warren County $28,810
940 Washington County $15,160
950 Watauga County $65,160
960 Wayne County $106,981
21
422 Weldon City $8,682
241 Whiteville City $5,000
970 Wilkes County $22,380
980 Wilson County $59,064
990 Yadkin County $44,945
995 Yancey County $14,232
Total $8,568,457
22
APPENDIX B – 2016 PRC 160 ALLOTMENTS
These are the allotments for the E-rate Category 2 infrastructure procurements. Specifically, LEAs and
charter schools requested E-rate funds during spring of 2015, purchased equipment and services using
NCDPI-managed contracts, and received PRC 160 allotments for costs not covered by E-rate during
2016. In total, $9,192,844 was allotted and leveraged against $35,493,334 in E-rate funds. All PRC 160
distributions were paid using Federal Race to the Top (RttT) grant funds.
LEA
Number LEA/Charter Name PRC 160
10 ALAMANCE-BURLINGTON SCH DIST $343,327
20 ALEXANDER COUNTY SCHOOL DIST $135,621
69A ARAPAHOE CHARTER SCHOOL $18,098
50 ASHE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $70,577
761 ASHEBORO CITY SCHOOLS DISTRICT $62,803
111 ASHEVILLE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT $47,368
70 BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DIST $145,926
80 BERTIE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $20,953
90 BLADEN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $123,557
180 CATAWBA COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $301,619
200 CHEROKEE COUNTY SCHOOL DIST $67,252
230 CLEVELAND COUNTY SCHOOL DIST $103,344
821 CLINTON CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT $186,245
240 COLUMBUS COUNTY SCHOOL DIST $294,522
270 CURRITUCK COUNTY SCHOOL DIST $193,877
290 DAVIDSON COUNTY SCHOOL DIST $167,086
300 DAVIE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $41,956
310 DUPLIN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $127,892
700 ELIZABETH CITY-PASQUOTANK PUBLIC SCHOOLS $208,544
861 ELKIN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT $41,514
360 GASTON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $16,500
370 GATES COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $43,151
380 GRAHAM COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $37,095
390 GRANVILLE COUNTY SCHOOL DIST $166,913
400 GREENE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $17,254
440 HAYWOOD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $94,970
91B Henderson Collegiate $10,090
450 HENDERSON COUNTY PUB SCH DIST $380,390
181 HICKORY CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT $73,137
470 HOKE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $224,015
480 HYDE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $89,820
500 JACKSON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $97,661
23
520 JONES COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $16,509
132 KANNAPOLIS CITY SCHOOL DIST $88,728
530 LEE COUNTY SCHOOLS $8,342
540 LENOIR COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS $20,597
291 LEXINGTON CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT $41,984
560 MACON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $119,006
570 MADISON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $61,216
590 MCDOWELL COUNTY SCHOOL DIST $27,997
620 MONTGOMERY COUNTY SCHOOL DIST $37,299
862 MOUNT AIRY CITY SCHOOL DIST $31,689
640 NASH-ROCKY MOUNT SCHOOL DIST $201,207
182 NEWTON-CONOVER CITY SCH DIST $118,959
660 NORTHAMPTON COUNTY SCHOOL DIST $37,296
720 PERQUIMANS COUNTY SCHOOL DIST $93,014
740 PITT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $453,545
760 RANDOLPH COUNTY SCHOOL DIST $521,800
770 RICHMOND COUNTY SCHOOL DIST $128,463
780 ROBESON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS $139,597
790 ROCKINGHAM COUNTY SCHOOLS $366,833
810 RUTHERFORD CO SCHOOL DISTRICT $210,128
820 SAMPSON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $68,102
850 STOKES COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $51,440
292 THOMASVILLE CITY SCHOOL DIST $44,606
880 TRANSYLVANIA CO SCH DISTRICT $66,279
890 TYRRELL COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $126,457
910 VANCE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $273,602
970 WILKES COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $154,306
980 WILSON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $275,551
340 WINSTON-SALEM/FORSYTH CO S D $1,272,483
990 YADKIN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $132,023
995 YANCEY COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT $50,709
Total PRC 160 Allotments $9,192,844
24
APPENDIX C – 2016 CHARTER PRC 036 ALLOTMENTS
Charter schools may choose to receive a centrally funded Internet connection or a PRC 036 allotment
that is calculated based on the SCI per ADM benefit to their home LEA. These are the 2016 PRC 036
allotments for participating charter schools.
Charter Name PRC 036
Academy of Moore $5,000
A.C.E. Academy $5,000
Anderson Creek Club Charter School $6,000
Arts Based School $5,000
Bethany Community Middle $5,000
Brevard Academy $14,000
Cabarrus Charter Academy $5,000
Cardinal Charter $5,000
Carter Community $6,000
Charlotte Lab $5,000
CIS Academy $5,000
Clover Garden $5,000
Crosscreek Charter $6,000
Dillard Academy $5,000
Dynamic Community Charter $5,000
East Wake Academy $5,000
Entrepreneur High School $5,000
Envision Science Academy $5,000
Evergreen Community Charter $5,000
Excelsior Classical $5,000
Exploris School $5,000
Falls Lake Academy $10,000
Flemington Academy $6,000
Forsyth Academy $5,000
Gaston College Preparatory $6,000
Grandfather Academy $12,000
Gray Stone Day School $6,000
Greensboro Academy $5,000
Healthy Start Academy Charter $6,000
Henderson Collegiate $5,000
Hope Charter Leadership Academy (Formerly Hope Elementary) $5,000
Ignite $5,000
Invest Collegiate Transform $5,000
Island Montessori $5,000
Kennedy School $5,000
KIPP Halifax College Preparatory $6,000
KIPP: Charlotte $5,000
KIPP: Durham Preparatory $5,000
Langtree Charter Academy $5,000
25
Learning Center $17,000
Longleaf School of the Arts $5,000
Maureen Joy Charter $6,000
Millennium Charter Academy $6,000
PACE Academy $5,000
Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy $6,000
PAVE SE Raleigh $5,000
Phoenix Academy $5,000
Pinnacle Classical Academy $5,000
Pioneer Springs Community School $5,000
PreEminent Charter $5,000
Queen's Grant Community $5,000
Quest Academy $5,000
Reaching All Minds Academy $6,000
Research Triangle Charter Academy $6,000
Sallie B. Howard $6,000
Sandhills Theatre Arts Renaissance School (STARS) $6,000
Shining Rock Classical $5,000
South Brunswick Charter School $5,000
STEM Education for a Global Society Academy (SEGS) $5,000
Summerfield Charter Academy $5,000
Summit Charter $20,000
The Academy of Moore County $5,000
The Capitol Encore Academy $5,000
The Carter G. Woodson School of Challenge $5,000
The Central Park School for Children $5,000
The Children's Village Academy $5,000
The College Preparatory and Leadership Academy of High Point $5,000
The Community Charter $5,000
The Expedition School $5,000
The Franklin Academy $5,000
The Franklin School of Innovation $5,000
The Hawbridge School $5,000
The Institute for the Development of Young Leaders (IDYL) $5,000
The Mountain Community $5,000
The New Dimensions $5,000
The North Carolina Leadership Academy $5,000
Tiller School $5,000
Vance Charter $5,000
VERITAS Community $5,000
Wake Forest Charter Academy $5,000
Wilmington Preparatory Academy $5,000
Winterville Charter Academy $5,000
Youngsville Academy $5,000
Total PRC 036 $478,000
26
APPENDIX D - CONNECTIVITY STAFF SALARY REPORT
The following are NCDPI staff paid from School Connectivity Initiative funding and their respective salaries.
Title of Position and Description of Duties Salary
Lead Connectivity and E-Rate Analyst: provides LEA/Charter School Technical Consulting,
Strategic Planning, Project Management $87,943
Lead E-Rate Analyst: provides LEA/Charter School Technical Consulting, Strategic Planning $76,506
E-Rate Program Administrator: provides E-rate Education and Consultation Services $72,726
E-Rate Program Administrator: provides E-rate Education and Consultation Services $64,265
Education Consultant II: Assists with Digital Teaching and Learning Integration $67,420
Technology Support Center Analyst: Provides help desk support for SCI related calls $40,662
Total $409,522
27
APPENDIX E – NORTH CAROLINA E-RATE FUNDING HISTORY REPORT
The following report run in October 2016 shows North Carolina public school E-rate funding requests,
the total pre-discount amount for all requested services, the amount of E-rate funding being requested,
the amount of funding ultimately committed by the FCC, the amount of funding disbursed, and the
utilization of funds (disbursed/committed). Note that there are still disbursements outstanding for 2015
– including over $10M for consortium Internet. For 2016, the vast majority of requests have not yet
been approved though the expectation is that on the order of 97% of what is requested will be
committed.
Year Requests Pre-Discount Requested Committed Disbursed Utilization %
2016 1,362 $143,294,447 $101,618,087 $28,636,167 $1,710,870 6%
2015 1,799 $148,550,545 $112,782,073 $108,436,609 $83,720,376 77%
2014 1,149 $130,282,860 $103,576,765 $68,505,830 $60,452,021 88%
2013 1,090 $128,061,575 $102,983,843 $67,257,466 $60,403,671 90%
2012 1,141 $140,959,571 $112,784,516 $80,088,802 $71,461,732 89%
2011 1,282 $128,875,656 $103,233,329 $71,388,019 $63,843,598 89%
2010 1,262 $109,507,564 $85,942,335 $78,504,887 $66,345,445 85%
2009 1,165 $98,312,963 $75,294,273 $61,405,999 $52,103,213 85%
2008 1,258 $91,746,583 $70,282,085 $57,091,132 $50,501,836 88%
2007 1,733 $100,873,061 $77,535,432 $58,250,860 $49,861,383 86%
2006 1,403 $110,262,568 $85,353,133 $47,406,255 $40,360,361 85%
2005 2,355 $96,196,207 $72,049,708 $51,008,937 $43,963,129 86%
2004 2,292 $78,661,600 $57,973,923 $37,480,433 $30,336,639 81%
2003 2,076 $97,322,227 $75,814,000 $45,339,691 $37,042,927 82%
2002 1,946 $79,663,215 $62,291,488 $47,968,216 $39,497,438 82%
2001 2,223 $61,576,928 $44,222,112 $20,166,017 $16,038,416 80%
2000 2,217 $60,099,851 $41,708,939 $20,915,884 $17,740,889 85%
1999 1,845 $48,447,701 $33,670,538 $28,605,610 $24,649,511 86%
1998 3,041 $44,388,023 $28,969,621 $21,511,196 $17,384,524 81%
32,639 $1,897,083,144 $1,448,086,200 $999,968,009 $827,417,980