2490-20260710122511 SDSD.pdf

South Delta School District

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

School to Home Communication Tool and Digital Flows and Forms

Mr. Sammie Ivy, Superintendent

P. O. Box 219

106 Athletic Drive

Rolling Form, Mississippi 39159

Telephone: (662) 873-4302

Contact: Mr. Eddwin Smith, Federal Programs Director

Issue Date: July 9, 2026

Submission Deadline: July 28, 2026, at 10:00 PM CST

SDSD RFP for School to Home Communication Tool and Digital Flows and Forms

SOUTH DELTA SCHOOL DISTRICT

Request for Proposals for School to Home Communication Tool and Digital

Flows and Forms

The South Delta School District (“District”) hereby invites sealed proposals from qualified vendors to provide a secure, fully hosted communication platform that supports school-to-home communication, digital forms and workflows, including integration of the Mississippi Professional Growth Rubric into the system, and attendance analytics. The proposed solution shall include advanced dashboards, secure messaging, multilingual capabilities, and seamless integration with the District’s Student Information System (SIS). The solution must provide an integrated approach to school-home communication, attendance analytics, digital workflows, and educator growth and development, reduce system fragmentation, improve operational efficiency, and support data-informed decision-making across the District

Hard Copy Submission

Vendors submitting hard copy proposals shall provide one original and four copies, for a total of five complete proposal packages, in a sealed envelope or package clearly marked with the Request for Proposals

(RFPs) title and vendor name. Hard copy proposals shall be delivered to:

Mr. Eddwin Smith, Federal Programs Director

P. O. Box 219

106 Athletic Drive

Rolling Fork, Mississippi 39159

Proposals may be delivered by hand, via the United States Postal Service, or by private carrier. The vendor is solely responsible for ensuring that its proposal is received by the District at the designated location on or before the submission deadline, regardless of delivery method, carrier delay, or other circumstance.

Proposals received after the stated due date and time shall be deemed late and shall not be opened, evaluated, or considered for award. Incomplete, unsigned, conditional, faxed, or otherwise non-responsive submissions may be rejected. Each proposal must be signed by an authorized official with legal authority to bind the vendor to the proposal, pricing, certifications, representations, and all terms and conditions submitted.

Electronic Submission

Vendors submitting proposals electronically shall email a complete proposal package to eddwinsmith@sdelta.org with the RFP title and vendor name clearly identified in the subject line. The vendor is responsible for confirming timely receipt by the District prior to the submission deadline.

Questions

All questions, requests for clarification, or inquiries concerning this RFP shall be submitted in writing to

Mr. Eddwin Smith, Federal Programs Director, at the address listed above. Oral statements, interpretations, or clarifications shall not be binding upon the District.

mailto:eddwinsmith@sdelta.org

Written inquiries shall be submitted no later than July 16, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. CST.

Only written responses issued by the District shall be deemed official and binding. The District reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to determine the appropriate response to any request for clarification.

All addenda, notices, and official correspondence related to this RFP shall be issued exclusively by the

South Delta School District. Failure by a vendor to acknowledge or comply with issued addenda may result in rejection of the proposal as non-responsive.

1.0 Background

The South Delta School District, located in the Mississippi Delta region, serves approximately 513 students across three campuses. The District’s elementary school, located in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, serves students in pre-kindergarten through grade 5. The middle school, also located in Rolling Fork, serves students in grades 6 through 8. The high school, located in Anguilla, Mississippi, serves students in grades

9 through 12.

1.1 Projected Enrollment Numbers for Licenses/Seats

The following enrollment figures are provided for proposal and pricing purposes only and represent the

District’s projected student enrollment by school site. These figures are estimates and should not be interpreted as a guarantee of the number of licenses, seats, or subscriptions to be purchased.

The District reserves the right to increase or decrease the number of licenses/seats awarded based on actual student enrollment, identified programmatic needs, available funding, or other operational considerations.

Final quantities will be determined by South Delta School District at the time of implementation and throughout the contract period, as applicable.

Vendors shall provide per-seat/per-license or per-school or district-wide pricing and acknowledge that payment will be based on actual licenses utilized or purchased by the District.

Projected Enrollment Numbers for Licenses/Seats

South Delta Elementary School: Grades K-5 230 students

South Delta Middle School: Grades 6-8 109 students

South Delta High School: Grades 9-12 174 students

2.0 Project Funding

Any contract awarded pursuant to this RFP shall be funded exclusively with federal funds and is based on the availability of such funds.

2.1 Federal Funding Regulations

The selected vendor shall comply with all applicable federal procurement requirements, including the

Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), the Uniform Administrative

Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, and applicable contract provisions set forth in 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Appendix II.

2.2 State of Mississippi Procurement Compliance

The vendor shall comply with all applicable Mississippi procurement laws, regulations, policies, and procedures governing public school district purchases, including Mississippi Code § 31-7-13, District purchasing policies, and requirements related to fair competition, transparency, responsible vendor selection, documentation, approval, and contract administration.

The District reserves the right to determine the appropriate procurement method, to document the basis for award, to verify vendor responsibility, to reject non-responsive proposals, and to take any action necessary to ensure compliance with applicable purchasing requirements and the best interests of the

District.

3.0 Timeline for Services

Services shall commence as early as practicable duirng the 2026–2027 school year. The District may award a one-year contract or a multi-year contract not to exceed three years, subject to annual renewal, satisfactory vendor performance, approval by the South Delta School District Board of Education, and the availability and appropriation of federal funds.

4.0 Overview

The District seeks a comprehensive, cloud-based communication and workflow platform designed to strengthen engagement among schools, families, and District personnel. The proposed solution shall support secure multi-channel communication, multilingual messaging, digital forms and workflow automation, role-based dashboards, attendance and engagement analytics, and integration with the District’s

Student Information System. The solution must be scalable, user-friendly, accessible, and capable of supporting Districtwide implementation.

5.0 Scope of Services Required

All proposed programs and services shall satisfy the following essential characteristics and capabilities to ensure a robust, sustainable, and compliant solution. Proposals that fail to satisfy these foundational requirements shall be deemed non-responsive.

5.1 Vendor Hosted Platform

• The solution shall be cloud-based, vendor-hosted, and maintained by the vendor.

• The platform shall be accessible to educators, administrators, and families twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, subject to reasonable maintenance windows.

5.2 Integration with the District’s Student Information System

• The solution shall provide real-time synchronization with the District’s Student Information

System.

• The solution shall provide for automated data updates, file transfers, and synchronization processes to minimize manual intervention by District personnel.

5.3 Communication Tool

• The platform shall support communication at the classroom, school, and District levels.

• The platform shall provide mass notification capabilities for Districtwide and school-specific announcements.

• The platform shall provide emergency alert capabilities for time-sensitive and urgent communications.

• The platform shall support two-way communication between authorized school personnel and families, with appropriate controls, permissions, and audit capabilities.

• The platform shall support SMS, voice, email, mobile app, and other commonly used messaging channels.

• The platform shall provide mobile applications compatible with iOS and Android devices.

• The platform shall support multimedia messaging, as appropriate for authorized communications.

• The platform shall provide tracking and reporting for family and staff communications.

• The platform shall support individualized communication with families in their preferred language, where available.

5.4 Digital Flows and Forms

• The platform shall support secure electronic delivery, completion, submission, and storage of

District-approved documents and forms.

• The platform shall provide configurable digital forms and workflows to streamline approvals, notifications, routing, and recordkeeping.

5.5 Educator Support for Growth and Development

• The platform shall support automation and integration of the Mississippi Professional Growth

Rubric and subsequent communication between the administrator and instructional staff, including teachers, counselors, librarians, and speech-language therapists.

5.6 Data Analytics and Dashboards

• The platform shall provide customizable dashboards with role-specific features.

• The interactive dashboards shall provide real-time access to student-level data, including attendance, behavior, and engagement data.

• The platform shall support longitudinal data views that enable educators and administrators to identify trends over time.

• The platform shall generate exportable reports that support District initiatives such as Multi-

Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), Response to Intervention (RtI), and chronic absenteeism reduction.

5.7 Role-Based Access Control

• The platform shall provide for tiered permissions for administrators, teachers, and families.

• The platform shall maintain a comprehensive audit trail of user access, administrative actions, and system activity.

5.8 Accessibility and Compliance

• The platform shall include accessibility features and language supports for families with disabilities, English Learners, and other populations requiring additional access support.

• The platform shall comply with ADA accessibility guidelines.

• The platform shall comply with applicable data privacy, security, accessibility, and interoperability standards relevant to K–12 educational technology.

6.0 Technical and Functional Requirements

6.1 Hardware and Infrastructure

Any required hardware shall be specified and must be compatible with District technology.

7.0 Procurement and Compliance Requirements

7.1 Procurement Requirements for Educational Software and Technology Purchases

This solicitation shall be administered in accordance with applicable Mississippi public purchasing requirements, including Mississippi Code § 31-7-13, applicable District purchasing policies, and federal procurement standards governing expenditures of federal funds. The District intends to conduct a competitive, fair, and documented procurement process to select the proposal that provides the best overall value to the District.

7.1. a Purchases Under $250,000

For software and technology purchases with an aggregate cost below $250,000, the District may use a competitive RFP process to solicit qualified vendors and promote fair and open competition, particularly for specialized educational software and instructional platforms for which comparable price quotations may not be readily available.

7.1. b Selection

Selection shall be based on the responsive and responsible proposal determined to be the lowest and most advantageous to the District, considering price, quality, compliance, implementation feasibility, vendor responsibility, and the evaluation factors set forth in the Evaluation Criteria section of this RFP.

To ensure transparency and objective evaluation, proposals shall be reviewed using a standardized scoring rubric and an evaluation committee process. The District reserves the right to award based on overall best value to the District and is not required to award solely on the basis of lowest cost.

8.0 Data Privacy and Security Compliance

The District and the vendor acknowledge that effective implementation of this project will require the timely exchange of data necessary for decision-making, service delivery, and payment processing.

8.1 Data Privacy and Security Compliance

The vendor shall comply with, and assist the District in complying with, all applicable federal and state laws, regulations, and policies governing student privacy, confidentiality, and data security, including the

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. § 1232g; the Protection of Pupil Rights

Amendment (PPRA), 20 U.S.C. § 1232h; and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), 15

U.S.C. § 6501, as applicable. The vendor shall maintain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards consistent with industry standards and technology best practices to protect District data from unauthorized access, disclosure, use, acquisition, destruction, or modification.

8.2 Data Ownership

All student, staff, and District data shall remain the sole property of the District and shall be used only for purposes authorized under this RFP and any resulting contract. Upon expiration or termination of the contract, the vendor shall return or securely destroy District data as directed by the District and shall certify such return or destruction upon request.

8.3 Data Breach

The vendor shall notify the District without unreasonable delay, and in no event later than the time required by applicable law or contract, upon discovery of any actual or suspected unauthorized access to, disclosure of, or use of District data.

9.0 Contract Timeframe

A contract may be awarded to the responsible vendor whose proposal is determined to be most advantageous to the District, taking into consideration price and the evaluation factors set forth in this RFP. Any resulting contract shall become effective only upon approval by the South Delta School District Board of Education, execution by all required parties, and issuance of a District Purchase Order.

10.0 Acceptance of Proposals

The District reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to waive minor informalities or irregularities in any proposal received, provided such waiver does not prejudice the interests of the District or provide an unfair competitive advantage to any vendor.

11.0 Conditions of Solicitation

Issuance of this RFP does not constitute an offer, award, or commitment to contract. The South Delta

School District reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to accept, reject, cancel, or negotiate any or all proposals in accordance with the evaluation criteria and applicable procurement requirements.

The offeror shall ensure compliance with the following conditions of solicitation:

1. Any proposal submitted in response to this RFP shall be in writing and shall comply with all submission requirements set forth herein.

2. The District shall not be liable for any costs incurred by any vendor in preparing, submitting, presenting, clarifying, negotiating, or revising a proposal or proposed contract.

3. Discussions may be conducted with vendors who submit proposals determined to be reasonably susceptible of being selected for the purpose of clarification to ensure full understanding of and responsiveness to the solicitation requirements, but proposals may be accepted without such discussions.

4. No late proposal or late modification shall be considered, except to the extent permitted by applicable

District policy and procurement law.

5. The vendor represents that it has not retained a person to solicit or secure this agreement for a commission, percentage, brokerage, or contingent fee.

6. The vendor certifies that the prices submitted in response to the solicitation have been arrived at independently and without (for the purpose of restricting competition) any consultation, communication, or agreement with any other bidder or competitor relating to those prices, the intention to submit a proposal, or the methods or factors used to calculate the price proposal.

12.0 Selection Criteria and Procedures

All proposals that are received by the deadline and meet the requirements established in this RFP shall be evaluated in accordance with the criteria set forth herein. Proposals shall be reviewed and scored by an

Evaluation Committee designated by the District.

Each vendor shall submit its best pricing with its proposal. The District reserves the right to request clarifications, conduct discussions, or negotiate with one or more responsible vendors after receipt of proposals and prior to award; however, the District may make an award based solely on the initial proposals received.

The District reserves the right to award one contract, multiple contracts, or no contract, as determined to be in the best interest of the District.

PROPOSAL EVALUATION CRITERIA

CRITERIA DESCRIPTION WEIGHT

1. Scope of Work Requirements 40 %

Vendor Hosted

Platform and

Integration with the

District’s Student

Information System

• Cloud-based, vendor-hosted solution accessible by educators, administrators, and families twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, subject to reasonable maintenance windows.

• Real-time synchronization with the District’s Student Information

System.

• Automated data updates, file transfers, and synchronization processes that minimize manual intervention by District personnel.

Communication Tool • Supports communication at the classroom, school and District levels,

• Provides mass notification capabilities for Districtwide and school-specific announcements.

• Provides emergency alert capabilities for time-sensitive and urgent communications.

• Supports two-way communication between authorized school personnel ad families, with appropriate controls, permissions, and audit capabilities.

• Supports SMS, voice, email, and mobile app and other commonly used messaging channels.

• Provides mobile applications compatible with iOS and Android devices.

• Supports multimedia messaging, as appropriate for authorized communications.

• Provides tracking and reporting for families and staff communication.

• Supports individualized communication with families in their preferred language.

Digital Flows and

Forms

• Supports secure electronic delivery, completion, submission, and storage of District-approved documents and forms.

• Provides configurable digital forms and workflows to streamline approvals, notifications, communication, routing, and recordkeeping, Educator Support for

Growth and

Development

• Provides for automation and integration of the Mississippi

Professional Growth Rubric and subsequent communication between the administrator and instructional staff, including teachers, counselors, librarians, and speech-language therapists.

Data Analytics and

Dashboards

• Customizable dashboards with role-specific capabilities.

• Interactive dashboards with real-time access to student-level data, including attendance, behavior, and engagement data.

• Supports longitudinal data views that enable educators and administrators to identify trends over time.

• Generates exportable reports that support MTSS, RtI, and decreasing chronic absenteeism reduction initiatives.

Role Based Access

Control

• Tiered permissions for administrators, teachers, and families.

• Maintains a comprehensive audit trail of user access and system activity.

2. Accessibility and Compliance 5%

Accessibility and

Compliance

• Includes accessibility features and language supports for families with disabilities, English Learners, and other populations requiring additional access support.

• Compliance with ADA accessibility guidelines.

• Compliance with applicable data privacy, security, accessibility, and interoperability standards relevant to K-12 educational technology.

3. Implementation and Support Services 10%

Implementation and

Support Services

• Implementation Services

• Support Services

• Quality and comprehensiveness of initial and ongoing training for educators, including differentiated training for varying levels of experience.

4. Relevant K-12 Experience 10%

K-12 Experience • Demonstrated compatibility with the Mississippi Department of

Education-approved Student Information System platforms.

• History of successful service delivery in similar school districts.

• Three letters of reference from Mississippi public school district clients for whom services were provided in the past three year.

5. Data Privacy and Security 10%

Data Privacy and

Security

• Compliance with Mississippi and federal data security standards

(FERPA, COPPA, etc.) and demonstration of privacy certifications.

6. Financial Proposal 25%

Cost Lowest cost = 25 %; others proportional (Lowest Cost / Vendor Cost)

TOTAL POINTS 100

13.0 Exceptions

The District reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, waive minor informalities or irregularities, request clarifications, negotiate with one or more responsible vendors, cancel this RFP, or award one or more contracts as determined to be in the best interest of the District and consistent with applicable procurement requirements.

14.0 Conditions of Request for Proposal

The issuance of this RFP does not constitute an award commitment by the District, nor does it obligate the

District to pay any costs incurred in the preparation or submission of a proposal.

15.0 Format and Procedure for Delivery of Proposals

Proposals shall be complete, clearly organized, and submitted in accordance with the requirements of this

RFP.

The proposal must be prepared in 11- or 12-point font, single-spaced, and bound without staples, clips, or rubber bands. Each page of the proposal and all attachments must identify the vendor’s name.

The proposal shall be organized in the order set forth in this RFP and consist of the four parts as identified below.

1. Part I: Proposal Cover Page

• Included in this RFP and shall serve as the cover page of the vendor’s proposal (one page only).

2. Part II: Vendor Certification and Acceptance

• This RFP requires the vendor to indicate agreement with the terms and conditions set forth in the RFP. If the vendor objects to any of the Standard Terms and Conditions, such objection may constitute an adequate cause for rejection without further negotiation.

3. Part III: Program Description and Overview

• The vendor shall provide sufficient detail to enable the district to determine the services to be provided and the quality of the proposed services.

4. Part IV: Budget/Cost

• The vendor shall provide detailed pricing, licensing structure, renewal terms, implementation, training, and support costs, as well as any other costs associated with the proposed program and services. The budget shall clearly identify whether pricing is per seat or districtwide and include pricing for a one-year and a three-year license.

16.0 Disposition of Proposals

All submitted proposals become the property of the District and shall not be returned to the vendor.

17.0 Rejection of Proposals

Proposals may be rejected for reasons that include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. The proposal contains unauthorized amendments to requirements.

2. The proposal is conditional.

3. The proposal is incomplete or contains irregularities that make the proposal indefinite or ambiguous.

4. The proposal is not signed by an authorized representative of the applicant.

5. The proposal contains false or misleading statements or references.

6. The proposal price is unreasonable.

18.0 Notice of Intent to Award

The District may issue a notice of intent to award to the vendor whose proposal is determined to be most advantageous to the District, subject to final approval by the South Delta School District Board of

Education, successful contract negotiation, execution of all required contract documents, and availability of funds.

19.0 Right to Protest

19.1 Interested Party

An actual or prospective vendor that may be aggrieved by the RFP, the award of a contract, or the protest process.

19.2 Protestor

An actual or prospective vendor who is aggrieved in connection with the RFP or the award of a contract and who files a protest.

19.3 Protest Procedures

The protest procedure shall be conducted in accordance with applicable District policy and procurement requirements, including the following:

1. The vendor shall submit a formal letter of protest to the Superintendent of Education, detailing the exact nature and reason(s) for the protest. The letter shall specify precisely which terms in the RFP and/or decisions related to the award are being challenged, stating the reason for each protest.

2. The letter shall state the RFP title and date of advertisement involved in the protest, and shall be signed by the vendor representative who signed the bid proposal documents.

3. Oral protests shall not be acknowledged or considered by the South Delta School District.

A review committee shall be appointed by the Superintendent or designee to review each timely and properly submitted protest. The committee shall base its recommendation on the written record, including the protest and any relevant procurement documentation. The committee’s recommendation shall be submitted to the Superintendent for review. The protesting vendor shall be informed of the decision in writing at the earliest practicable date. The decision issued by the District shall be final, subject to any rights or remedies available under applicable law.

PART I

PROPOSAL COVER PAGE

Name of Vendor

Contact Person and Title

Phone Number

Mailing Address

Email Address

Cost of the Program

$ __________ per seat OR $ __________ per district

Cost of the Program per

Year

Cost of the Program for a 3-

Year Contract with an

Annual Renewal Clause

By signing below, the undersigned certifies that he or she is duly authorized to bind the vendor to the proposal submitted in response to this RFP; that the vendor has reviewed and accepts the RFP requirements, except as expressly stated in writing in the proposal; and that, if selected for award, the vendor agrees to perform the services in accordance with the requirements set forth herein and in any resulting contract approved by the District.

Authorized Signature Date

Printed Name of Authorized Signer

PART II

Proposal Due Date and Time: July 28, 2026, at 10:00 AM CST

ATTN: Mr. Eddwin Smith, Federal Programs Director

VENDOR CERTIFICATION AND ACCEPTANCE

The vendor certifies and represents that the information provided in this section is complete and accurate and acknowledges that the representations made herein may be incorporated into any resulting contract awarded by the District.

1. Contractor Violation or Breach of Contract Terms and Remedies

Any contract exceeding the applicable federal simplified acquisition threshold shall address administrative, contractual, or legal remedies for breach of contract and shall provide for appropriate sanctions and penalties, as required by 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Appendix II.

This RFP is based on anticipated District needs. Issuance of this RFP does not guarantee the award of a contract. Any resulting contract shall include termination for cause and termination for convenience provisions, including the manner of termination and the basis for settlement, as required by applicable federal procurement requirements.

2. Lists of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement or Non-Procurement Program

Vendor certifies and represents that neither it nor its principal(s) is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in district, state, or federal procurements or contracts, and is not identified in the “Lists of Parties Excluded from Federal

Procurement or Non-Procurement Program” issued by the General Services Administration. The vendor further agrees to immediately notify the District if the company is later listed in SAM or is debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded by an agency or declared ineligible under statutory or regulatory authority.

3. Non-Collusion Certification

Vendor certifies and represents that it has not violated any state, federal, or local law, regulation, or ordinance relating to bribery, coercion, improper influence, collusion, or similar conduct and that the vendor will not, in the future, offer, confer, or agree to confer any pecuniary benefit or other thing of value to any officer, trustee, agent, or employee of the South Delta School District in return for that person exercising official discretion, power, or duty concerning this RFP, the submission of a proposal, the award of a contract, or the performance, delivery, or sale under a contract.

4. Record Retention Requirements for Contract Paid for with FEDERAL FUNDS – 2 CFR §

200.334 through 200.338

When federal funds are expended by the District for any contract resulting from this procurement process, the vendor shall comply with the record retention requirements set forth in 2 C.F.R. §§

200.334–200.338. The vendor shall retain records for the period required by federal law and shall preserve records until all pending matters are closed.

Federal funds will be the sole source of funding for all contracts associated with this RFP.

5. Access to Records – 2 C.F.R. § 200.337

The vendor agrees that the District, the awarding agency, the Comptroller General of the United States, or any duly authorized representatives shall have access to books, documents, papers, and records of the vendor that are directly pertinent to any awarded contract for purposes of audit, examination, excerpts, and transcriptions. This right includes timely and reasonable access to vendor personnel for interviews and discussions related to such records.

6. Appendix II to Part 200—Contract Provisions for Non-Federal Entity Contracts Under Federal

Awards

Vendor shall comply with the contract provisions set forth in Appendix II to Part 200, as applicable to any resulting contract:

• Equal Employment Opportunity

• Davis-Bacon Act

• Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act

• Rights to Inventions Made Under a Contract or Agreement

• Clean Air Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act

• Debarment and Suspension

• Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment

7. Independent Contractor

The vendor shall perform all services as an independent contractor and not as an employee, agent, partner, or representative of the District. The vendor shall be solely responsible for all taxes, benefits, insurance, licenses, permits, and other obligations associated with its personnel and performance under any resulting contract. No act performed or representation made by the vendor shall bind the District unless expressly authorized in writing by the District.

The vendor shall discharge all liabilities arising from its status as an independent contractor. The vendor shall not serve as an educational advocate or representative of any parent, student, or instructional staff member of the District in connection with services provided under any resulting contract. The vendor shall manage staffing, time, and scheduling to meet service goals within the constraints of the District’s instructional calendar and school day.

8. Indemnification

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the vendor shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the South

Delta School District, the South Delta School District Board of Education, and their officials, officers, employees, agents, and representatives from and against claims, damages, liabilities, losses, judgments, costs, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, arising out of or resulting from the vendor’s acts, omissions, negligence, willful misconduct, breach of contract, or violation of law in connection with any awarded contract.

9. Non-Discrimination

The vendor shall comply with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. §2000d et seq.), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 701 et seq.), Title IX of the Education

Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681-1688), the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (42 U.S.C. 6101-

6107), and other civil rights laws applicable to recipients of Federal financial assistance.

10. Financial Stability and Insurance

Vendors shall demonstrate financial stability and adequate staffing to perform the proposed services. If awarded a contract, the vendor shall, at its own expense, maintain insurance coverage satisfactory to the District, including commercial general liability insurance, commercial automobile liability insurance, contractual liability coverage, and any other coverage required by the District, with minimum limits of $1,000,000 unless otherwise approved in writing by the District, if applicable.

If applicable, the South Delta School District, the South Delta School District Board of Education, and their officials, officers, employees, and agents shall be named as additional insureds where applicable.

Required insurance policies shall not be canceled or materially modified without at least 30 days’ prior written notice to the District, or such longer period as may be required by the policy. Proof of insurance shall be submitted before contract execution and upon District request.

If applicable, the vendor shall maintain workers’ compensation insurance as required by Mississippi law and employer’s liability coverage with limits not less than:

A. Bodily injury by accident: $500,000 each accident;

B. Bodily injury by disease: $500,000 each employee and $500,000 policy limit.

11. Applicable Law

If selected, the vendor agrees to execute a contract governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Mississippi, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any litigation arising from or related to the contract shall be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction in the State of Mississippi.

The vendor shall comply with all applicable federal, State of Mississippi, and local laws and regulations, including applicable student privacy requirements and policies of the South Delta School

District Board of Education, as amended from time to time.

12. Background Check

Vendor personnel who may have direct contact with students or access to District facilities, systems, or data may be required to undergo criminal background checks and other screening procedures as required by District policy, applicable law, or contract.

The undersigned certifies that he or she is authorized to submit this proposal and the accompanying assurances on behalf of the vendor and further certifies that all information contained herein is true, correct, and complete to the best of his or her knowledge and belief. The vendor acknowledges that materially false or misleading information may result in rejection of the proposal or termination of any resulting contract.

Name of Organization

Printed Name of Authorized Representative

Signature of Authorized Representative Date

PART III

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND OVERVIEW

Vendors shall provide a detailed description of the proposed program and services, including how the solution will comply with each of the following requirements:

1. Vendor Hosted Platform:

• Provide documentation to demonstrate that the solution is cloud-based, vendor-hosted, and maintained by the vendor.

• Provide documentation demonstrating that the platform shall be accessible to educators, administrators, and families 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, subject to reasonable maintenance windows.

2. Integration and Automation

• Describe how the proposed platform provides for real-time synchronization with the District’s

Student Information System and how data updates, FTP, and are automated to minimize manual intervention by the district

3. Communication Tool

• Describe how the proposed platform will meet the following:

o Communication at the classroom, school, and District levels.

o Can be used for mass notification capabilities for Districtwide and school-specific announcements.

o Can serve as an emergency alert notification system for time-sensitive and urgent communications.

o Capability for two-way communication between authorized school personnel and families.

o Provides opportunities for SMS, voice, email, mobile app, and other commonly used messaging channels.

o Compatibility with iOS and Android devices.

o Supports multimedia messaging.

o Tracking and reporting capability for family and staff communications.

o Provides for individualized communication with families in their preferred language, where available.

4. Digital Flows and Forms

• Describe how the platform provides for secure electronic delivery, completion, submission, and storage of District-approved documents and forms.

• Describe how the platform allows users to configure digital forms and workflows to streamline approvals, notifications, routing, and recordkeeping.

5. Educator Support for Growth and Development

• Describe the capability for integrating the Mississippi Professional Growth Rubric for instructional staff, including teachers, counselors, librarians, and speech-language therapists, into the platform so that principals can use the rubric for teacher observations and communicate with staff to provide feedback from the observation.

6. Data Analytics and Dashboards:

• Describe how the platform collects, organizes, and reports communication, attendance, engagement, workflow, and user activity data.

• Explain the frequency, customization options, and export capabilities for reports and dashboards, including how they support data-informed decision-making.

• Describe how the platform generates comprehensive reports by school, user role, communication type, attendance indicator, engagement metric, demographic filter, and other relevant categories.

7. Role-Based Access and Controls

• Describe the structure the platform uses for tiered permissions.

• Describe the audit components for program implementation.

8. Training and Professional Development:

• Provide details about initial and ongoing training for teachers, school administrators, District staff, and other authorized users.

9. Technical Support and Program Maintenance:

• Describe the ongoing technical assistance, customer support, service-level expectations, and issue escalation procedures that will be provided.

• Explain how the vendor maintains, updates, secures, and enhances the platform over time, including updates to privacy, accessibility, interoperability, and K-12 operational needs.

10. Licensing and Compliance:

• Confirm compliance with applicable Mississippi and federal data privacy and security requirements, including FERPA and COPPA, and other laws or standards applicable to the proposed services.

11. Accessibility and Inclusion

• Describe how the platform supports accessibility, language access, and inclusive communication for families with disabilities, English Learners, and other users requiring additional access support.

12. Experience and Past Performance:

• Demonstrated compatibility with the Mississippi Department of Education-approved Student

Information System platforms.

• Provide a history of successful service delivery in similar school districts.

• Submit letters of reference from at least three clients in public Mississippi school districts where services were provided in the past three years.

PART IV

BUDGET

Vendors shall provide a detailed budget for the proposed program and services, including the following:

1. Licensing Model:

• Specify the licensing model (e.g., per-student, per-site, or per-district). The licensing structure shall be clear, transparent, and aligned with the District’s needs for scalability and budget predictability.

2. License Duration and Renewal Terms:

• Include detailed terms for license duration, renewal options, and all associated costs over the contract period. This information shall address how the licensing model supports the District’s ability to maintain uninterrupted access and accommodate potential growth in student enrollment.

3. License Transferability:

• Specify whether licenses are transferable across schools within the District to allow flexibility if student populations shift or licenses must be reallocated.

4. License Cost for One-Year and Three-Year Terms.

• Provide pricing for one-year and three-year license terms, including all fees, implementation costs, training costs, support costs, renewal costs, optional costs, and terms and conditions applicable to each pricing option.