26016_Request_for_Information_Textbook_Management_Software.pdf

HillsboroughSchools.org • P.O. Box 3408 • Tampa, FL 33601-3408 • Procurement Services (813) 272-4374

Raymond O. Shelton School Administrative Center • 901 East Kennedy Blvd. • Tampa, FL 33602-3507

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

For

26016-RFI-EST TEXTBOOK MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

1 OVERVIEW

Hillsborough County Public Schools (“HCPS”) hereby issues this Request for Information (“RFI”) to announce that HCPS is seeking responses from all qualified firms or individuals that provide the commodities and contractual services as described herein.

Hillsborough County Public Schools’ Instructional Materials division supports 236 schools across the district as they inventory, monitor, and track approximately 1,789,070 in textbooks and materials inventory. The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to find a product that:

• Will organize/automate the inventory of textbooks for individual schools/sites via district-wide computer access/application.

• Has the ability to check-out/check-in textbooks to teachers and students.

• Has the ability to track fines for lost/damaged textbooks.

• Has the ability to systemize/synchronize student/teacher data with our district's student information/student data system?

The district is currently using Destiny software by Follett and is set to expire June 2027.

This Request for Information (RFI) is for informational purposes only, and no contract will be awarded as a result. A firm or organization’s response to the RFI—or lack thereof—will have no impact on the evaluation of responses to any subsequent competitive solicitation released. Responses will be used solely for information and planning purposes.

2 SUBMISSION DETAILS

HCPS posts all solicitations and supporting documents on www.myvendorlink.com (“VendorLink”). It is the respondent's responsibility to monitor VendorLink for future solicitation opportunities, due dates, and updates, and to ask questions under any HCPS solicitation.

All questions must be submitted via VendorLink.

Please upload your responses to this RFI via VendorLink before the due date identified below.

3 RFI TIMELINE

Please review the RFI timeline below. Dates may be modified or amended by HCPS, which will post an amendment to this RFI notifying prospective respondents of any change.

RFI Released: Monday, January 12, 2026

Deadline for Questions: Thursday, January 19, 2026, at 4:00 pm.

Responses Due: Thursday, January 26, 2026, at 4:00 pm.

4 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Hillsborough County Public Schools, Florida (“HCPS” or the “District”) is a political subdivision organized under Section 4, Article IX, of the State Constitution and Florida Statutes. HCPS, which is coterminous with Hillsborough County, is the nation’s seventh-largest school system. HCPS currently has 235 PreK-12 schools, specialty centers, and technical colleges, serving approximately 225,000 students and employing approximately 24,000 staff members. Management of HCPS is independent of metropolitan and city governments. The School Board of Hillsborough County, Florida (the “Board”), a public corporation existing under the Laws of the State of Florida, is the policy-making body of HCPS. The Board consists of seven members elected by geographic area. Among other duties, the Board has broad financial responsibilities, including the approval of the annual budget, which for the 2019/2020 fiscal year is $3 billion. The Chief Executive Officer is the Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Van Ayres, who was appointed by the Board and is responsible for all financial transactions and records of HCPS.

Vision. Preparing Students for Life.

Mission. To provide an education and the supports that enable each student to excel as a successful and responsible citizen.

5 GOALS AND OUTCOME

Describe the goals for the services and programs you hope will be impacted by responses to the RFI. State whether a future RFP is anticipated, the RFI goal statement should be open-ended and not unnecessarily limit the information that could be submitted and be transparent about how information will be used.

HCPS seeks information to guide the development of a future competitive solicitation for Textbook Management Software:

• Supports 236 independent school sites within a unified district environment.

• Strengthens data quality, reporting, collection analysis, and transparency.

• Enhances user access and usability for all stakeholders.

• Integrates with district systems currently in use such as FOCUS (SIS) Canvas (LMS) ClassLink (Rostering/SSO), and other content vendors.

• Improves operational efficiency, catalog management, and district oversight.

• Provides robust, accessible OPAC/discovery tools suitable for K–12 users.

This initiative is prompted by the district’s need to improve system performance, simplify workflows, and track inventory for fiscal responsibility.

Information gathered through this RFI will inform HCPS in shaping the Scope of Work, technical requirements, and evaluation criteria in a forthcoming RFP.

6 WHO SHOULD RESPOND

HCPS is especially interested in hearing feedback on this proposed project from the following firms, organizations, or individuals:

• Textbook Management Software vendors

• Companies with large-scale K–12 multi-site experience

• Organizations with proven migration experience

Respondents should have expertise in:

• School district SIS, SSO, LMS integrations

• ILS hosting, cybersecurity, and data privacy

• Supporting districts with 100+ school sites

7 WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

Respondents are invited to provide information on the following subjects of interest to HCPS:

Background information on RFI respondents:

• Introduce the organization by sharing more about the organization’s history, size, scope, and background.

• Provide a description of the organization’s experience providing Textbook Management Software to other school districts:

o Provide a description of past work with school districts, state, and local governments.

o How, and to what extent, would implementing your product result in improved outcomes as well as savings?

o Are you aware of any evaluations or studies we should consult that demonstrate the effectiveness of the product?

Specific questions to inform the design of a future IT RFP and its Scope of Work:

• Provide brief, relevant background information about your organization and prior work experience or products you offer related to our needs.

• What are the most cost-effective software solutions you or your organization are aware of?

• What potential risks are produced by transitioning to a new textbook management system? Please provide examples from your organization’s experience if possible.

• What should HCPS expect a potential vendor to do to mitigate or avoid those risks?

• How are other similarly sized school districts using your Textbook Management Software in innovative ways?

• What innovative strategies have you or your organization seen or performed with other school districts to employ your product?

Technical Specifications:

• Hosting options (cloud/SaaS, on-premise, hybrid)

• Data security, privacy protection, FERPA compliance

• Integration with K–12 SIS systems

• SSO compatibility (ClassLink)

• Available APIs and standards support (Z39.50)

• Performance expectations for a district with 236 School sites, approximately 175,000 students, with significant concurrent users

Migration from Follett- Destiny:

Please address:

• Your experience migrating ILS data, including any large districts.

• Data elements migrated (bib, item, patron, holds, history, authority records, etc.)

• Tools and validation processes used.

• Data cleanup

• Typical district responsibilities and timeline

• Implementation, Training, & Support

Please provide:

• High-level implementation plan for a district with 236 School Sites

• Training formats (on-site, virtual, asynchronous modules, documentation)

• Ongoing support model

• Risks and challenges districts typically encounter and mitigation strategies.

Costs & Licensing Structure

No pricing is requested. Instead, describe:

• Your general cost structure (e.g., subscription, per-site, per-FTE, module-based)

• One-time implementation/migration fee structure

• Optional modules and potential add-on services

Additional Considerations

Respondents may include:

• Product roadmaps

• Examples of innovative use cases in other large K–12 districts

• Constraints, resource needs, or implementation considerations HCPS should plan for

• Recommendations for the future RFP structure

Please provide any additional background information or context that may be useful for HCPS to draft their RFP, i.e., implementation timelines, budget information, and similar materials that provide insight into achieving the goals of the RFI or challenges to be faced by HCPS in maintaining the solution.