FY2027 Jackson County RFP C1 WAN A.pdf

Jackson County School System

1660 Winder Hwy

Jefferson, GA 30549

Request for Proposal:

Wide Area Network Services FY2027 A

Issued: October 6, 2026

Overview

Jackson County School System is seeking proposals for Wide Area Network services for locations included in section 1.1.

The district prefers to award to a single service provider. All proposals must include details outlining the physical and logical connections between each facility along with any relevant configuration and routing information. Proposals must identify any additional required equipment or installation costs.

Jackson County School System is requesting a one-year contract with four voluntary extensions. The contract established with the winning vendor must be flexible to allow for openings of new schools or closing of existing schools with no additional charges or new contracts for the full term of the contract including extensions. The contract must also allow for upgrading bandwidth for the full term of the contract including extensions.

The service start date for Wide Area Network services will be July 1, 2027, regardless of the “Effective Date” on the contract. The service end date will be June 30, 2028 to coincide with the end of the E-Rate funding year.

These dates should be stated in the bid proposal and resulting contract.

Bidders are required to identify port and circuit charges.

Minimum requested bandwidth is 10 Gbps and maximum requested bandwidth is 40 Gbps.

Bidders are requested to provide pricing in increments of 5 Gbps between the stated minimum and maximum bandwidth per location.

Timeline of Events

FCC Form 470 and RFP Posted October 6, 2026

Deadline for Questions to dirvin@jcss.us

October 20, 2026 at 2pm EST

Proposal Due Date to dirvin@jcss.us

November 3, 2026 at 2pm EST

Proposals are due in electronic form (PDF format) on or before the date listed above. Emailed proposal documents will be time-stamped by the receiving computer. Any questions regarding this RFP shall be submitted in writing to the contact and by the deadline listed above. Emailed inquiries are required. Jackson

County School System will not respond to phone call inquiries.

mailto:dirvin@jcss.us mailto:dirvin@jcss.us

1.1 Product Specifications

Jackson County School System is seeking proposals for leased lit fiber for wide area network services at the following locations:

1.2 School Sites and Addresses:

Entity Number School/Admin Site Address

16046639 East Jackson High School 1435 Hoods Mill Road, Commerce, GA 30529

33453 Jackson County High School 152 Jaxco Junction, Hoschton, GA 30548

17037427 Legacy Knoll Middle School 79 Legacy Knoll Lane, Hoschton, GA 30548

33450 West Jackson Middle School 400 Gum Springs Church Road, Jefferson, GA 30549

33405 East Jackson Middle School 1880 Hoods Mill Road, Commerce, GA 30529

16047013 Gum Springs Elementary School 600 Gum Springs Road, Jefferson, GA 30549

33474 North Jackson Elementary School 1880 Old Gainesville Highway, Talmo, GA 30575

33506 South Jackson Elementary School 1630 New Kings Bridge Road, Athens, GA 30607

22098 West Jackson Elementary School 391 East Jefferson Street, Hoschton, GA 30548

233695 East Jackson Elementary School 1531 Hoods Mill Road, Commerce, GA 30529

33459 Maysville Elementary School 9270 Highway 82 Spur, Maysville, GA 30558

17037426 Heroes Elementary School 4001 Highway 322, Hoschton, GA 30548

17025920 Empower College and Career Academy 1668 Winder Highway, Jefferson, GA 30549

17015917 Jackson County Board of Education 1660 Winder Highway, Jefferson, GA 30549

TBD Hayes Farm Elementary School 325 Husky Way, Hoschton, GA

30548

TBD Sell’s Mill Middle School 850 Boone Road, Hoschton, GA

30548

TBD Hoschton High School 6045 Highway 332, Hoschton, GA 30548

TBD TBD TBD

TBD TBD TBD

TBD TBD TBD

TBD TBD TBD

TBD TBD TBD

*See Section 7.1 Trade Names and Alternatives

Jackson County School System is an ever-changing and growing school district and additional sites may need to be added to the services provided under this contract during the contract term. The district reserves the right to add additional sites to the awarded contract as needed. Any additional site added during the contract term shall be provided under the same terms, conditions, service levels, and unit recurring pricing established in the awarded contract for the applicable service/circuit type. The addition of the site shall not result in an increase to the unit recurring cost of the applicable service. Additional sites shall be co-terminus with the existing contract term and shall not extend the contract term.

Jackson County School System reserves the right to increase or decrease the bandwidth during the term of the awarded contract as outlined in the range of this FCC Form 470 and corresponding RFP documents. Addresses listed on the FCC Form 470/RFP are the physical locations of each recipient of service and may be considered to be an approximate location for service delivery to determine the final handoff nearest to the minimum point of entry on the property line. Additional sites are anticipated to be located within Jackson County.

2.1 Pricing and Payment Structure

Vendors are requested to submit pricing for all locations in 5 Gbps increments, with a minimum bandwidth of

10 Gbps up to the maximum bandwidth of 40 Gbps. Pricing must be listed as a unit cost for each circuit and each level of bandwidth.

If additional items are required to complete the project, please include them as an itemized as per unit cost.

This includes anything required to provide a fully functional WAN network, including but not limited to: one-time connection charges, special construction costs, design & engineering, and project management. The district will not be liable for any charges that are not quoted in the bidder’s response.

The district is seeking a one-year contract with four voluntary one-year extensions.

This RFP will automatically become part of any contract awarded to a vendor. Jackson County School System requests vendors to file a Form 474 (Service Provider Invoice; SPI) to request reimbursement directly from

USAC for the eligible E-Rate portion of the contract.

3.1 Evaluation Criteria

The selection process for each section will include the following evaluation and point assignment/rating criteria for Vendors for each section:

Criteria Possible Points

1 Cost of Eligible Goods and Services 40

2 Cost of Ineligible Goods and Services 10

3 Vendor quote meets district’s minimum specifications 20

4 Experience with district 20

5 Ability to deliver service at start of funding year 10

Total Possible Points 100

4.1 Discrepancies and Omissions

Vendors finding discrepancies or omissions in the RFP or having any doubts as to the meaning or intent of any part thereof shall submit such questions or concerns in writing to the contact and by the deadline listed on Page

2. Addenda issued in correspondence to this RFP shall be considered a part of this RFP and shall become part of any final Contract that may be derived from this RFP. This RFP and its addenda will be part of any possible future contract with successful vendor(s).

5.1 Contingencies

This RFP should not be considered as a Contract to purchase goods or services, but is a Request for Proposal in accordance with the Terms and Conditions herein and will not necessarily give rise to a contract. However, RFP responses should be as detailed and complete as possible to facilitate the formation of a contract based on the

RFP response(s) that are pursued should Jackson County School System decide to do so. Proposals stating that pricing is valid dependent upon availability and/or subject to prior sale will be considered non-responsive.

Completion of this RFP form and its associated Appendices are a requirement. Failure to do so will disqualify your RFP response submittal. Proposals are due in electronic form (PDF format) on or before the date listed on

Page 2. Date and time stamp of receiving computer will govern all e-mails. Vendors will be considered nonresponsive if the above requirements are not submitted as requested. Jackson County School System has the right to reject all submitted proposals and resubmit for new proposals through a revised RFP.

The project is 100% contingent upon the approval of funding from the Universal Service Fund's Schools and

Libraries Program, otherwise known as E-Rate. Jackson County School System may or may not proceed with the project, in whole or in part, even if E-Rate funding is approved. Execution of the project, in part or in whole, is solely at the discretion of Jackson County School System.

Bidders wishing to bid may do so solely at their own risk. Jackson County School System is not liable or responsible for any costs, loss, fees, or expenses of any kind associated with the bid and/or a decision not to proceed with the project, even after the award of the contracts. By submitting a proposal, each Bidder agrees to bear all of its own costs, fees, expenses, and losses of any and all kind should Jackson County School System cancel the project.

6.1 Right to Reject Any and All Quotes

The Applicant reserves the right to reject any or all quotation submittals and to waive any informalities or regularities. The Vendor’s quotation submission is recognition of this right.

In addition, the Applicant reserves the right to fund, (proceed with project or purchase) or not to fund, regardless of E-Rate approval.

7.1 Trade Names and Alternatives

For convenience in designation on the plans or in the specifications, certain articles or materials to be incorporated in the work may be designated under a trade name or in the name of a manufacturer. Whenever in specifications any materials, process, or article is indicated or specified by grade, patent, or proprietary name or by name of manufacturer, such specification shall be deemed to be used for the purpose of facilitating description of material, process or article desired and shall be deemed to be followed by the words "or equal," and vendor may, unless otherwise stated, offer any material, process or article which shall be substantially equal or better in every respect to that so indicated or specified. If material, process or article offered by vendor is not, in opinion of Jackson County School System, substantially equal or better in every respect to that specified, then vendor shall furnish material, process or article specified. Burden of proof as to equality of any material, process or article shall rest with vendor. Without such documentation, Jackson County School System cannot accept the argument on functionality equivalent or better based on cost alone. Products must be compatible with existing systems. Vendor shall submit request together with substantiating data for substitution of any "or equal" item within proposal packet at the closing deadline. Provision authorizing submission of "or equal" justification data shall not in any way authorize an extension of time for performance of this contract.