E-rate category 1

McKinney Independent School District (McKinney ISD) is soliciting proposals for E-Rate Category 1 services—self-provisioned and leased networks, wide area network transport, and internet access—with proposals due December 11, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. and questions due November 6, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. All solutions must comply with FCC and USAC E-Rate program guidelines and be fully installed, tested, and operational by July 1, 2027.

The RFP comprises three separate service requests, each evaluated independently. Self-provisioned and leased network services require minimum 10 Gbps WAN transport with proposals for 10, 20, and 40 Gbps options on 120-month terms and ten optional annual renewals. Wide area network transport requires minimum 1 Gbps download and upload with proposals for 1, 5, and 10 Gbps options. Internet access requires minimum 1 Gbps with proposals ranging from 1 to 10 Gbps. WAN transport and internet access pricing must include 12-month, 36-month, and 60-month contracted service options with two additional optional twelve-month renewal terms. All solutions must provide dedicated, committed information rate bandwidth with service level agreements addressing uptime, latency, and response times.

Proposers must hold a valid USAC SPIN/498 ID, maintain E-Rate compliance, and clearly distinguish eligible from ineligible costs. Ownership of applicant-funded infrastructure becomes District property upon final acceptance. Award may be made to one or multiple proposers offering comparable products or services based on best value, considering purchase price, reputation, quality, past performance, compliance with law, and total long-term cost.

The anticipated Board meeting is January 19, 2027, with expected award on January 20, 2027. The contract term includes optional extension for up to 120 days if determined to be in the District's interest, with subsequent RFPs issued as needed.