E-Rate Category 1

Hays Consolidated Independent School District (HCISD) in Kyle, Texas issued Request for Proposals (RFP) 06-122502AS for Category One Network Equipment to replace end-of-life equipment for their current leased dark fiber connections under the E-Rate program. The procurement requires vendors to supply thirteen Extreme Networks 7520-48Y-8C-AC-F data distribution switches (or equivalent), associated licenses, mounting racks, power cords, and various optical transceivers including 100G LR4 QSFP28, 100G ER4-lite QSFP28, 100G SR4 QSFP28, and SFP 25G bidirectional transceivers sourced from Solid Optics. Installation will be performed by the district, and all pricing must be inclusive of delivery, assembly, and applicable fees. The contract term is anticipated to run from April 1, 2026 through September 30, 2028, with one optional renewal period extending through September 30, 2029. The proposal submission deadline was January 22, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. CST, with an addendum issued on December 18, 2025 extending the original January 15 deadline; questions must have been submitted by December 16, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. CST. Proposers must submit one original and two copies of their response (one in electronic format), and all pricing must meet or exceed State of Texas DIR contracted prices for like services. Key evaluation criteria include compliance with FCC regulations prohibiting equipment from Huawei, ZTE, and other covered companies posing national security threats, with vendors required to certify they are offering the lowest corresponding price (LCP) as defined by E-Rate rules.

Performance bonds are required for contracts exceeding $100,000, and payment bonds are required for contracts exceeding $25,000, with the district making payment on a Net 30-day basis commencing from the later of delivery/acceptance or correct invoice receipt. Vendors must maintain general liability insurance of $500,000 per occurrence for contracts up to $500,000, worker's compensation insurance, and comply with background check requirements for contractor employees with direct student contact. The RFP also requires various federal certifications related to debarment, anti-lobbying, environmental compliance, and non-collusion, as the contract is federally funded through the E-Rate program administered by USAC. The district reserves the right to award all, part, or none of the services and may adopt this contract through the Central Texas Purchasing Alliance (CTPA) for use by other member districts. No specific budget range or award value is listed in the solicitation documents; however, the pricing sheet template indicates the district is seeking proposals for equipment deployment across a large geographic footprint serving 14 elementary schools, 6 middle schools, 3 high schools, and 8 additional facilities distributed across Buda, Kyle, Niederwald, San Marcos, and Uhland in the greater Austin metropolitan area. The district has clarified through addendum that all switches will utilize IEEE 802.1aq (Shortest Path Bridging) architecture rather than BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, multicast, or VRFs, and that it anticipates future port expansion as a growing school district.