At the beginning of the school year, USD 428’s technology director Ryan Axman said the Great Bend school district has progressed into a technology-rich school system over the past 20 years. Axman felt the administration and school board advocate technology advancement. Those statements were proven correct this week as the USD 428 Board of Education approved a federal funding assistance program to help pay for internet and internet infrastructure updates.

Superintendent Khris Thexton says the school will take advantage of the E-rate funding again.

Khris Thexton Audio

The E-rate funding covers 80 percent of the cost for the district’s internet for the school year.

Along with the internet expense from Nex-Tech Wireless and Nex-Tech, Network Computer Solutions (NCS) from St. George, Kansas will upgrade the district’s internet infrastructure this summer.

Khris Thexton Audio

The 2019-2020 E-rate funding requests were going to cost $40,998.40 for the Wide Area Network from Nex-Tech Wireless, $8,700 for internet from Nex-Tech, and $182,784.25 for the cable and switches infrastructure upgrade from NCS. Total expense is $232,472.65. Thanks to the federal assistance of 80 percent coverage, the expense to USD 428 is reduced to $46,494.53.