Kalispell Public Schools will receive a much-needed upgrade to technology infrastructure, improving its wireless capabilities by adding 255 access points throughout the district.

“Basically it’s a wireless access point in every classroom or room where instruction takes place,” Rich Lawrence, district information technology director, told the school board during a meeting Tuesday.

Access points combined with other improvements such as updating switches essentially will free up a lot of bandwidth and increase reliability, Lawrence said, and address problems that have plagued staffers and students trying to use technology.

Reliable wireless access “is the greatest need we have out there,” Lawrence said.

He later added, “We have a very old infrastructure. The newest equipment we have in our infrastructure resides at Glacier High School and it is seven to eight years old [when] talking about switches and access points,” Lawrence said.

The total cost of the project is $245,121.

Sixty percent of the cost — $142,092 — will be funded by the Universal Service Program for Schools and Libraries program, commonly known as E-Rate.

E-Rate, implemented by the Federal Communications Commission, provides discounted telecommunications and Internet access to eligible schools and libraries.

The school district will pay 40 percent of the project — $104,000 — from an interlocal fund and elementary technology levy.

This is the first year money has been available for this type of project through E-Rate, Lawrence said.

An E-Rate Modernization Order adopted by the Federal Communications Commission in 2014 resulted in a new set of goals and federal funding support primarily to improve wireless Internet connectivity in schools and eliminated funding for outdated services relating to telephones and non-broadband services.

Earlier in the board meeting, Lawrence spoke about the importance of the upgrades.

“I’m very, very excited to be up here talking to you about the potential of this project,” Lawrence said. “How many times in the eight years I’ve been here I’ve stood up in front of you and said, ‘We’re bringing on 300 more devices; we’re bringing on 500 more devices and I’m worried about our infrastructure being able to handle it all.’”

At the moment the worry is on hold.

Lawrence anticipates having the project completed before or by the start of the 2016-17 school year. He said the improvements will last the district five to eight years.

Hilary Matheson is a reporter for The Daily Inter Lake. She may be reached at 758-4431 or [email protected].