The Great Falls Public Schools board voted unanimously to use a federal program to replace all of its uninterruptible power supply backup devices.

The devices provide backup power to electrical systems during power outages.

Brian Patrick, GFPS’ business operations manager, said that when the power goes out, the district systems, including phone lines, go out.

Of the districts 23 UPS backup devices, 22 are out of warranty and not meeting current needs to sustain adequate power.

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The current devices do not restart when power is restored and cause an unneeded delay to restore network and phone services for the schools, especially in after-hours incidents, according to the district. That required the district IT staff to reset the devices.

The new devices will restart automatically when power is restored, Patrick said.

Patrick said the district will select the most cost-effective bid that has flexibility to meet its needs with a growing dependence on online and remote learning environments.

GFPS will be purchasing the devices through the federal Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Program, knows as the E-Rate program, which helps schools and libraries get telecommunications and internet access at affordable rates.

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The Federal Communication Commission adopted the E-rate Modernization Order in 2014 with a focus on “expanding funding for wired and Wi-Fi networks in elementary and secondary schools and libraries so that broadband needs can be met in today’s world of interactive, individualized digital learning,” according to GFPS.

In 2020, the FCC revised the rules and secured funding for the next five years.

Currently, GFPS qualifies for an 80 percent discount on eligible equipment and services purchased upon application approval and availability of funding.

The discount is calculated each year and is dependent on the number of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program, according to GFPS.

The E-rate program requires applicants to follow a formal process in order to create open and fair competitive bidding, according to GFPS.

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The board approved the lowest qualified bidder, MicroK12, for 22 UPS battery backup devices and extended battery modules for replacement in all of the district buildings.

The total project is $61,820 with GFPS paying 20 percent, or $12,364 from the district technology fund.