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FAQ's About USDA Grant
1. Who receives benefits from the grant? All TVDEC and Sandhills schools were included in the approved USDA grant application.
2. What equipment will each site receive from the grant at no cost? The grant will provide each school with a high definition team codec (Lifesize) - $8,000 value.
3. Why was the Lifesize codec selected for use in this project? After viewing several different technology options, Lifesize was chosen for the following reasons:
- By 2008-09 all member schools will have adequate bandwidth that will easily support this technology.
- Lifesize
is a high definition solution. As technology is moving away from
standard format to high def, we felt this was a futurisic move.
- The cost of the Lifesize unit was slightly more expensive then standard format units.
- Lifesize is a codec that will connect with other IP technology and is supported by LB 1208 standards.
- The USDA awarded grant allowed us to try technology that we would not have tried.
4. What other benefits are provided as part of the grant? Additional benefits from the grant include:
- training on equipment
- curriculum support via virtual video conferencing
- 10 port supplemental bridge for meetings - will record programs for post event sharing
- technical support - see FAQ # 11
5. When can a school receive their CODEC? Before a school can receive their codec, they must provide $15,000 worth of receipts as evidence of in-kind purchases that support distance education. Purchases of CODECS will be made in June 2007 and June 2008.
6. What items are considered as in-kind contributions? Items listed at http://www.tvdec.org/1208reimbursements and half of your yearly ESU 10 consortium service fee over the two year period (07-08 and 08-09) can be counted toward the in-kind contribution.
7. Where do schools get the funds to pay for the in-kind contributions? LB 1208 will provide each school $20,000 toward the purchase of distance education equipment and software. Reimbursement to central Nebraska schools for this equipment will not be received no sooner then September 1, 2008.
8. Can schools use their regular budget to purchase in-kind items supported by LB 1208 prior to 2008? Yes. Schools can purchase allowable items using regular budget in 2007-08 year and submit them as in-kind contributions to receive their CODEC. In August of 2008, schools will then submit these receipts to receive reimbursement up to $20,000 as part of LB 1208.
9. Why should schools consider purchasing items now which will then provide them their CODEC for the 07-08 school year? For schools who have adequate bandwidth (TVDEC south and Sandhills schools), you would benefit as follows:
- Schools who only have a static classroom would benefit having a second IP system for additional classes or enrichment activities.
- The codec is high definition which would provide higher quality video and data transfer when connecting to other high definition codecs.
- This codec will connect to other IP codec technology.
- Training on use of the codec for curriculum support will be provided to your teachers.
10. Are there additional ongoing costs associated with the purchase of the Lifesize Codec? Yes there are some one-time startup costs and then some ongoing costs. The one-time startup costs include purchasing a cart for the CODEC and a projection or viewing station. See eligible in-kind items at http://www.tvdec.org/1208reimbursements
Yearly maintenance costs: CODECs such as Lifesize and Polycom continue to upgrade their product. In order to be eligible for these upgrades, schools must purchase an annual maintenance fee. The projected cost for this maintenance fee is $840 per year for a Lifesize Room unit and $600 for a Team unit.
11. Who do we contact if we have problems with our Lifesize unit? ESU 10 will serve as the first line of support for any Lifesize unit. ESU 10 will troubleshoot problems, upgrade software, and contact Lifesize if further assistance is needed. Each school will be responsible for repair costs needed for the codec unit.
12. How do you place your order for your CODEC? Call or send an email to John Stritt (jstritt@esu10.org) by May 1 indicating your interest in having your CODEC purchased for the 2007-08 year.
This Page was last update: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 at 12:36:42 AM
This page was originally posted: 4/10/07; 10:45:49 PM.
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