Auburn, Alabama Schools Deploy Wi-Fi Network to Enable 21st Century Learning Initiative

Auburn City Schools (ACS) has deployed a Trapeze Networks' Smart Mobile Wi-Fi wireless network to provide anytime, anywhere mobility for more than 1,000 laptop-equipped students and teachers at the district's junior high and high schools. Part of the district's "21st Century Learning Initiative," the wireless network will eventually support more than 5,000 students and teachers across nine schools, including the district's middle and elementary schools.Located in Auburn, Alabama, ACS launched the 21st Century Learning Initiative in 2005 in response to the No Child Left Behind Act. Beginning with the 2006-07 school year, ACS initiated a program to provide a Wi-Fi -enabled laptop to every ninth grader at Auburn Junior High School. Each year, all ninth graders will receive laptops and keep them through their senior year at Auburn High School. The laptops enhance students' learning abilities by enabling them to use computer applications such as spreadsheets and word processing programs, access online resources and use the Internet for researching projects and assignments.

In order to provide ubiquitous connectivity for the laptop-equipped students, ACS decided to deploy wireless networking in the district schools. After considering several vendors, ACS selected Trapeze to provide the wireless infrastructure. ACS first installed the networks in the junior high and high schools, and plans to also roll out Trapeze Wi-Fi networks in media centers at the district's middle school and five elementary schools. In addition, a new elementary school under construction will be fully wireless when it opens.

"We selected Trapeze Smart Mobile for a number of reasons, including its ease of use and reliability," said Debbie B. Rice, director of technology, Auburn City Schools. "A wireless network should operate like the power system -- you turn it on and it works without having to worry about it. That's the experience we've had with Trapeze."

Feedback from students and staff has been very positive, notes Rice. Students in particular enjoy the freedom to move about the campus while remaining connected to the network.

Both the junior high and high schools are multi-structure campuses with multi-level buildings. The Trapeze Smart Mobile networks at each site provide complete wireless coverage for students no matter where they are on the campus, including many outdoor locations between the buildings.

"We were really impressed by how easy it was to plan the network coverage and automatically compute placement of access points using the RingMaster management application," said Jay E. Sandefur, network engineer, Auburn City Schools. "Managing the network has also been quite easy, which is important since like most school districts our IT resources are limited."

"Auburn City Schools is a classic example of how to leverage information technology to engage students and advance their learning abilities," said Jim Vogt, president and chief executive officer, Trapeze Networks. "We are delighted to be their partner in this important mission to make education mobile and to empower students with the option to study and learn anytime, anywhere."

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