Once you have decided that you want to connect your school to the Internet, there are many factors to consider.
A school's planning committee should have representation from administrators, teachers, parents, libraries, businesses, technical experts, and other community members.
You should think ahead and have a long-range plan to get your school completely networked. Then, as you purchase new equipment, you can make sure that it all fits into your plan.
Contact other schools that are connected to find out what they went through and what issues they faced. Local colleges or universities can be a great resource. There are also Internet providers in every state - some of which are nonprofit - that can assist you. Below is a list of some service providers that can assist you in developing and implementing a technology plan for your school or district.
CICNet, ITI Building, 2901 Hubbard Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, 800-947-4754, 313-998-6703 Area Served: Nationwide
IHETS, 957 West Michigan Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202- 5184, 317-263-8909 Area Served: Indiana
InforMNs, TIES, 2665 Long Lake Road, Suite 250, Roseville, MN 55113-2535, 612-638-8786 Area Served: Minnesota
MichNet, 4251 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105-2785, 313- 764-9430 Area Served: Michigan
MRNet, 511 11th Avenue South, Box 212, Minneapolis, MN 55415, 612-342-2570 Area Served: Minnesota
netILLINOIS, 1840 Oak Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201, 708-866- 1825 Area Served: Illinois
OARnet, 2455 North Star Road, Columbus, OH 43221, 614-728- 8100 Area Served: Nationwide
WiscNet Network Information Center, Division of Information Technology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1210 West Dayton Street, Madison, WI 53706, 608-262-4241 Area Served: Wisconsin
Contact info@ncrel.org