ESTIMATED INTERNET-RELATED COSTS
FOR KANSAS PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND SCHOOLS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• It would cost an estimated $82 million per year to provide a minimum level of direct Internet connections to all Kansas schools and libraries. Much of this cost is implicitly contained within existing school and library budgets.

• This figure assumes that there would be one networked computer per 30 students, one computer per 2,000 library patrons, and one computer per teacher or library staff person. This is a comprehensive figure which includes computers, area networks and statewide networks, as well as planning, training, technical support, and staff time for applications. The costs are based on many other modeled assumptions, and actual experience could be different and probably would change over time.

• Most of these costs are "variable" costs, i.e. costs which depend on the numbers of users being served. According to the model:

  1. The cost to connect one additional district to the Internet backbone is roughly $39,000 per year.

  2. The cost of networking for one additional building is roughly $5,400 per year.

  3. The cost to serve one additional student is roughly $23 per year (excluding additional staff costs).

  4. The cost to serve one additional teacher is roughly $1,500 per year.

  5. The total cost of computers, local networking, and related staff for a typical district is roughly $220,000 per year.

  6. The cost to serve one additional librarian is roughly $1,400 per year.

  7. The cost to serve one additional potential library patron in the general population is roughly $.34 per year.

• The breakout of annual costs by function is roughly:

  1. $24 million for computers at clients' workstations;

  2. $3 million for computers for local databases, applications, e-mail addresses, and bulletin boards;

  3. $10 million for area networking;

  4. $5 million for statewide networking, databases, and Internet access fees; and

  5. $40 million for personnel costs.

• Much of this annual cost is already included in existing budgets. In particular:

  1. Up to $28 million in teacher and librarian time would be shifted to Internet-oriented activities from non-Internet-related activities;

  2. Some $5 million to $10 million is already being spent on computers; and

  3. Several million dollars are already being spent for area networking and Internet access.

• Costs at higher levels of service would increase to :

  1. $126 million with 6 students per computer; and

  2. $400 million with 1 student per computer.

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